Ko. 151.] 469 



disease in the potato, and truly it may be so called, as in all cases 

 where lands are not tilled properly to carry out the work nature re- 

 quires, disease will more or less follow; and here I beg leave to re- 

 mark, that ever since the Solanum tuberosum was introduced into 

 Europe, which is now only two hundred and forty-eight years, it 

 has been improving in quantity and quality, and invariably best 

 where most labor has been bestowed on the land. Our seasons vary, 

 sometimes very hot and dry, followed by heavy freshets and floods. 

 Lands thus drenched, and not drained by proper deepening and break- 

 ing through the hard pan, must suffer, and will inevitably cause curl 

 in the leaf, premature in its growth, and stop the progress of the 

 tuber, and in this tender state disease will follow. Some persons 

 will say, ' my land lies high and dry,' and therefore does not require 

 draining, but moisture. Then, I say, deepen your land, that it may 

 receive rain when it comes, and by continually working the crop 

 you will retain it. 



This vegetable should be kept in constant cultivation until it is ma- 

 tured, or the crop will fall short. To do this work properly, turn 

 your potato land in the fall, again as early in spring as possible, 

 cross-plow with the subsoil or trench; manure broadcast, compost is 

 best, charcoal, animal and street manure, ashes, sea sand, lime, soot, 

 &c. ; add to this as much vegetable and barn yard manure, and put 

 fifty ox cart loads to the acre, and well attend your crops while 

 growing, and you may expect to receive a full reward and no dis- 

 ease. Some will say ' my land is worn out;' this is oft times a fact. 

 Then, again, I say, till and dress, for where the lands have been long- 

 est under cultivation, and most labor bestowed with good judgment, 

 there are the best- potatoes and best crops. If our wages are high, 

 and we cannot work quite so close as in Europe, we can take the 

 broad field culture, and the advantage of two hundred and forty- 

 eight years of experience with one or two yoke of cattle and sub- 

 soil plow, will equal any of our wishes. 



I will refer our farmers to last summer's dry weather; where lands 

 were not tilled, it was as dry as though rain had not been upon it 

 for years, and when the plow was kept 'constantly at work, the mois- 

 ture was retained, the lungs, fibres and tubers fed, and a full crop 

 obtained. And here I do not wish to leave you, for all esculent 

 roots naturally require their soils tilled deep, to allow th? frost, sun, 

 wind, air and all other natural elements, with summer and winter 

 fallowing, to cause a wholesome, good and full crop; and by strict 

 adherence to labor and to nature, you may raise any -quantity a rea- 



