No. 151.] 481 



ate contact with the manure in the hills; I find that when the rain 

 comes and soaks through the soil and manure, the potatoes do better 

 than when in close contact with the manure. 



Mr. Haff. — One word on a mode of planting potatoes for very 

 early crop. I cut off the crown of the potato, (where the most eyes 

 are) about one quarter the potato; these I put in boxes at this time 

 of the year, with earth about as deep as we commonly plant them. 

 I eat the other parts of my potatoes. These crowns put out roots; 

 begin to vegetate, and as soon as I can set them out in the open 

 air, I do so, and have potatoes from them for my table by the mid- 

 dle of June, nearly one month earlier than common. 



Electricity to Vegetation. 



The following is extracted from Martin's General Magazine for 

 1755, p. 116. — By John Tracers, of Osceola Point. 



" As it is our professed design to improve every discovery for the 

 public good as far as we are able; and as electricity is now well 

 known to be somewhat more than a matter of mere curiosit}', inas- 

 much as it has been applied successfully to the cure of many dis- 

 orders of the rheumatic and paralytic kind, and to remove obstruc- 

 tions and pains occasioned thereby: also it is known to promote 

 vegetation in plants, and doubtless may be found of use in many 

 other cases if it v/ere applied in a proper manner; I mean so that 

 it might be applied constantly or perpetually, and not momentarily 

 and irregularly, as in the com.mon way ot using it, for if such sur- 

 prising effects are produced from its sudden, and as it were, single 

 action, what may we expect from continuous action or influence of 

 such a powerful agent, that is to say from a perpetual electrification 

 of animal and vegetable substances. 



" In order to assist in such an undertaking we here propose a ma- 

 chine," &c. 



Then follows a plate representing a fruit and flower garden with 

 an electrical apparatus, which consists of a shaft working vertically 

 by the application of a small stream of water on two glass cylin- 

 ders with cushions to be adjusted properly, and communicating wires 

 to the fruit and flower garden, which is a large insulated wooden 

 frame. 



[Assembly, No. 151.] 31 



