404 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



be furnished with a bottom. The third of a soap box will hold 

 from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty sets or 

 eyes; the third of a candle box about sixty sets. If the sets are 

 planted out in rows, a foot apart in the row, every thirty-three 

 sets will produee one bushel, or three bushels to every hundred 

 feet of rows, if planted in rows three feet apart. Oi* eleven hills, 

 three feet apart, three plants in a hill, set about a foot from plant 

 to plant in the hill, should produce a bushel of potatoes when 

 ripe — equal to four hundred and fortj'^-four bushels per acre. With 

 this information, all can tell the number of boxes required to fur- 

 nish sets sufficient to plant any desired space. 



007/1^)081 for the sets. — Mix up a lot of sand and good soil, or sand 

 and fine manure, or finely sifted coal ashes sand and, or fine sand 

 alone — ^boxes and compost ready. 



Cutting the sets. — Select from your stock of potatoes all those 

 that have good strong sprouts at the point or nose end; cut off 

 each sprout with a bit of the potato attached to it. The end 

 sprouts to be kept separate and marked No. 1; the next or middle 

 sprouts or eyes, No. 2. The eyes at the stem or butt end. No. 3. 

 Number the boxes accordingly, and when ready to set in the open 

 ground, plant out in the same order. No. 1, will ripen first. No. 2 

 next, and No. 3 follow. The eyes being ready, cover the bottom 

 of the boxes with the compost; then set the eyes on it so they 

 touch each other; fill up the boxes with the compost; wet with warm 

 water occasionally; keep in a wanii place. If desired to push them 

 foward, keep quite warm and moist; if necessary to retard them, 

 remove to a cool place. From two to three weeks brings them 

 into fine condition for setting in the open ground, which is gene- 

 rally the first week in April, in the vicinity of New York city. A 

 few days prior to planting out the sets, water should not be 

 applied — letting the sets dry ofi' greatly facilitates the separating 

 of the rootlets — for overturning them out of the boxes. They will 

 be found in a compact mass, like a sod of grass. Careful and 

 repeated shaking will separate them nicely, preserving the rootlets 

 of each set entire. If any of the sprouts have grown too long, so 

 they would appear above gi'ound when planted, such should be 

 laid down and covered with earth if danger of frost. 



Setting out the sprouts. — The ground being prepared, rows or 

 hills opened, the sprouts are set in a foot apart, and covered first 

 M'ith fine horse manure and then with earth; if ashes or ashes and 

 plaster is used, then a slight sprinkling of either before covering, 



