38 



No. X. 



Potato ! Oh the very name ' 



My humble Muse inspires ; 



To do full justice to its claim 



Might ask old Ossian's fires — 



But in his songs it would be hard 



Potatoes praise to find, 



For why ? when flourished that great Bard 



On different fare they dined. 



Their food was by the chace obtained 



Or sought in mutual plunder, 



And thus eternal warfare reigned — 



In truth it was no wonder. 



Now Pat can with his kinsfolk cry 



" What happier days await us 



" With friends, who arts of peace supply 



" And fields that bear potatoes." 



The purpose then of Martin Doyle 



Who farming boasts some art in, 



Is how to meliorate the soil 



And make that crop more certain. 



Having recommended to you a certain rotation 

 of — 1. green croj)S, (viz. potatoes, mangel wurzel, 

 turnips, beans, &c.) — 2. barley or oats, — 3. clover, — 

 4. wheat, I shall proceed to give you a few simple 

 directions for the culture of all and each of the above 

 crops. I shall begin with potatoes for which Ireland 

 is so deservedly cele]>rated. In this county the drill 

 management of them being so universal, I have only 

 to call your observation to the following two or three 

 points aiFecting their luxuriancy — 1st, as to seed: cut 

 off the crown or principal eye from your best potatoes ; 

 by doing so you will have the earliest and best sets, 

 and at the same time check the vegetation of your 

 store potatoes, either in house or in pits ; and you 

 will scarcely miss the quantity of seed by this thrifty 

 mode. You are not, however, to carry your economy 

 so far as to cut off the mere crown eyes without a 



