Curl and Worm in the Potato. 19 



steam to the cistern (k), to the atmosphere of the house (c), 

 or to the steam vault (i) at pleasure. 



I am, Sir, &c. 



A. Middleton. 



Clapton Nursery, March, 1827. 



Art. VIII. On the Culture of the Potato, in respect to Ear- 

 liness, the Curl, the Worm, and other Circumstances. By a 

 Denbighshire Gardener. 



Sir, 



It has been a very old custom to obtain potatoes for sets from 

 cold situations and poor soils, it being conceived that a change 

 from such a soil and climate would make them grow better 

 and more luxuriant in rich soils and warm situations, like 

 removing an animal from a cold country and short pasture to 

 the rich pastures in the warm valleys, not attributing it to the 

 true cause — that they were unripe. I have endeavoured to 

 trace the effects, long and well known, to their true causes, 

 and to combine the whole in one connected system, which, if 

 correctly attended to, will produce every variety of the potato 

 six weeks earlier than they are at present obtained, without 

 any additional trouble or expense whatever. 



Obtaining a crop six weeks earlier than usual is an object 

 deserving the highest consideration ; its coming into use at the 

 season of the year when the poor man's garden affords him no 

 new vegetables, when the stock of the old potatoes is become 

 short and dear, and, withal, so bitter, unpalatable, and un- 

 wholesome ; to have then a crop of new potatoes is a delicacy 

 indeed, especially to the poor, depending so much for their 

 support upon the potato ; still more so to the Irish poor, to 

 whom the potato may be said to be the staff of life. 



I have planted several rows of early pink-eyes from ripe 

 tubers, which are now coming up, almost all curled. Not a 

 curl appears upon any of the same variety from unripe tubers, 

 although planted within a few yards of each other. The last 

 autumn being warm and long, enabled the worm to grow 

 stronger and more vigorous to attack the potato, in which it 

 made holes, and therein, perhaps, deposited its eggs, which, 

 nourished by the heat, acquired life and strength ; and, after 

 the potato was planted and began to grow soft, it grew vigor- 

 ous, and preyed upon its sap, rendering the plant weak and 

 curled. I am inclined to think that the worm is the cause of 



c 2 



