172 Culture of Early Potatoes in Denbighshire. 



generally find every eye full of long sprouts fit to be planted : 

 they are then cut as described by R. W. ; but less economi- 

 cally, as we seldom make more than two sets from each tuber, 

 — the eye, or top part, and the root, or bottom part. We 

 plant them as described by him, the eyes upwards in both 

 parts ; and we observe, as described by him, that the potatoes 

 from the eye or top sets are earlier by a fortnight ; and that 

 from those planted in the common ground. And let me observe, 

 in by no means the warmest or richest part of our country, 

 the writer had a dish of ripe potatoes at dinner last Whit- 

 sunday the 14th of May, and the same every day since, from 

 successional crops, until the 20th of July, when the common 

 potatoes came into use. 



You will perhaps wish to know how we secure the succes- 

 sional crops of the same varieties. In February 1818, the 

 writer procured the above varieties from town, and they were 

 planted the latter end of March ; although treated as the other 

 potatoes, they were three weeks or a month earlier than the 

 general crops. Before they were ripe, as before described, 

 every other row was taken up, and the potatoes exposed to 

 the influence of the scorching sun ; the other rows were left 

 until ripe, and were laid up with those taken up unripe, care 

 being taken to keep each sort separate. In December they 

 were examined. Every eye of those taken up unripe had a 

 sprout almost an inch long, the tuber itself quite soft, and all 

 wrinkles had disappeared ; while those left to grow ripe, were 

 as hard as when laid up, showing no appearance of vegeta- 

 tion. In February they were again examined. Those taken 

 up unripe were covered with sprouts from six to eight inches 

 long ; those taken up ripe began to show sprouts. Each sort 

 was then cut Lancashire fashion, and planted the same day in 

 alternate rows of ripe and unripe ; and also the tops and bot- 

 toms of both sorts were set separately in alternate rows. In 

 the beginning of April, every plant from the unripe sets was 

 growing freely ; the eye, or top sets, nine days or a fortnight 

 earlier than the others ; the plants from the ripe set were only 

 beginning to appear; the eye sets of those were evidently 

 earlier than the bottom. When planted on litter and stable 

 dung, they were all covered with earth, about two or three 

 inches deep, and were not earthed up, as is usually the case. 



Brevity being essential to render your miscellany interest- 

 ing, I will not at present enter into further detail, but state to 

 you how they were taken up. The early potatoes not earthed 

 up, grow close round the stalk or stem, like eggs in a nest, 

 and so near the surface, that they may readily be picked off 



