Culture of the Potato near Aberdeen. 4-35 



first, I cut off the blind eye, as it is generally called, at the base 

 of the potato, and throw it into the waste basket; I then proceed 

 to divide the remaining part, according to the size of the tuber, 

 and the number of eyes it contains, always taking care to have 

 one good full eye at least to each set ; and, when the sets are cut, 

 I lay them in a moderately thick heap for a few days, that they 

 may dry before planting, taking especial care, in early crops 

 particularly, not to plant when the ground is very wet from heavy 

 rains or snow. 



I have frequently taken tubers from fully matured crops, and 

 exposed them to the influence of the sun for several weeks ; and 

 in the following season planted them at the same time, and on 

 the same piece of ground, with tubers of a late crop; the results 

 have fully confirmed my opinion, that planting early-produced 

 tubers, for early crops, is the best method to adopt. 



Respecting the idea that late-produced tubers will not produce 

 a curled progeny, I submit the following case, to show that they 

 are as likely to produce curl in the succeeding crop as the most 

 matured tubers. In the year 1826, through the prevalence of 

 rain, the late crops were generally not of a marketable quality ; 

 consequently the greater part were reserved by the growers for 

 planting. The following spring and summer, the curl prevailed 

 to a great extent, and hundreds of acres were ploughed up, the 

 crop not being worth the expense of taking. I examined many 

 hundreds of plants on different soils and under different modes 

 of treatment, and seldom found more than three or four per 

 cent of healthy plants. On carefully examining the soil, I 

 found nothing to induce a belief that it was caused by any local 

 circumstance ; indeed, so general was the disease, that the 

 most sceptical growers declared they could not ascribe it to any 

 other cause than the unripe state of the sets; a conclusion 

 strengthened by the fact, that those who planted well-ripened 

 tubers had crops free from curl and as productive as usual. 



East Ham, Oct. 28. 1833. 



Art. VI. An Account of a Mode of cultivating Potatoes in the 

 Neighbourhood of Aberdeen ; preceded by some Remarks on the 

 Potato Culture of the Neighbourhood of Dublin. By Mr. James 

 Wright, Gardener at Westfield, near Aberdeen. 



In turning over your Magazine, I observe (IX. 589.) " a 

 note on the planting of potatoes," by James Hart, Dublin. I 

 was rather surprised to see such a communication [see X. 78.] 

 from a country so celebrated for the cultivation of the potato as 

 Ireland is generally reported to be. I do not approve of the 

 Irishman's mode, as a whole, and of Mr. Hart's amendment 



H H 4 



