particularly^ the early Varieties. 175 



around London, of taking up the tubers intended for sets before 

 they are quite ripe : another practice, no less pernicious, in my 

 opinion, is, the keeping of them in large heaps, with moist soil 

 round them, or in warm sheds ; and another evil is, the growing 

 of potatoes for years in the same kind of soil. A friend informs 

 me that, in the black shallow soil of Dartmoor, in Devonshire, 

 extensive potato plantations are made, the sets for which are 

 every second or third year procured from the farmers where the 

 soil is red or yellow loam. But to come to the point : and first, 

 then, I will I'elate how we discovered what I consider a superior 

 method of keeping the sets. On taking in a stack of corn, which 

 had been built on a rustic platform of wood, about 4 in. clear of 

 the soil, some beautiful specimens of potatoes were found in an 

 admirable state of preservation (it being late in the season) in 

 the soil; or I may rather say dust, for it was so dry that it would 

 have drifted in the wind. This was taken as a hint ; and subse- 

 quent practice confirmed the idea, that, to keep potatoes in the 

 highest state of perfection (that is, perfectly dormant, and yet 

 plump and full-flavoured), they require to be taken up in dry 

 weather, when Xhey are perfectly ripe (that is, when the strings 

 and tubers part freely), and deposited in layers, with dry soil 

 between; say one layer of potatoes, 3 in. deep; I in. of soil; 3 in. 

 more of potatoes ; then 6 in. of soil ; and over this a waterproof 

 thatching, erected on props, 6 in. high, that the winds may act 

 freel}^ on the soil under the thatch. 



Gardeners, requiring but small quantities, should look out for 

 seed potatoes in summer, from soils of a different nature to that 

 which they intend to crop ; and should have them brought home 

 as soon as they are ripe, and get them deposited as above de- 

 tailed ; they will thus obtain sound perfect sets, uninjured by 

 fermentation or unwholesome damps. To prepare the sets, 

 tubers, about the size of a hen's egg, may be cut in two, putting 

 the crown sets by themselves, which should be planted for the 

 earliest crop. Immediately after the sets are cut, let them be 

 planted : no drying is necessary. Indeed, I should not allow a 

 seed tuber to be exposed to the air, either in the autumn or 

 spring, for a single hour, if I could prevent it. In planting, 

 dig the ground one full spade or spit deep (if previously 

 trenched, so much the better). WTien two spits have been dug 

 all across the quarter, let the line be strained on the dug ground, 

 and a drill chopped out, about 6 in. deep, in which a layer of 

 any half-rotten manure may be put, such as old mushroom beds, 

 half-decayed leaves, fermented stable dung, &c. ; on which (not 

 under it) place the sets, eyes uppermost, 4 in. apart, and let 

 them be covered with the broken soil in the trench ; after which 

 the planter may proceed to dig for another row, which may be 

 2 ft. apart. A great many systems of planting potatoes are prac- 



