Culture of the Potato. 133 



I have repeatedly grown from 500 to 600 bushels per acre- 

 He says he is a great sufferer by what he calls the dry rot. 

 Two years ago, he lost 80 acres from that cause. The term 

 dry rot, as applied to potatoes, is new to me ; but I presume 

 it means that the cutting dries up, and is not productive. Sup- 

 posing this to be correct, would that have happened had whole 

 potatoes been planted ? I think not ; for, though I have fre- 

 quently seen cuttings dried up and withered, I never had to 

 complain when whole potatoes were planted. The operation 

 of cutting potatoes for sets is very often left to ignorant and 

 unpractised persons, and any old woman is thought capable 

 of performing it : but this is not the case. If the knife goes 

 either through the eye, or very close to it, I believe it will not 

 produce. 



Last year (by no means a favourable one) I made the following 

 experiment : — 



One row was planted with eight whole potatoes (of the agri- 

 cultural kidney), each containing eight eyes, sixty-four in the 

 whole. Produce, 33 potatoes; weight, 12 lb. 



Tvv^o rows of the same size were planted with eight sets each, 

 each set containing four eyes, sixty-four in the whole. Produce, 

 52 potatoes; weight, 18 lb. 



The result was, that twice the quantity of land produced only 

 an excess of one third in weight : but, if two rows had been 

 planted with whole potatoes, the produce would have been 24< lb. 

 I have repeatedly tried the experiment, with nearly the same 

 result ; and, therefore, I come to the conclusion, that it is more 

 advantageous to plant whole (kidney) potatoes than sets. The 

 rent, the taxes, the ploughing, and the dung must be the same 

 in both cases. I calculate that my Yorkshire friend loses 7/. an 

 acre, or 1000 guineas a season, by the use of sets. 



I have not tried the experiment with the round potato, which, 

 generally, is so full of eyes, that it must be cut. But the 

 pigs ask no questions r^ I speak only of potatoes fit to be eaten 

 by man. 



I take it for granted that you know the agricultural potato 

 is decidedly thebestfor the gentleman's table, though not so pro- 

 ductive as many others. The bi'ead-fruit potato is also, I pre- 

 sume, well known to you ; and you may, perhaps, have seen or 

 heard of a new potato, called the poor man's profit, which was 

 sent to me as a very great bearer. 



Last year they produced, after the rate of, per acre : agricul- 

 tural, 572 bushels ; bread-fruit, 689 bushels; poor man's profit, 

 636 bushels. This last is a round purple and white potato, very 

 good for the table. Any one of these proceeds far exceeds the 

 quantity which contents my friend in Yorkshire. 



I am now preparing some ground for experiments in small 



