Potatoes and Dahlias on the same Ground. 24 9 



the season, if an opportunity offers, I will detail more minutely 

 tlie full result of the fruit ripening, and all the sorts of grapes 

 in the house, if you deem it necessary, and will forward them 

 for observation. 

 March 26. 1836. 



[We shall be happy to receive the details to which our cor- 

 respondent alludes; and, in the meantime, we hope he will 

 favour us with his method for destroying the white scale (see 

 p. 160.), to which he refers in his postscript.] 



Art. XI. A Plan for growing Potatoes and Dahlias on the same 

 Ground, and in the same Season. By J. H. R. 



I AM fearful that I shall be thought troublesome, if I give you 

 my plan of growing potatoes and dahlias ; yet some of your 

 numerous readers, who are fond of profitable and ornamental 

 gardening, may like to follow it. In the autumn, when the leaves 

 have nearly all fallen from the trees and shrubs, and the seedling 

 weeds are near coming to seed, I fork over all the spare ground 

 where crops have been growing, which leaves it in a neat state 

 during the winter. In February, I plant my potatoes (the early 

 Shaws), which I generally put into the ground whole; but, if the 

 potato is large, I divide it by drawing the knife through the 

 middle of the cluster of eyes at the end of the potato. I begin 

 planting the large beds, having the first row a convenient distance 

 from the edge ; after setting down the line, I dig a trench with- 

 out treading upon the spade, and, as I come back, clean out the 

 trench to about 4 in. deep. I put in the sets, then remove the 

 line 3 ft. or 3 J ft., and dig another trench in the same manner, 

 having a wooden rake by me to pull in the earth over the sets, 

 and rake the ground even as the work of planting goes on. I 

 next remove the line 2 ft., and dig another trench, which leaves 

 but sufficient space for the moulding up of the potatoes. I next 

 remove the line 3 ft. or 3| ft., and so on. As soon as the 

 potatoes are grovv^n a sufficient height to be seen, I fork the 

 ground one fork wide on each side of the row, by thrusting in 

 the fork and pressing it down, so as to raise the earth, and thus 

 leave it, not to throw it out. When the plants are sufficiently 

 high, I mould them up, observing to mould them highest on 

 the wide side, so as to give the stalks an inclination to fall be- 

 tween the narrow rows, where they are to be kept, so that one 

 side of each row may have the full benefit of light and air. 

 About the middle of May, I put on between the wide rows a 

 slight coat of dung, and dig it in close to the moulding of the 



