ON POTATOES, 2Q5 



ficiently luxnriant growth, and large produce, for general 

 culture, could be formed, which would never produce 

 blossoms. 



1 have since had the gratification to find, that such are Pecjijar ad- 

 readilv obtained, b\' the means which 1 hwve detailed, and 1 /^otages o: 



,." , . , . unproved va- 



aui disiposed lo annex niore importance to the jui prove- risjies of 



tnentof our most useful plants, than any writer on agricul- ?!*£»». 



tu re has hitherto done; because whatever increased value 



is thus added to the produce of the soil is obtained without 



any increased expense or laboufj and therefore is jnst 80 



much added to individual and national wealth. 



I formerly supposed that all varieties of the potato, wliich Potatoes that 



ripened early iu the autumn, would necessarily vegetate "^^"^'''ly '" 



, . , . I , , ^ , <• ^ "turn; do out 



early in the ensuing spring, and could therefore be tit lor necessarily ve- 



use only during winter; but 1 have found that the habit ©f ?'^'*'* ®^^'y "* 



• • . , . • spring : 



acquiring maturity early in the autumn is by no means 



necessarily connected with the hnbit of vegetating early tn 

 the spring ; and therefore by a proper selection of varieties, 

 the season of planting crops, for all purposeis, tnfiy be ex- 

 tended from the beginnjng of March, nearly to the middle 

 of May, and each variety be committed to the soil exactly 

 at the most advantageous period. 



A variety, however, which does not vegetate till late in but most pro-, 

 the spring, and which ripens early in the autumn, cannot, I ""J'^f ** 

 conclude, particularly in dry soils and seasons, afford so those that ve- 

 large a produce as one which vegetates more early : I. ne- S'^^'^ ^*"/« 

 vertheless, obtained so large a crop from one which vege- 

 tates remarkably late -in the spring, and ripens rather early 

 in the autumn, that I was induced to ascertain, by weigh- 

 ing, to what the produce would have amounted, had the Produc?. 

 crop extended over an acre, and I found, that it would have 

 exceeded 21 tuns, 11 cwt. 80 lb*. 



In this calcuhition the external rows, which derived supe- 

 rior advantage froiii air and light, were excluded; and no 

 more manure, or culture, than is usually given, had been 

 employed ; for the crop was not planted with any intention 

 of having it weighed: the wet summer was, however, very 

 favourable, 



« 43352 lb<. 



T am 



