242 POTATO. 



all the top that might grow hetween haying and the end of 

 August — ^the more the better. If this he cross-ploughed lq the 

 spring and well harrowed, it will make a splendid piece of ground 

 for potatoes, much better than can be obtained by manuring a 

 piece that has been under the plough for a long time. 



It has long been a vexed question whether it is better to 

 plant potatoes whole or ia pieces, large tubers or small, and which 

 produce the best crop. The question is not fully settled yet, 

 but perhaps the experiments of those who have raised fine crops 

 of potatoes without planting the potato at all, may help to throw 

 some light on this subject. When the celebrated Bresee's Pota- 

 toes were first introduced, we mean the Early Eose, Bresee's 

 Prolific, &c., such was the anxiety to get them, that good-sized 

 tubers were sold at fifty dollars each, and when they became 

 more plenty, at a doUar per pound. In order to supply this 

 demand as speedily as possible, a hot-bed was prepared in the 

 early spring, and a potato cut in two, lengthwise, and laid with 

 the cut side down upon the soil and the sash kept closed. As 

 soon as the sprouts were long enough, say a couple of inches, 

 they were cut off, leaving a part adhering to the potato, and 

 planted out in the hot-bed. The portion of the sprout remaining 

 attached to the potato after a while sent out new shoots, which 

 were in turn cut off in the same way and planted out. Those 

 that were planted out in the hot-bed soon struck root and grew, 

 and when they became long enough the tops of these were cut 

 off, or as a gardener woidd say " headed back," and planted out. 

 In this way, by multiplying cuttings and enlarging the hot-bed 

 room as needed, a great many thousand rooted cuttings were 

 obtained, and these, when the weather became suitable, were 

 planted out in the open ground, and in due process of time grew 

 and produced tubers, which were as laige and fine as those pro- 

 duced from whole or cut Potatoes. 



From this we learn that potatoes may be raised from cuttings 

 of the sprouts alone, without planting any part of the potato, 

 and that in all probability it is of most importance to plant 



