SOL A NUM. 



putting it with fome good dung in the bottom of the firft, 

 levelling it evenly, then digging along about half the width 

 of the next or fecond trench, turning the earth into the firft 

 upon the dung, only two or three inches in depth, and upon 

 which lay the potatoe-fets in a row along the middle eight 

 or ten inches or a foot or more afunder ; then digging along 

 the relt or whole width of the faid fecond trench a moderate 

 fpade deep, turning the earth of it into the firit trench, over 

 the fets, three or four inches deep ; this done, dung the 

 bottom of the open trench, and proceed with the digging 

 and planting as before ; and continue trench and trench to 

 the end of the work. 



Bedding-ln planting. — This is fometimes done in low wet- 

 tifh land, for the fake of raifing the beds, and finking the 

 alleys deep enough to drain off the too copious moilture, 

 and is thus performed : — the ground is divided into four, 

 five, or fix-feet wide beds, with alleys two or three feet 

 wide between bed and bed ; and the beds being dug, the 

 potatoe-fets are placed upon a little littery dung on the fur- 

 face in rows lengthwife ; and then the alleys dug out a 

 fpade deep, cafting the earth over the fets about three or 

 four inches thick ; or the alleys may be firll dug out to 

 raife the beds, and the fets then planted with a dibble in the 

 common method : thus, by either of thefe methods, in wet 

 ground, the alleys being funk, and the beds raifed, the 

 alleys drain off the redundant moifture, which might rot the 

 fets before they begin to fprout out and grow. 



And this method of planting is fometimes performed on 

 grafs or fward-land, marking out beds as above, with alleys 

 between of proportionable width ; then, without digging 

 the beds, the potatoe-fets are placed immediately upon the 

 fward at proper diftances ; the alleys being then dug and 

 the fpits turned grafs-fide downward upon the beds over the 

 fets, covering them the proper depth as above, in which, if 

 any additional depth is wanted, it may be fupplied from the 

 imder earth of the alleys ; and thus the fets being between 

 two fwards, grow, and often are produftive of very good 

 crops, if permitted to have full growth. This is a fort of 

 lazy-bed mode of planting, that is not to be much praftifed 

 in gardens. 



In the after-management of the crops, where weeds begin 

 to over-run the ground, two or three hoeings fhould be 

 given to kill them and loofen the furface of the foil ; and 

 when the plants have fome growth, fome hoe up a ridge of 

 earth clofe to each fide of every row of plants in the firlt 

 or fecond hocmg, to itrengthen their growth more effec- 

 tually, and render them more prolific, as the bottom of the 

 ftalks fo landed up generally emits roots in the earth that 

 become produftive of potatoes the fame as the principal 

 roots. 



In Oftober, when the potatoes are full grown, they 

 fhould in the general crops be wholly taken up before they 

 are attacked by froft, and depofited in fome dry apartment 

 for keeping : lome may however be taken up before for 

 occafional ufe : this bufinefs is ufually performed by a three- 

 pronged fork, the ends of the prongs being a little blunted. 

 The early crops are to be taken up as they are wanted for 

 nfe, as feen below. 



Before the potatoes are begun to be dug up, whether in 

 the early or late crops, the haulm fliould be cut clofe to the 

 ground and cleared away, in the former only to the extent 

 of what is to be taken up at the time, but in the latter for 

 the whole fpace which is to be dug up in the day, or other 

 length of time, or for the quantity there may be. It is to 

 be turned off in heaps on to the dug land, that the furface 

 of the ground to be dug for potatoes may be rendered per- 

 Icftly ckar and convenient for the work. Thi» ii ufually 



done as the workman proceeds. In forking the crop up, 

 the labour then goes on, by firft opening a trench along one 

 end of the ground to the depth and width of a good fpit, 

 proceeding in the fame way with the reft, throwing the 

 whole of the potatoes, as they are dug up, into large baf- 

 kets placed for the purpofe, carefully digging over all the 

 land in a regular manner fpit by fpit, turning each clean 

 upfide down into the previous open trench. In this manner 

 the whole is to be completed. 



The early crops are beft taken up as they are wanted, as 

 they do not keep fo good when dug up in large quantities. 



The haulm is fometimes burnt, in the heaps as they lie 

 upon the ground, but it is probably better to make ufe of 

 it as litter, or to employ it for fome garden purpofes, which 

 it may be made to anfwer. 



When become perfeftly dry and well freed from dirt and 

 other matters, the potatoes may be put up and fecured in 

 the houfe, when for keeping, all the cut and bruifed ones, 

 as well as the chats or very fmall ones, being previoully forted 

 out and taken away. Towards the fpring they may like- 

 wife be rubbed over to take off the fprouts and make them 

 keep better. 



When it is intended to raife new varieties from feed, feme 

 of the firll flowering plants fhould be marked, the feed 

 fhould be gathered in autumn when full ripe, and in the 

 March or April following fown in fome light foil, in an 

 open Ctuation, in fhallew drills a foot afunder ; and when 

 the plants come up, they fhould be kept clear from weed* 

 till autumn, when, about the end of Oftobcr or beginning 

 of November, the roots may be taken up, felefting the 

 fineft and largelt, which prefcrve in fand till fpring ; then 

 plant them in the common way, and by the autumn follow- 

 ing they will have made proper increafe, and attain full per- 

 feftion ; when their properties muft be determined. 



It is not improbable, from what has been written on the 

 fubjcft in the Tranfaftions of the Horticultural Society of 

 London, that much utility and advantage may be derived in 

 the cultivation of the early or proper garden potatoe, from 

 making ufe of new and more early varieties than fuch at 

 have been ufually employed. Formerly, the early varieties 

 of this root were folely gained by accident from the feeds 

 of the late forts, and confequcntly not often produced ; at 

 the early forts or varieties of this plant were well known to 

 feldom or never afford either bloffoms or feeds in the com- 

 mon methods of culture, they being only capable of being 

 increafed by portions of their tubers or roots. But by 

 having recourle to fuch methods of management with them, 

 as tend to prevent the preternaturally early forming of their 

 tubers or roots, it has been found that feeds may be readily- 

 procured from the mofl early of the beft early forts, the 

 feeds of which may, it is fuggcfted, in fucccflive crops, at 

 lafl afford ttill more early and better varictiet^, than any 

 which have hitherto been produced. This would be a great 

 and important acquifition, cfpecially in the garden culture of 

 the potatoe. See Pot.vtoe. 



The manner of the cultivation of the potatoe in the pre- 

 ceding year, and the Hate which it is in from it, would 

 feem alfo to have much influence on the produce of the fuc- 

 ceeding year, as great benefit has, it is faid, arifen from 

 planting fuch potatoes as had grown late and not been fully 

 maturated in the preceding year. And in the early forts it 

 has been found, tliat the earlinefs likewile of the crops, to 

 fome extent, are dependent upon the Itate of tiie varieties ; 

 fo that tlie fuccefa uf the cultivator in railing an early crop 

 of this kind, maybe good or bad, according to the mode 

 or manner of the culture, in the preceding year, of the 

 tuber* or plaoti. Such varittieti as h<ivc the appearance of 

 P p 2 being 



