SECT. XV. 



OF ESCULENTS. 



rows, eighteen inches afunder in a poor foil, twenty- 

 one in a middling, and two feet in a rich one. In the 

 former, the fets may be fix or feven inches apart, and 

 in the latter eight or nine : The American potatoe 

 fhould however have more room each way. In a light 

 foil, plant them five or fix inches deep, and in a 

 heavy one only three or four. When planted deep, 

 they will not need earthing up above once, but when 

 (hallow, two or three times. In a light foil, they 

 may be put in with a blunt dibble, but in a heavy one 

 fhould be laid in trenches; and it the trenches were 

 dug deep, and fir ft filled with long dung, old thatch, 

 or fhort ft raw, it would be a great advantage; cover- 

 ing them up in ridges, and drawing mould to them as 

 they fettle. Cold, moift ground fhould be divided into 

 beds of two or three rows each, with funk alleys 

 between ; and as in ftfch a foil the fets fhould not be 

 above three inches deep, the finking of the alleys may 

 be made by earthing the rows up from time to time. 

 In a heavy foil make the rows rather wider than in a 

 tight, one, that there be a due quantity of furface mould 

 tor earthing. - 



Early potatoes are procured feveral ways. On a 

 hot-bed, fome may be planted in February, or under 

 hand-glaffes, in a warm border, or without. There are 

 early forts on purpofe for this culture, called mules, as 

 they do not bear feed. As thefe potatoes are fmall, 

 they may be planted whole, or rather cut in halves, 

 paring off the eyes atorthe crown where they are thick, 

 as it never anfwers to have many fhoots come from a 

 fet ; whole ones lhould be planted a foot afunder, and 

 halves at eight inches. 



Loo!? over the Jiock of early potatoes, and plant 

 thole firft carefully in trenches that have rooted fhoots, 

 for they will produce the firft fruit, especially if fhort 

 and brufhy. Do not expofe them fo long to the air as 

 to get withered. When up in hot-beds, or under hand- 

 glajjes, let them have plenty of air; and in open ground 

 be protected from froft by timely earthing up, and oc^ 



cafionai 



