254 



POTATO* 



With the back of the harrow^ or with a harrow that has 

 short tines ; but it is of no great consequence whether it be 

 levelled at all. Another method of planting is, to plough 

 the ground plain, keeping the furrows straight and regular, 

 and drop sets in every third or fourth furrow. But, before 

 this is done, the ground should be ploughed and made level 

 and fine with the harrow." 



A writer for the N, E. Farmer ^ vol. ii. p. 331, gives the 

 following as "an easy and cheap method of raising potatoes : 

 On an even and smooth piece of mowing, or pasture land, 

 make deep, single furrows, with a plough, at three feet dis- 

 tance. Fill these furrows with rye [or any other] straw, 

 and drop your potatoes six or eight inches apart, on the 

 straw. Then, with a hoe, cover the potatoes by turning 

 down the ploughed furrows upon them. They will require 

 no more attention till they are grown. No hoeing will be 

 necessary. The same land may be improved as a pasture 

 for sheep, as those animals will not eat, nor materially in- 

 jure, the tops of the potatoes." 



The after-culture of potatoes consists in harrowing, hoe- 

 ing, weeding, and earthing up. All potatoes require to be 

 earthed up ; that is, to have at least one inch in depth of 

 earth heaped on their roots, and extending six or eight 

 inches round their stem. The reason is, that the tubers do 

 not, properly speaking, grow under the soil, but rather on, or 

 just partially bedded in its surface. Potatoes should, gene- 

 rally, be hoed three times, though twice will do in ground 

 not infested with weeds. The last hoeing should be fin- 

 ished before the plants are in blossom ; otherwise the plants 

 will be apt to form a second set of roots, which will not 

 have time to come to maturity, but will rob those first 

 formed of their nourishment. If weeds are prevalent, they 

 should be cut up or pulled out, but the plants should not be 

 earthed up in that stage of their growth. Plaster of Paris, 

 well pulverized, and applied to the leaves, has a beneficial 

 eff^ect on potatoes. 



Pinching off the blossoms. — It is now generally admitted, 

 that a certain advantage, in point of produce, is obtained by 

 pinching off the blossoms as they appear on the plants. The 

 fact has been repeatedly proved, and satisfactorily accounted 

 for, by Knight, who imagines that it will add an ounce in 

 weight to the tubers of each plant, or considerably above a 

 ton per acre. 



Gathering the crop* — It is believed that cultivators are apt 

 to err by gathering their potatoes too early. The roots 



