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HOCKIXGS' GARDEN MANUAL. 



numbered and kept separate. The seed may be sown 

 in shallow drills in February, and when about three 

 inches high thin them out to about eight inches or a 

 foot apart. The tubers from the seedling plants will 

 be very small. On digging them up, select the best 

 roots to experiment with, keeping each cluster separate 

 and numbered, or otherwise distinguished. On 

 planting them in the following spring, select an equal 

 quantity of the best formed tubers of each root, giving 

 them equal space and attention. When the crop is 

 ripe, the tubers will be of a sufficient size to determine 

 their properties. 



Having considered not merely the flavor of each 

 new variety, but the size, shape, and color, the com- 

 parative fertility and healthiness, earliness or lateness, 

 reject or retain it for permanent culture accordingly. 



Propagation by tubers : When tubers are intended 

 to be cut, this operation should be performed several 

 days before planting, and the sets spread out in a shed 

 to dry. The cutting should be from end to end, and 

 not across the potato, as the root end is said to be a 

 fortnight later than the others, and this would cause 

 the crop to ripen unevenly. 



Time of planting, dec, : The land being well drained 

 and properly prepared, potatoes may be planted in 

 March and August, in drills two feet six inches apart, 

 and the sets twelve inches apart in the rows. The 

 drills should be four inches deep, and the sets carefully 

 covered. Medium sized whole potatoes are generally 

 preferable to cut potatoes, especially for the August 

 sowing. The season for sowing necessarily varies, not 

 only wi+h the district, but with the aspect. 



The crop should be kept free of weeds, and for this 

 purpose the scarifier would be found useful. The 

 potatoes should be earthed up with a light one-horse 

 plough as they advance ; and if at the second earthing 

 up, the furrows are left pretty deep, they will be valu- 

 able as surface drains in case of heavy rains. 



