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about two Inches high, they mufi 

 be tranfp^anted into a moderate Hot- 

 bed, observing to water and (hade 

 them until they have taken new Root; 

 after which they mould have a large 

 Share of free Air in warm Weather 

 to prevent their drawing up weak. 

 When the Plants have obtain'd a 

 good Share of Strength, they mould 

 be carefully taken up with Earth 

 to their Roots, and planted into Pots 

 filled with light rich Earth, and 

 placed ftiaftiady Situation until they 

 have taken Root ; when they may 

 be removed into a warm Situation, 

 where they may remain abroad in 

 the open Air until the Middle or 

 End of September; when they mull 

 be removed into the Conservatory , 

 and placed where they may have a 

 moderate Share of Warmth in cold 

 Weather ; by which Method the 

 Plants may be preferv'd through the 

 Winter, and the following Summer 

 they will produce Fruit. 



The ninth Sort is the common 

 Potato, of which there arc two Va- 

 rieties ; one having a red Root, and 

 a purple Flower ; and the other a 

 white Roo!, and a white Flower : 

 but as thefe are accidental Varieties, 

 I mail not make them different. 



The common Name of Potato 

 feems to be only a Corruption of the 

 Indian Name Batatas. This Plant 

 has been much propagated in Eng- 

 land within thirty Years part ; for 

 a'though it was introduced from 

 America about the Year 1623. yet 

 it was but little cultivated, till of 

 late ; thefe Roots being defpifed by 

 the Rich, and deemed only proper 

 Food for the meaner Sort of Perfons ; 

 however, they are now efleemed by 

 rnoft People ; and the Quantity of 

 ihem which are cultivated near 

 London, I believe, exceeds that of any 

 Other Part of Europe. 



This Plant was always ranged in 

 he Genus of So/anum, or Night- 



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fhade, and is now brought under 

 that Title by Dr. Linnaus ; but as 

 Lycopcrjicon has been eftablilVd as 2 

 diltintt Genus, on account of the 

 Fruit being divided into feveral 

 Cells, by intermediate Partitions, 

 and as the Fruit of this Plant ex- 

 actly agrees with the Characters of 

 the other Species of this Genus, I 

 have inferted it here. 



This Plant is always propagated 

 by its Roots; for it rarely perfects 

 Seeds in England ; and if it did, 

 that Method would be more tedious 

 and uncertain ; and as the Roots 

 greatly multiply, if planted in a 

 proper Soil, there can be no Occa- 

 sion for trying any other Method of 

 Culture. The common Way is, 

 cither to plant the fmall Roots or 

 Off-fets intire, or to cut the larger 

 Roots into Pieces ; preferving a Bud 

 or Eye to each : but neither of thefe 

 Methods is what I would recom- 

 mend ; for when the fmalier OiT- 

 fets are plrXnted, they generally pro- 

 duce a greater Number of Roots ; 

 but thefe are always fmall ; and the 

 Cuttings of the larger Roots are 

 apt to rot, efpecially if wet Weather 

 happens foon after they are plant- 

 ed : therefore what I would recom- 

 mend is, to make choice of the fair- 

 eft Roots for this Purpofe, and to 

 allow them a larger Space of Ground, 

 both between the Rows, as alfo in 

 the Rows, Plant from Plant; by 

 which Method, I have obferved, the 

 Roots have been in general large 

 the followi ng Autumn. 



The Soil ' in which this Plant 

 thrives beft, is a light fandy Loam, 

 not too dry, or ovcr-moift : this 

 Ground ihould be well plowed two 

 or three times, in order to break and 

 divide the Parts ; and the deeper it 

 is Plowed, the better the Roots will 

 thrive.. In the Spring, jufl: before the 

 laft Plowing, there mould be a good 

 Quantity of rotten Dung fpread on 



