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the Ground, which Ihould be plow- 

 ed in the Beginning of March, if 

 the Seafon proves mild, otherwife it 

 had better be deferr'd until the Mid- 

 dle or Latter-end of that Month ; 

 for if it mould prove hard Froft af- 

 ter the Roots are planted, they may 

 be greatly injured, if not deftroyed, 

 thereby : but the fooner they are 

 planted in the Spring, after the 

 I Danger of Froft is over, the better 

 it will be, efpecially in dry Land. 

 In the laft Plowing, the Ground 

 ^ mould be laid even, and then the 

 Furrows mould be drawn at three 

 Feet Diftance from each other, and 

 about feven or eight Inches deep. 

 In the Bottom of this Furrow the 

 Roots mould be laid, at about one 

 Foot and an half afunder ; then the 

 Furrow mould be covered in with 

 the Earth, and the fame continued 

 through the whole Field, or Parcel 

 of Land, intended to be planted. 



After all is nnifh'd, the Land may 

 remain in the fame State till near 

 the time when the Shoots are expect- 

 ed to appear above-ground ; when 

 the Ground mould be well harrow- 

 ed over both Ways ; which will 

 break the Clods, and make the Sur- 

 face very fmooth ; and by doing of 

 it fo late, it will deftroy the young 

 Weeds, which, by this time, will 

 jegin to make their Appearance j 

 md this will fave the Expence of 

 ■Hoeing, as alfo break the upper 

 Surface of the Ground ; which, if 

 nuch Wet has fallen after the Plant- 

 ,ng, is often bound into an hard 

 Jruft, and will retard the Appear- 

 Lnce of the Shoots. 



As I have allotted the Rows of 

 Potatoes at three Feet Diftance, it 

 vas in order to introduce the Hoe- 

 ilough between them, which will 

 ;reatly improve thefe Roots ; for by 

 wice ftirring and breaking of the 

 iround between thefe Plants, it 



will not only deftroy the Weeds, 

 but alfo loofen the Ground ; where- 

 by every Shower of Rain will pene- 

 trate the Ground to the Roots, and 

 greatly improve their Growth : but 

 theft Operations mould be perform- 

 ed early in the Seafon, before the 

 Stems or Branches of the Plants 

 begin to fall, and trail upon the 

 Ground ; becaufe, after that, it will 

 be impofTible to do it without in- 

 juring of the Shoots. 



If thefe Plowings are carefully 

 performed, it will prevent the 

 Growth of Weeds, till the Haulm 

 of the Plants cover the Ground; fo 

 that afterward there will be little 

 Danger of Weeds growing fo as to 

 injure the Crop: but as the Plough 

 can only go between the Rows, it 

 will be nccefiary to make ufe of an 

 Hoe to ftir the Ground, and deftroy 

 the Weeds in the Rows between the 

 Plants : and if this is carefully per- 

 form'd in dry Weather, after the 

 two Plowings, it will be fufneient 

 to keep the Ground clean until the 

 Potatoes are fit to take up. 



In Places where Dung is fcarce, 

 many Periens fcatter it only in the 

 Furrows, where the Roots are plant- 

 ed ; but this is a very poor Method ; 

 becaufe, when the Potatoes begin to 

 pum out their Roots, they are foon 

 extended beyond the Width of thefe 

 Furrows, and the new Roots are 

 commonly formed at a Diftance from 

 the old ; fo will be out of the Reach 

 of this Dung, and confequently will 

 receive little Benefit from it. And 

 as moft of the Farmers covet to have 

 a Crop of Wheat after the Potatoes 

 are taken off the Ground, fo the 

 Land will not be fo thoroughly 

 drefled in every Part, nor fo proper 

 for this Crop, as when the Dung is 

 equally fpread, and plowed in, all 

 over the Land ; nor will the Crop 

 of Potatoes be fo good. I have al- 

 ways 



