188 



On Potatoes. 



must necessarily take place. It has also been proved by 

 others, as well as myself, that the crop of tubers is increas- 

 ed by destroying the fruit-stalks and immature blossoms as 

 soon as they appear, and I therefore conceived that con- 

 siderable advantages would arise, if varieties of sufficiently 

 luxuriant growth, and large produce, for general culture, 

 could be formed, which would never produce blossoms. 



I have since had the gratification to find that such are 

 readily obtained, by the means which I have detailed, and I 

 am disposed to annex more importance to the improvement 

 of our most useful plants, than any writer on agriculture has 

 hitherto done ; because whatever increased value is thus 

 added to the produce of the soil, is obtained without any 

 increased expense or labour, and therefore is just so much 

 added to individual, and national wealth. 



I formerly supposed that all varieties of the Potatoe, which 

 ripened early in the autumn, would necessarily vegetate 

 early in the ensuing spring, and could therefore be fit for use 

 only during winter ; but I have found that the habit of ac- 

 quiring maturity early in the autumn, is by no means neces- 

 sarily connected with the habit of vegetating early in the 

 spring ; and therefore by a proper selection of varieties, the 

 season of planting crops, for all purposes, may be extended 

 from the beginning of March, nearly to the middle of May, 

 and each variety be committed to the soil exactly at the 

 most advantageous period. 



A variety, however, which does not vegetate till late in 

 the spring, and which ripens early in the autumn, can- 

 not, I conclude, particularly in dry soils and seasons, afford 

 so large a produce as one which vegetates more early : I, 



