By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 213 



each other ; and as soon as the germs were about four inches 

 long, a hot- bed was made ready to receive them. This experi- 

 ment succeeded perfectly ; and as it is not attended with so 

 much expense and trouble as either of the preceding methods, 

 it will be found, in many cases, the most eligible. All that 

 appears necessary to obtain an early crop is, to advance the 

 growth of the plant, as much as convenient, under a low 

 temperature, so as to avoid all unnecessary expenditure of 

 its excitability ; and, subsequently, to preserve its germs and 

 roots as much as possible uninjured in transplantation. 



Were the Potatoe incapable of being raised, by forcing, in 

 greater perfection than it is found in the markets of the me- 

 tropolis, I should think the labour and expense of propa- 

 gating it very ill applied : but the yellow variety, which is 

 now very generally cultivated round London, and which is 

 known in other parts of the kingdom under the name of Fox's 

 Seedling, has no other merits, whilst young, than its earliness, 

 and a moderately large produce, for in every other respect it 

 is below mediocrity ; and, even when full grown, it is never 

 excellent : indeed a good Potatoe for forcing does not appear 

 to me to be at present in the possession of the market gar- 

 deners of London. 



I hoped to have sent this year to the Horticultural So- 

 ciety, samples of two or three very early new varieties of 

 Potatoes, which I have obtained from seed by the process 

 formerly detailed in the Transactions ;* and for that purpose 

 I had planted a considerable quantity. But, unfortunately, 

 I planted them in a field at a considerable distance from my 

 house, for the advantage of fresh soil, where the rooks, from 



* See page 57- 



