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LIII. On the Culture of the Potatoe. By Thomas Andrew 

 Knight, Esq. F. R. S. President. 



Read March 19, 1833. 



I have so often addressed communications to this Society upon 

 the culture of the Potatoe, that many of its Members may not 

 improbably think, that more than a sufficient extent of the pages 

 of our Transactions have been already devoted to that subject. It 

 would certainly not be difficult to find one more entertaining ; but 

 if the farmer can be made to derive such information from our 

 Transactions, as will enable him to cause the same space of ground, 

 which now affords one bushel of Potatoes to afford two, and the 

 peasant to cause the half acre, which now supplies his table with 

 Potatoes, to afford him in addition a considerable weight of animal 

 food, few subjects can be more important ; and, therefore, conceiving 

 myself to be prepared to communicate some further useful infor- 

 mation, I venture to address another communication upon the same 

 subject. 



The fact that every variety of Potatoe when it has been long 

 propagated from parts of its tuberous roots becomes less pro- 

 ductive, is, I believe, unquestionable. I have often witnessed 

 the progressive decay of vigour and the different effects of the 

 influence of age, upon many different varieties. The quality of 

 some has remained perfectly good, after the produce in quantity 

 has become highly defective ; whilst in others that has disappeared 

 with the vigour of the plant. I brought to this place a single 

 tuber of Lankmann's Potatoe soon after that was imported : the 

 produce of that variety was then, and continued during some suc- 



VOL. I. 2nd series. 3 I 



