By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 417 



chiefly of decayed oak leaves, which I prefer to other manures ; because 

 it never communicates a strong taste, or flavour, to any vegetable. 

 No previous preparation was given to the soil, and the spot, where 

 the plantation was made, was not fixed upon till the day of plant- 

 ing ; and no manure of any kind was then given. Owing to the 

 variety being of a very excitable habit, I planted the tubers at least 

 nine inches deep in the soil, and I subsequently raised the mould 

 in ridges three inches high to prevent the young plants sustaining 

 injury from frost ; but no subsequent moulding was given. I anti- 

 cipated from the previous produce of the variety, which I had raised 

 by cross breeding from two early varieties in 1830, a very extraor- 

 dinary crop ; and I therefore invited several gardeners and farmers 

 to witness the amount of it ; and I procured the attendance of the 

 two most eminent agriculturists of the vicinity, who were tenants to 

 other gentlemen. The external rows (two deep), and the external 

 plants at the ends of all the remaining rows, were taken away, and 

 the produce of the interior part of the plantation was alone selected; 

 and that was pronounced to be fully equivalent to nine hundred 

 and sixty-four bushels, and forty-three pounds, or 34 tons, 8 cwt. 

 107lbs. per statute acre. Still larger crops may, I feel satisfied, be 

 obtained, and my opinion is, that more than a thousand bushels of 

 Potatoes may, and will be, obtained from an acre of ground. 



An opinion is, I believe, generally prevalent, that varieties of 

 Potatoes of very high and luxuriant growth, are capable of affording 

 per acre the greatest weight of produce : but this is certainly 

 erroneous. Such will grow in poorer soil r and, requiring wider in- 

 tervals between the rows, are better calculated for culture with the 

 plough ; and therefore, perhaps, their produce may be raised at as 

 little, or less cost, per bushel, though that is, I think, very ques- 

 tionable. Much time and much labour of the plant, must be 

 expended in raising the nutriment absorbed from the soil into the 



