By T. A. Knight, Esq, 455 



diately in the vicinity of the stem, when that first appeared above 

 the soil, the crop was sometimes good, provided the varieties pos- 

 sessed luxuriant habits of growth, and rather early habits of matu- 

 rity, and the young plants were not injured by frost; but I never 

 obtained a great crop, and in one case, in which I planted one 

 portion of the same ground, previously rather poor pasture, with 

 whole tubers, each weighing at least four ounces, and another por- 

 tion of similar extent with small portions of tubers, I obtained a 

 heavy crop under the first named mode of culture, and scarcely 

 any crop whatever under the last named. These results, I had 

 subsequently strong reasons to believe, arose from the circum- 

 stance of the whole tubers having afforded sufficient organisable 

 matter, which small cuttings would not do, to form roots through 

 every part of the soil, early in the summer. I consequently planted 

 in similar soil, as to thickness, in the following season, some whole 

 tubers, and some small portions in two contiguous rows, and I dug 

 up the whole of both rows as soon as the points of their stems be- 

 came visible above the soil; when I found the roots which had 

 been emitted from the plants, which sprang from the whole tubers 

 were much more numerous and of much greater length ; and I did 

 not entertain any doubt but that the results, if I had not destroyed 

 the plants would have been similar to those of the preceding year. 



From the results of the preceding, and a very great variety of 

 similar experiments, I came to the conclusion, that the heaviest 

 crops of Potatoes, and those most profitable to the grower, will, in 

 most soils, and seasons, be obtained from tubers of considerable 

 weight, and I have preferred whole tubers because I have found 

 those least subject to decay in wet and cold springs. But I think 

 it extremely probable, that wherever the soil is very dry, so as to 

 preclude all grounds of fear of the cuttings decaying, or the plan- 

 tation take place late in spring, more regular and better rows of 

 plants might be obtained from single eyes placed at short distances, 



