170 
Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 
planting the remainder in one or two pieces. Mr. Hope's obser- 
vation as to the effect of a number of eyes confirms that already 
stated. Some farmers have the extra shoots carefully pulled out. 
The after-management depends somewhat upon the season, as 
it is considered ruinous to touch potatoes in wet weather. As 
a rule, the land is rolled down immediately after planting, and 
then harrowed before the stems appear above ground ; the crop 
is then carefully hand-hoed, and, when the plants are strong 
enough, the land betwixt the drills is deeply grubbed with two 
horses, and by and by it is ridged up with the double-mould- 
board plough ; finally a narrow grubber is used when the stems 
are nearly touching each other (provided the weather is dry), 
the double-mould board plough again following. Harvesting is 
done with the ordinary potato-plough ; and most of the crop is 
sent to London, as is usual in East Lothian. 
One-third of the potato-course is on a two-years' ley, the seeds 
having been pastured by sheep and young cattle getting cake 
and turnips. In January, the ley is turned over with a furrow 
of not more than 4 inches, one of Howard's wheel-ploughs, 
with two horses, being preferred, as steadier than a swing- 
plough. This is followed by a strong furrow of 12 inches, done 
by three horses ; and it is calculated that if the ley is broken at 
Christmas both these operations should be finished by the first 
week in February. The land then gets a dressing of 4 cwt. of 
guano and 4 cwt. of dissolved bones, or cotton or rape cake, and 
the further management is precisely the same as for potatoes 
after oats. Very little labour is necessary on this course during 
the summer, the land being thoroughly clean. Any couch-grass 
or weeds are exterminated by the shallow ploughing being 
followed immediately by the deeper furrow, which covers and 
buries the sod ; and as the land becomes covered with potato- 
haulms early in the season, it has no chance of getting foul. 
4. Wheat. — ^The bean stubble is ploughed with a shallow 
furrow immediately after the beans are harvested, and in a 
month or six weeks afterwards the land is ploughed a second 
time to the depth of, say, 10 inches. This affords time for the 
springing of any beans or tares lost in the cutting and harvesting, 
which are thus worked over and buried ; but, above all, it in 
some way destroys the eggs or larva of a minute white grub 
with a black head, which in spring eats down the centre of the 
wheat plants, and thins and frequently altogether destroys the 
crop, rendering it necessary to re-sow the same. This had hap- 
pened so frequently to Mr. Hope that he had resolved to sow no 
more wheat after beans ; but learning from a friend that a second 
furrow, as described, was an effectual remedy, he tried the experi- 
ment some years ago and it has always met with perfect success. 
