Vegetables. 
755 = 489 
t the large northern and midland towns. Before the potato 
( lease had become virulent, and the French and Channel Islands 
pwers were in competition with the growers of Cornwall, two Two crops of 
<f)ps of potatoes were taken in a year from the same land, potatoes taken 
'lis is done now occasionally. One crop is planted in No- '° ^ 
\ nber and dug in April. Another is planted with sprouted 
5 s directly the first comes off, whose produce is ready to dig 
i September. The mild character of the climate renders this 
jisible in most years. Two crops of potatoes in one year are 
f o obtained at Morecambe Bay, upon the west coast of Lanca- 
s re, where the sprouting system is also adopted, and on the 
sarp"* land in Yorkshire, near Selby and Hull, and other 
1 ces. In parts of Lancashire, as at Ormskirk, small farmers 
w early potatoes for the Blackburn, Bolton, and Manchester 
I rkets. The potatoes are planted upon made soil which is 
A y rich, light, and friable, late in January or early in February, 
I I are protected by frames covered with straw, or reeds, or mats, 
( ing the night, which are taken away during the day. The 
jmg potatoes are packed in hampers, containing about 20 lbs., 
al realise Is. per lb. in most seasons. 
Besides the potatoes that are grown on market- farms, very Potatoes grown 
je quantities are grown upon ordinary farms in all the counties .'arge quan- 
ilreat Britain, forming part of the ordinary rotation of farm ^r'^^'g"'^"'' 
c ps in most districts. 
The annual average number of acres planted with potatoes Average. 
(l ing the eight years ending 1877, was 544,34.5, or — 
Acres. 
In England 330,713 
„ Wales 46,151 
„ Scotland 167,481 
n 1871 the acreage was 627,691 for Great Britain, wliile in Decrease in 
I'l it was only 512,471 acres, and the returns show that '^^^^^gj 
t -en these years there has been a gradual decrease in the potatoes on 
a cage, owing to the fear of the potato disease, and to the im- account of 
r tation of potatoes from foreign countries, which has increased potato disease 
1 an astounding degree since 1871. For example, the quantity importation. 
0 potatoes imported into this country was only 847,835 cwts. 
1 1871, whose value was 225,068Z., as against 3,986,662 cwts. in 
K4, 4,696,132 cwts. in 1875, and 6,023,936 cwts. in 1876, 
vose value respectively amounted to 1,034,835/., 1,070,976/., 
a I 1,740,749/. 
"Warp" is a peculiar soil of mud and flue sand, which is left by the tide at tho 
• n iths of rivers or estuaries, as in the great Wash in Lincolnshire. In some cases 
8i;es8ive rows of faggots are laid down, which soon become solid from the absorp- 
t of mud, and gradually dam back the tide, making terra firma. 
