166 On the Prevention of Curl and Dry -Rot in Potatoes. 
sliowing that it was not a peculiarity belonging to a particular 
kind of potato. 
Thus far I have detailed my own experience only ; but when it 
first occurred to me that over-ripening of the set was the cause of 
curl, I naturally became anxious to compare the experience of 
others with my own, and made many inquiries on the subject 
from other potato-growers. The information I thus received still 
more strongly confirmed me in my previous opinion, and I select 
one or two of the cases which appear to me most in point. The 
first I shall bring forward gives the result of two opposite methods 
of treating potatoes intended for seed, as practised by two men 
living in the \-illage of A-, near York. I inspected both their 
crops at the time that they gave me the following statement : — 
" J. C, gardener to Admiral P., has planted the same kind of 
ash-top kidney for mere than ten years. The first year or two he 
took up those intended for seed at the same time as those in- 
tended for consumption ; but found that they grew so much 
during the winter that they were obliged to be sprouted twice, 
which weakened the set so much as to injure the crop. He then 
tried the effect of leaving them longer in the ground — sometimes 
as much as three months after the plant was ripe. This produced 
the desired effect of preventing the growth during winter ; but 
after some years' continuance he found the germinating power so 
much injured that they were a month or more later in coming up 
than those of his neighbours, treated in the ordinary way. In fact, 
he could scarcely get them to grow at all, and should be forced 
to change his pfan." 
" J. T., a labouring man, has grown ash-top kidneys for some 
years, and finds them better and earlier than when he first got 
them. Is in the habit of planting those hfi intends for sets after 
taking up his crop of cabbages, which is at the end of June or 
beginning of July. He also takes them up before they are ripe ; 
never finds them fail ; they grow earlier in spring than potatoes 
not so treated, and make stronger and healthier plants. People 
frequently come to him for sets." 
The contrast between these two instances is very complete. 
Two men. living not above two or three hundred yards from one 
another, and whose gardens, as far as I could judge, are pre- 
cisely similar in quality, grow the same kind of potato in the same 
seasons. J. T.'s potatoes, being taken up unripe, improve both 
in vigour and early maturity — a great merit in this variety ; whilst 
C.'s, which are left in the ground till over-ripe, will scarcely 
grow at all. 
I will next instance the township of Sawdon, near Scarborough, 
which some years ago supplied large quantities of potatoes for seed 
to the warp-land districts in the neighbourhood of Selby. J.C. 
