Cultivation of the Potato. 
349 
There is another point in planting not properly attended to, 
and by some studiously avoided ; that is, the placing the eye of 
the set nearest the bottom of the furrow ; the roots of the potato 
shoot forth from the same eye as the stem, or rather at the base 
of the stem ; now if the eye is placed nearest the bottom soil the 
roots strike into the soil, and begin to perform their functions at 
once ; but if the tail, or that part of the tuber that has no eyes, 
be placed on the soil, the roots have very frequently to run an 
inch or two round or down the side of the set before they reach the 
soil at the bottom. If the soil is rough or cloddy, it often hap- 
pens that it docs not close in round the set ; even if it do, and a 
few very hot and dry east winds should follow the planting, the 
roots just emitted, being so tender, must inevitably suffer mate- 
rially. Besides, when a large set is put in the ground with the 
eye nearest the surface, when the set decays there is left a large 
hollow space just at the base of the stem, which often causes the 
roots to break off at the union of the root and stem. 
But lest I should be thought too theoretical, I will give a few 
experiments made in the years 1839-40-41-42, and 43, The 
sorts used were in 1839 the Ash-leaf kidney ; in 1840, the Noblow ; 
in 1841, the Common Purple ; in 1842, the Prolific ; and in 1843, 
the Red Kidney : the depth of the furrow 5 inches : — 
Produce per Square Rod. 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
Com- 
1842. 
1843. 
Ash-leaf 
No- 
mon 
Red 
Kid- 
blows. 
Purple 
Prolific. 
Kid- 
neys. 
Red. 
neys. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
No. 1. — Potatoes taken from the regular heap, 
without any preparing;, planted 2 feet from 
row to row, and 9 inches from set to set, the 
furrow drawn witli the hoe, and manure put 
in the furrow, on the sets, the eye of the 
70 
lie 
G8 
90 
103 
No. 2. — Tlie potatoes taken from same Iieap as 
No. 1, the sets put down the same, but the 
furrow made and the covering performed with 
70 
128 
lOG 
101 
112 
No. 3. — Planted precisely the same as No. 1, 
but prepared by being taken up before they 
were quite ripe, and exposed to the sun three 
85 
143 
109 
114 
119 
No. 4. — Prepared as No. 3, but planted with the 
eye nearest the bottom of the furrow, which 
was made with the breast-plough . . . 
113 
159 
130 
132 
149 
A regular increase is shown by this table, and that with five 
distinct kinds of potatoes, and in five different seasons, according 
as I applied more of the rules which I have recommended 
above., 
2 B 2 
