352 
Cultivation of the Potato. 
I am quite convinced from practice that there is nothing better to 
bring heavy tenacious soils to a proper state of friabihty than 
to apply manure or farm-yard dung in as fresh a state as possible, 
because, while in a state of fermentation in the soil, it keeps the 
pores open, and the soil in a state of activity. On the contrary, 
manure cannot be too rotten to be applied to brashy land for 
potatoes. Peat or turf ashes are an excellent manure for potatoes ; 
spent hops, too, scattered on the sets at planting have been found 
to be a great stimulant, and to produce large crops. 
It would be a difficult task to point out the best sorts of pota- 
toes for all soils and situations, and palates ; but as a fair criterion 
I should say, the qualities most necessary to constitute a good 
potato are first, a mellow mealiness, not having a hard core in 
the middle when cooked ; secondly, a fine rich flavour ; thirdly, 
fineness of texture ; lastly, good croppers. There are but few to 
be found possessing all these qualities : the first three are pos- 
sessed by the China- Orange potato, but it requires very good soil 
to make it a good cropper ; the first and the last are possessed 
by the Noblow, but it is deficient in the second and third : it is, 
however, a most excellent potato for poor brashy land : people here 
prefer them to the Purple or the Red-nosed kidney for general use. 
The best sorts that I have found are for early ones Ash-leaf Kid- 
neys, and for seedlings : those are in good eating from June till 
September ; secondly, Early Prolific, Goldfinders, and China- 
Oranges, — those are in good eating from August till December ; 
late, Devonshire Reds, York Reds, Round Black and Purple, and 
Noblow, — those are in good eating from November till April ; 
very late, French Magpie, Red Kidney, and Red-nosed Kidney, — 
these are in good eating from April till August; there is also a 
kidney potato called Chapman's Early, which, if planted in June 
and taken up in October and stored in mould, will equal the 
best new potatoes from October till May, in flavour and appear- 
ance. There are innumerable other varieties : but having tried 
somp hundreds, I can find none to surpass those 1 have enume-- 
rated. 
There are four or five sorts of potatoes commonly grown to 
feed cattle, which are called the Purple-cut, the White- blossomed, 
the Mangold-wurzel potato, and the Prince de Rohan. Now the 
Noblow is a better cropper than either of the first two, and a better 
potato than the last two. Some one will say, perhaps, All we 
want is the best croppers for feeding cattle ; but this is a mistake. 
The wholesomeness of the potato depends on its mealiness ; for 
whatever may be the component parts, easiness of digestion is the 
great requisite of the potato ; for instance, in a chemical exami- 
nation two varieties of potato shall possess the same quantity of 
mucilaginous or nutritive matter; one will fall to pieces when 
