Farming of Cornwall. 
429 
hoeing, and banking. The kinds of potatoes are numerous, but 
their names being provincial, would not be known in other locali- 
ties. We have, however, two kinds which are known in the 
London market by the names of the " Cornish Reds," and the 
"early kidney."* The cultivation of the last kind is exclusively 
confined to the Penzance district, and they are raised sufficiently 
early to compete with the forced potatoes of the London market.f 
From 12,000 to 15,000 bushels of the early kidneys are sent 
annually to the eastern markets. 
43. Failure of the Potato Crop. — The potato growers in 
Cornwall have met with considerable disappointment within the 
last few years from an unnatural or morbid growth of the plant. 
Sir C. Lemon has paid much attention to it, and an interesting 
paper on the subject having recently appeared from him in this 
Journal,;}; embracing all that is known at the present time, I refer 
my readers to the paper itself, merely adding that the "sets" 
sprout in a natural manner, but are stopped short before they 
reach the surface, and no leaves are formed. Large patches in 
the field are thus left bare, and when the ridges are dug up, it 
is found that these abortive sets have formed each a little button, 
about 2 inches from the surface, and, as it were, gone to rest 
after the effort. The country people give the name of Bobbin 
Joans to these abortive sets. It is very evident that we cannot 
consider this phenomenon as a disease, as we have seen some of 
the produce from those Bobbin Joans, that have been planted in 
Carclew gardens, which produced an abundant crop. Nume- 
* We are indebted to J. Paynter, Esq., Boskenna, for the following 
account of the culture of the " early kidney potato :" — 
" The planting commences the latter end of October, and continues 
until Christmas. Lay is best adapted for the purpose, which is turned 
down in a peculiar manner by hand labour, and a good tilth obtained on 
the surface by the dexterous hand of the workman. The manure used is 
generally sea-weed. The 'sets' are placed in the drill, a little earth 
thrown on them, and the sea-weed placed over the whole. A better plan 
is to place a little rotten stable-dung between the earth and sea-weed. 
The early potatoes are not banked up, but merely hoed, and this not after 
the middle of March. They are grown on the growan soils, but the most 
extensive breadth is on the greenstone rocks where they intersect the 
slate (16), in the fine sheltered districts near Penzance, ' 1000 acres of 
which,' it is said, yield a rental of 10,000/. 
"A few of the potatoes are taken up early in April, and these are worth 
Is. 3rf. per lb. on the ^pot (occasionally 2s. 6c?. per lb.). These are not 
obtained by digging up the entire plant, but by carefully examining the 
root with the hand, and pulling off such tubers as may be sufficiently 
large. The root is then covered up again. The potatoes are full grown 
about the middle of May." 
t The price of the spring potatoes sent to London per steam-vessel is 
about 3^ guineas per cwt. The export continues till the price falls to 15s. 
and 10s. per cwt. 
X See Jour. Roy. Agr. Soc, vol. iv. part ii. p. 431. 
2 G 2 
