130 
The Potato in Jersey. 
" The application of sea-weed, in near contact with the sets, 
has been found here, as well as elsewhere, to communicate to the 
potato an unpleasant taste, and make them scabby, besides 
having the effect of rotting part of the sets. It has been recom- 
mended, by a most intelligent cultivator, to draw on sandy land 
a deep furrow, in which the sea-weed is to be placed, to bury 
this by means of a lighter furrow ; next to lay the sets, which are 
to be covered with long muck or fern, and then earthed as usual. 
" Potatoes are taken up with the three-tined fork. In the form 
of this an improvement has been made by a gentleman near 
St. Helier ; the tines are somewhat extended in length, then 
bent, so as to form a right angle, as in the Suffolk muck-croom. 
By striking the teeth into the ground beyond the plant, and 
drawing the tool forwards, the whole root is at once drawn up ; 
and by raking the land afterwards, every potato extracted. 
They are rarely preserved in covered heaps or pies, but usually 
under cover. 
" The produce stated to be obtained in Jersey is large, each 
cabot,* when taken up weighs on an average 40 lbs. avoirdupois. 
On a'Jersey perch, which consists of 484 square feet, 12 and 14 
of the cabots are often obtained. From 300 to 400 cabots 
on the Jersey vergee, consisting of 40 perches, appear from 
concurring accounts to be the ordinary return ; 600 have 
been obtained. Taking the produce of lO cabots on the Jersey 
perch, or 400 on the vergee, as a full average crop, on that com- 
putation the produce amounts to 36,000 lbs. to the statute acre. 
" In the spring of 1811, a peich of land immediately behind 
the country residence of General Don was fenced off by way of 
experiment. The soil is a rich loam, and received an excellent 
manuring of stable-muck. In April, potato sets were placed in 
drills 1 foot 4 inches apart, and kept constantly and carefully 
weeded till the meeting of the tops prevented it. In October 
they were taken up and measured as raised. The produce was 
fourteen cabots ; it was besides stated to General Don that the 
ground was not perfectly picked. In the present year he has 
ordered the experiment to be repeated in the same spot, under 
the same management. Potatoes are sometimes dug up by con- 
tract, the grower giving to the labourer a tenth. The price of 
potatoes varying, as it here does, with the quantity, the season, 
and the demand in a market at present high, but governed 
by peculiar circumstances, it is difficult to fix an average. 
Speedily after Midsummer new potatoes fetch at St Helier's 
about hs. per cabot ; they decline in October or November 
to Is., rise again in March to 3.s. Grf. In August, 1812, the 
* The standard weight of this potato measure is equal to 40 lbs. Jersey weight. 
1 12 lbs. English are exactly equal to 103 lbs. 14joz. Jersey. 
