160 Experiments on the Growth of Potatoes. 
This lot is also regular and good, but inferior in vigour of growth 
to the first lot. 
Lot 3. 25 drills of salmon kidneys, all planted with eyes scooped 
out for sets, as advised by Professor Playfair. The eyes were 
scooped out of the potato chiefly at what is called the rose end, 
and planted on the dung with the eyes upwards. Of 6 bushels 
of scooped eyes kept in charcoal and lime, 4 bushels were rotten 
and unfit to plant, probably owing to the place where they were 
kept having been not dry enough, as it was a shed near the 
garden well ; of the remainder, which were planted, one-third 
failed to grow ; two-thirds grew, but look weakly, though good in 
colour. 
One drill of eye-sets (which were scooped out between Christ- 
mas and March, and kept very dry in a tin box in a back kitchen, 
and were healthy and fresh in appearance) looks very well, and 
the plants are regular and of good colour, but very weakly in 
growth. 
The drills of eyes scooped out immediately before planting are 
better supplied with plants, and look better than the other drills, 
but these are weak and vastly inferior to Lots I, 2, and 6. 
Lot 4. 9| drills of ash-leaf kidney potatoes. 
Almost a total failure, though some few of the plants are just ap- 
pearing above ground. This lot has been carefully examined, and 
some of the sets are found to be rotten. Others remain just the 
same as when planted, whilst others have become partially rotten, 
and have thrown out numbers of small tubers but no shoots. The 
same thing has occurred in the garden with the last planting of 
this sort, although the very early planting with the same manage- 
ment has succeeded very well. The cause of this failure is a 
mysterv, for on examination of sound potatoes of this sort, which 
have remained in store uncut, there is no appearance of disease, or 
any defect of vegetative power. These are about to be planted, 
and will be carefully watched as well in the hot-house as in the 
open air. 
Lot 5. 53^ drills of salmon kidneys. 
The potato sets were planted whole, and apparently quite sound ; 
they have come up regularly, and are healthy, and ofa good colour, 
but they are a week later in growth (perhaps ten days) than the 
next lot (6). 
Lot 6. 42 drills of salmon kidneys. 
The potatoes were cut into two parts, and well dusted with lime. 
There is a regular plant here, and they are in very vigorous growth. 
Lot 7. Planted in the garden during the first week of April, Wim- 
borne kidneys and ash-leaf kidneys. 
