346 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [October i, i88r. 
poseessing a climate so admirably adapted to the 
successful cultivation of the grape, the Zante curraut, 
and the fig, all of which as articles of food enter 
largely into the every-day 'bill of fare.'" 
POTATO CULTURE IN AMERICA. 
Having an immense extent of land out of which 
it is easy to select enormous tracts especially favour- 
able to the production of potatoes, and possessing 
also many kinds recently raised that are very pro- 
ductive, it is not to be wondered at that potato 
culture has iu the United States grown to be a large 
and important part of agricultural work, and the crop 
produced one of considerable importance to the interests 
of the country. Whilst there is found there less 
disease, there is to be found a potent enemy to the 
plants in the shape of the Colorado beetle, and this 
is so far destructive that its ravages suffice to prevent 
potatoes becoming a glut, and thus staving off that 
inevitable result of a glut, a price that is simply ruin- 
ous. Were the American potato fields as near to us 
as are those of Germany, there would be little reason 
at any time in this country to fear a potato famine, 
but the cost of freightage and transit .is heavy over 
such a long journey, and thus, whilst able to send 
us an abundance of com, the importation of potatoes, 
except for seed purposes, is necessarily limited. In 
these vast and thinly-peopled regions, where labour 
is as costly as land is cheaj), all forms of labour-saving 
contrivances have to be adopted, and thus we find that 
the modus operandi of potato culture differs materially 
from ours, and is perchance, if less costly, not less 
productive. A heavy soil is never selected for potatoes, 
but rich sandy regions that abound near rivers and 
lakes afford specially favourable positions for potato 
culture. There, as here, the objections to the use 
of raw manures with- potatoes are strong, but there 
at least they act consistently, and not only object, 
but do not employ it with the crop at all. Here 
our growers largely object to the use of raw manures, 
but generally employ it with the potato crop. But 
recently a large grower spoke most favourably of the 
value of a turned-in clover crop in the spring as a 
healthy potato manure. Sown with wheat or barley 
in the spring, the corn crop is taken off and the 
clover left standing till the spring, is turned-in deeply 
early in March, and the potatoes planted at once. 
The green nature of the clover causes rapid decom- 
position, and upon this vegetable matter the potato 
plants greedily feed, and produce a finer and healthier 
crop then when grown with raw manure. Allowing 
for the difference of season, just what some growers 
do here, the American growers — especially those in 
the northern counties of the great state of Ohio — do 
largely, the clover being turned in late in May and 
the planting done early in June. When the growth 
of clover is heavy it is the practice to roll it over 
iti the direction in which it will be ploughed, and 
thus the plants are more easily buried. The Americ- 
ans claim for this dressing that in their hot sandy 
soils it keeps the ground cool and moist, and supplies 
the plants with abundant food during the season of 
growth. One reason for such late planting is found 
in the fact that by it one crop of the beetle is 
avoided, and such an escape is an important item 
where 40 or 50 acres are concerned. Later varieties, 
it is found, do not form tubers any the earlier for 
early planting, and that, as a rule, these do not 
swell to any appreciable extent before the cooler 
nights of August and September. In a locality where 
labour is scarce it is also important to get the corn 
crop all in before potato planting, and thus in every 
way lat<: planting seems to be most profitable. Americ- 
ans have invariably set- us examples as to labour- 
appliances, and in the cultivation of potatoes 
on a largo scale they not only want to plant quickly, 
but cheaply. Here it is a customary rule either to 
plant the sets in every third furrow, burying as the 
plough proceeds, or else to dibble in every third 
division of the ridges as left by the plough, but in 
both cases the soil is somewhat hard and tough for 
the young growing plants. In Ohio the ground, after 
ploughing, is wi-11 pulled with the harrow, and the 
line-marker — an implement on wheels that marks four 
or five lines at once — follows the harrow, and as 
soon as the ploughing is done, the other implements 
have followed so closely that it is only necessary for 
the marker to start crosswise over the ground for 
planting at once to proceed. This is done by men 
following and dropping a set where the marker has 
intersected the lines that run the other way, and as 
the lines are about 30 in. apart, there is thus a plant 
30 in. from its neighbours all over the field. When 
the set is dropped into the intersection, it is gently 
pressed in with the planter's foot, then a horse coverer, 
consisting of an implement having a couple of culti- 
vate teeth, is drawn over the line, leaving a slight 
ridge of soil. Cleaning is done by the harrow, which 
is drawn over the field in both directions^ until the 
plants are several inches high. Then follows'" hilling," 
which is synonymous with our earthing, but in 
this case, as the earthing is done by the moulding 
plough both lengthwise and then crosswise, each 
plant forms a hill of itself, and this plan is the 
most favoured in the United States, and for which 
not only is it claimed that a better crop is obtained, 
but also that lifting is simpler, more expeditious, and 
shows cleaner results. It is worth nothing that in 
thi3 "hill" system not more than one-half the quantity 
of seed is needed that is required on our customary 
field plan, and that also the plants have abundant 
space for the fullest development. — A. D., in Gardentrs.' 
Chronicle. 
FLAX CULTURE. 
fFrom the West Australian Inquirer, ) 
We proceed to give, as succinctly as possible, the 
means by which the successful cultivation of flax may be 
pursued. Before entering fully into the subject we 
would re nark that it is creating no small stir in the 
adjoining colony of South Australia. A lengthy and 
highly-interesting Paper on the cultivation of flax 
was read by Mr. Septimus V. Pizey, at a meeting 
of the South Australian Agricultural and Horticult- 
ural Society, full of useful information and brim- 
ming over with bright anticipations of success as an 
industry if developed in that colony. The article is 
too long to copy in extenso, but will amply repay 
perusal by our agricultural readers. It is published 
in the Seuth Australian Register of July 16. We 
conceive that no apology whatever is necessary for 
taking up so large a space in exhibiting the vast 
benefits placed within the grasp of our farmers by 
imitating our neighbours in the pursuance of a com- 
paratively new class of husbandry for which the 
natural advantages of Western Australia are equally 
favourable for illustrating. Those who may think that 
our climate is too dry and warm for cultivating flax 
have only to be told that it has lately been found 
to thrive luxuriantly both iu Fiji and Queensland. 
The author of an article in the Victorian Review 
quotes another writer on the subject, who says: — 
" We will only observe ' where there's a will there's 
a way ;' men's miuds are much more difficult to 
cultivate than land. Stubborn fields can be made to 
bear flax and hemp more easily than an indifferent, 
prejudiced, routine-led neighbourhood can be taught 
to appreciate their value when grown. Again the 
profitableness of flax and hemp are more than ac- 
knowledged, they are unquestionable ; with the sole 
exception of not furnishing a stimulating beverage, 
it (flax) lends its aid directly and indirectly in fur- 
