37 
more so than planting sets, yet but little, inasmuch as whole 
potatoes are not required to be planted so closely as sets ; and 
the produce, generally, more than compensates for the differ- 
ence. Again, the chances of an unproductive crop in an unpro- 
pitious season, will be greatly reduced. These advantages how- 
ever, are not universally admitted. The usual practice of mould- 
ing up is objected to by some persons, as not only useless, but 
detrimental to the crop. They hoe two or three times, to keep 
down weeds, and lighten the soil, but leave it otherwise flat. We 
merely submit the hint, as every one can readily satisfy him- 
self as to its truth or fallacy. The most important, and least re- 
garded, circumstance connected with the culture of the potatoe, 
is its renewal from seeds. To effect this, it is only required, 
that the balls or apples, as they are usually called, be gathered 
from the stems, late in autumn, when they have become some- 
what soft. These should be broken to pieces, in a fine sieve or 
cloth, and the pulp washed from the seeds, in the same manner 
as in collecting strawberry seeds. They should be laid by and 
sown early in 3Iarch, in pots or boxes of light rich compost; 
and they may then be placed either in a hotbed, or tbe w indow of 
a sitting room. When the young plants appear, they should 
liave plenty of air in mild weather; and by the end of 3Iay they 
will be fit for transplanting into the open ground, in rows, two 
feet apart; and from nine inches to a foot apart in the rows; 
the soil to be, as a matter of course, rich, light, and well pre- 
pared. Large potatoes, of new varieties, will be produced in 
autumn, all of which should be kept, and planted whole in the 
following spring, to ascertain their qualities. If, in the first 
week of April, the seeds be thinly sown, on open beds, in a good 
situation, the potatoes will, generally, be perfected in Autumn. 
In this case no transplanting will be required, otherwise than to 
thin the plants, where necessary. The importance of raising 
new varieties cannot be too highly appreciated; but as some 
sorts do not, usually, produce seeds we will, shortly, give ]\Ir. 
Knight’s method of inducing them to do so. 
2 Vegetation in glazed Boxes. In a letter from Mr. N. B. 
Ward.ofWellclose Square, London, read to the Society of Arts, a 
novel mode of growing plants, in glazed boxes, w as described by 
that Gentleman. His experiments having been made in thesmoke 
of London, their success is, consequently, doubly important, 
119 
