In the beginning of May, 1837, we put a strong 
plant out of a pot into the open ground, which grew 
vigorously, but did not produce flower buds till 
the end of September, and these had not time to 
expand before the commencement of frost. It pro- 
duced upwards of sixty tubers, some as large as a 
middle-sized potatoe. Our figure was taken from 
a i)lant in the Birmingham Botanic Garden, and 
Mr. D. Cameron, the Curator, has obligingly fa- 
voured us with the result of his own experience and 
observations, from which we extract the following 
account. A cpiantity of tubers were planted in the 
open ground before they began to grow'; others 
when the stems were six inches high; and other 
plants were raised from cuttings, and planted out late 
in the season. The produce of all was nearly alike, 
and about half a bushel of tubers w as obtained from 
thirty plants. JMr. Cameron does not think this 
any criterion by which to judge of the prolific j)Ow- 
ers of the [ilant, for it appears that the tubers are so 
freely jiroduced from the underground stems, and 
young suckers, that by proper encouragement of 
this tendency, an increase greatly exceeding that of 
the potatoe may, very probably, be obtained. 
The tubers should be jilanted in a rich soil, in 
April, three feet apart. In September, when they 
begin to form young tubers, many of the stems should 
be much shortened, and at the same time the plants 
earthed up with half a wheelbarrow full of rich light 
soil. This will encourage the produce of suckers, 
and afi'oid them earth in which they will, doubt- 
less, form an immense (quantity of large tubers. 
For flowering it should be trained to a wall. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. 1, 747. 
