THE farmer’s manual. 
45 
but 1 have found an increase of labour in digging. 
Some farmers plougli up their land smooth, and strike 
it out with a plough into squares of 3 feet, rank and 
file, after the manner of planting Indian-corn, and 
plant at the corners, and cover with the hoe; others 
ra^ke holes with the hoe, from two to three feet dis- 
tance, manure with farm-yard, or hog manure, or roll 
the potatoes (when cut and wet,) in plaster of Paris, 
or throw into the hill with the sets, about a table 
spoonful of plaster ; this upon a gravelly, or sandy 
soil, answers well. 1 have found this mode produce 
from 1 to 300 bushels the acre. Should you neglect 
either of these modes of manuring at your planting, 
you may dress your potatoes with a table spoonful of 
plaster, or a handful of live, or leached ashes, at the 
first, or second hoeing, with great advantage, upon a 
dry soil. These are the common modes of cultivat- 
ing the potatoe. 
Two important modes of cultivating this most 
valuable root, claim the particular attention of 
the farmer, who is in earnest, and regards the 
best interest of his farm. The first is as a fallow 
crop. Many years experience enables me to .say, 
that land which will produce 8 or 10 bushels of 
rye, will produce 100 bushels of potatoes; the dif- 
ference of expense between one ploughing and two 
hoeings, for an acre of potatoes, exclusive of the 
seed and digging, and two ploughings for a fallow, is 
not very great; the profit is 100, 150, or 5?t)0 bush- 
els of potatoes, according to the quality of the soil ; 
with the assurance, that the grain crop will rather be 
increased than diminished by the potatoe fallow, pro- 
vided the potatoes are dug, and the rye sown, early 
in the month of September, or the wheat before the 
1st of October, which may always be done with the 
English whites, if planted before the 20th of Jimc. 
The true value of this mode of tillage, will consist 
in the increased quantity of stock it will enable the 
farme? to keep, and the increased value which he 
