POTATO. 
85 
the age and care bestowed. Taste and try in time, so as to 
have them done to a nicety. 
The Sugar Peas have no inner tough film, or skin, to the 
pods, like the common sorts ; they should therefore be boiled 
without shelling, and served up the same as Kidney Beans. 
\ 
POTATO. 
Pomme de terre. Solanim Tuberosum. 
The Potato is known to be a native of the southern parts 
of America, but has been greatly improved by cultivation. 
The varieties being very numerous, it is unnecessary for 
me to point out any particular kinds ; some of the earliest 
should, however, be planted first in the spring, to produce 
young Potatoes in due season ; but they are not so suitable 
for a full crop as the late varieties. 
Potatoes being of such extensive utility, various expedients 
have been contrived with a view to find out the best method 
of preparing the seed. In many parts of England, (where 
Potatoes equal to any in the world are raised,) the farmers 
seldom plant them whole ; they take the Potatoes as they 
come to hand, and in cutting them, take care to have two 
good eyes in each set; the small Potatoes are deprived of 
the sprout or nose end, as it is generally considered that a 
redundancy of eyes exhausts the set, and produces weak 
plants, which are not calculated to yield a full crop. I have 
frequently known from five to six hundred bushels raised 
from an acre with small Potatoes alone cut in this way. 
Some prefer planting the sets immediately after they are 
cut ; the better way is to get them cut a week before the 
time of planting, and to lay them out on a barn, or garret 
floor, to dry. 
It will require from twelve to sixteen bushels of Potatoes 
to plant an acre of ground, according to the size and nature 
8 
