aoa<gBB*gg*asggggraCTea 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
91 
it. '1 he ingredients used, improve the health of the animal, prevent and 
even cure the scurvy, improve the quality and increase the quantiiy ol 
the wool, and when shearing time comes, you will find the skin smooth 
and clean, and not a single tick on sheep or lamb. Some may think it will 
injure the wool: it is not so; for manufacturers who have used it, say to 
the contraiv, and it has of lateyears come much into use amongst the more 
intelligent sheep graziers in the west of Scotland. 
I have been something lengthy in the direction of the mixture and the 
application of it, being more accustomed to handle the sheep-shears and 
the plough, than the pen; but I leave to your better judgment and prac¬ 
tised pen, to give a shorter version, if you think it worih insertion in the 
Cultivator. A SUBSCRIBER. 
Johnstown, Montgomery Co. Aug. 3, 1S35. 
ration is completed. In 1833, E. Holbrook, Esq., Hyde-Park, produced 
the extraordinary crop of upwards of 750 bushels of potatoes per acre—• 
a pretty clear demonstration. If the ridging and moulding up certain 
plants, originated in barbarism, the enlightened cultivator, Lorain, has 
not or will not, advance us far in the march of improvement in the beau¬ 
tiful science of agriculture, w ith his level and very superficial cultivation, 
by totally excluding from the field the ridging and moulding science of ag¬ 
riculture. 
Excuse my brevity on the subject, as time will not permit me more 
fully to detail, having the superintendence of the estate of E. Holbrook, 
Esq. to attend to. Yours, with great respect, 
THOS. MIDFORD. 
P. S. If this feeble attempt to explain mv views on the subject, is 
worth your perusal or notice, it is at your service and use. 
RIDGING—POTATOES. 
Hyde-Park, Aug. 3, 1835. 
J. Burl —Dear Sir—In the perusal of your valuable agricultural publi¬ 
cation, The Cultivator—\ ol. 2, page 68, I noticed extracts from Lo¬ 
rain’s Husbandry, explaining the injury done by ridging and moulding up 
plants, &c. and llie great advantages derived from a very level and super¬ 
ficial cultivation. 1 Oeg you will not think it presumption in stating my 
views on this important subject. It appears from my limited knowledge 
of agriculture, this great agriculturist has given too great scope to his theo¬ 
ry or practice, or is unacquainted with the great variety of situations and 
soils in Great Britain and America, which are now producing the most 
abundant crops of grain. &c. from the ridge system. In many paits ol 
the county of Essex (Great Britain,) it would be impossible to prouuce a 
crop, by his level and superficial mode of cultivation, and the most abund¬ 
ant produce are obtained by the four furrow ridge system of cultivation. 
The extract states that ridging and moulding up plants is as much opposed 
to reason and observation, as it is to the economy of nature. I admit this 
to be the case with some plants, situations and soils, but to others, the 
ridging and moulding in a proper degree is necessary to the production of 
abundant crops. It also states the evils arising from it are many and great, 
as it compels the plants to form new sets of shoots, so often as they are 
ridged or moulded up, and that the roots cease to perforin their functions 
when buried loo deep. I beg the favor of your inlormation as to the depth 
which will prevent the potato from performing their functions,—having 
been successful in the cultivation of potatoes, turnips, and cabbages, tor 
the use of stock, all upon the ridge. From the scanty knowledge of soils 
I have acquired, I know of no uniform given depth; this must be guided 
by the agricultural skill and knowledge of soils, which is indispensable 
and must be the chief corner stone of the practical and scientific agricul¬ 
turist. I attribute the success and abundant crops of potatoes and turnips, 
growed by E. Holbrook, Esq., to his ridging system, here represented to 
be the occason of so many and great evils. My agricultural views differ¬ 
ing from so great an agriculturist induces me briefly to state our practice 
and motives lor the ridge system, that we with thanks may receive 
through the medium of your publication from some able and practical cul¬ 
tivator, better information on the subject, and thereby benefit the agri¬ 
culturist. 
If we intend to grow a crop of potatoes, turnips, or cabbages, on old 
mowing ground, we carefully trench plough the land according to the pro¬ 
perties of the soil, as soon as spring will admit: and when it has received 
a few slight frosts, it is harrowed down, and is now a level bed of mould. 
We then with a double breast plough furrow out the ridges two feet apart, 
and about three or four inches deep. The potatoes, cut and rolled in lime 
and plaster, we proceed to plant thus in the furrows, . • . • . the dota 
here marked being one foot apart, and showing one extra in the interme¬ 
diate space between the ridges, being a gain of 50 per cent by this mode 
of cultivation, as no more ground is used than in the ordinary mode of 
ridging. A dung cart follows, and as soon as four furrows are planted, 
the man throws from his cart common barn yard manure upon the pota 
toes, which is adjusted by a boy evenly over them. As soon as a few 
rows are covered with manure, and before the sun has power to evaporate 
the moisture from the manure, a plough covers it up by ploughing two 
ridging furrows upon them. They remain thus two or three days, to set 
tie down, w hen a roller is passed over -hem, and then a light harrow of a 
proper construction, which again brings the land to a level surface, and 
the sets will come up simultaneously. When out of the ground about 
four inches, the first producing root is formed with its extending feeding 
roots. We then with a small light one horse plough, mould them up about 
two or three inches, when they will again near the surface put forward (not 
by mutilation) another set of producing shoots with their extending fibres or 
feeding roots, which spread horizontally along the mould of the ridge, then 
turning perpendiculardown ward to receive the moisture and substance that 
passes from the manure which is in the centre of the ridge, and by its gra¬ 
dual decomposition leaves the soil loose and enables the potatoes freely to 
produce in quantity and size. We repeat this operation, say three or lour 
times if possible, before the potato blossom appears. In each operation 
we are careful not to mutilate or disturb the feeding roots already mould¬ 
ed up: to prevent this, we use three different size ploughs until the ope- 
Yol.II. 13 
Mr. J. Buel—S ir—Observing in your interesting and highly valuable 
work some observations by T. A. Knight, Esq. as taken from the British 
Farmers’ Magazine, and given in the 2d No. of Vol. 2, on the cultiva¬ 
tion ol the potato, I would just here rematk, that with these observations, 
so far as they went, I was exceedingly well pleased. It was observed in 
a former No of the Cultivator, that the potato was long kept back by pre¬ 
judice and ignorance. To some little extent is it so still; (witness the 
lucubrations of Cobbett,) but these are fast dispelling, and the commu¬ 
nity are indebted to everyone, who will communicate useful knowledge 
Ion that or any other branch of what I would call the staple trade of man¬ 
kind—agriculture. T. A. Knight justly remarks of the potato that “it 
has long been known that every variety cultivated gradually becomes de- 
bditated and loses a large portion of its powers of producing;” but un¬ 
fortunately stops there, and leaves the less eiudite, though no less ardent 
lover of agricultural know ledge in the dark as to the proper means of pro¬ 
ducing these new varieties which ought to take the place of those that 
have served their day, and are unfit for use. I know that potatoes can be 
raised from the seed, and take it for granted that is the way that new va¬ 
rieties are intended to be produced; and if I am right in this supposition, 
would you or any of your worthy correspondents spare a few lines on the 
subject of raising potatoes from the seed? There must be many things 
connected with this which it is important to know, so as to produce the 
best result; as from what sort of parent the seeds are to be selected; the 
best way of preparing and preserving the seed; the cultivation thereof; 
and selection of such varieties as- may be best expected to suit the pur¬ 
pose of the cultivator or consumer, both as to their probable value for 
quantity and quality. How long will it require to bring the potato from 
the seed to a state of maturity so as to be fit for market or stock? How 
long may it be expected to remain good without declining by age? What 
influence has changing the soil, L e. changing the cultivation of them from 
one soil to another, upon the plant? Perhaps it may be thought by some 
that the article in question is too unimportant to merit much attention. I 
think otherwise; it does not indeed rank with wheat or corn, but it is im¬ 
portant enough both in the feeding of cattle and for domestic use to de¬ 
mand all the attention that can reasonably be bestowed upon it. 
Happening to have been once in the “ old country,” and lookingaround 
upon any thing that might profit or amuse, I was particularly taken up with 
the high state of agricultural improvement which prevails there, and 
among other things, with the quality of the potato. There it is good 
food; and I know of no reason why it may not be cultivated to as good 
purpose both as to quantity and quality, in this as in that country; and 
any information you can give on the best mode of producing new varie¬ 
ties, will, I am persuaded, be highly acceptable to many of your readers, 
and to none more than AN AGRICULTURIST. 
Massachusetts, July, 1835. 
P. S. I would like to have your or some of your correspondents’ opinion 
on Mangel Wurzel. 
BY THE CONDUCTOR. 
There is nothing peculiar in raising the potato from seed, more than any 
other plant. The quality of the oflspring will, like that of all animals and 
vegetables, partake of the character of its parents. Of course the seed should 
be selected from the best varieties, as we shall be then sure of breeding from 
one good stock U maybe separated from the pulp of the ball and dried, or 
the balls may be broken and dried, to be sown in the spring. They should be 
kept from frost and moisture. At the usual planting time prepare abed of 
j good mould, and sow the seeds thinly on it in drills 18 inches apart. Nurse 
the plants as you would a bed of onions; and in autumn take up and preserve 
the small tubers of each plant separate. Plant the second year at the distance 
of 18 inches or two feet each way, nurse as before: and you will be able to 
judge from the product, and their lime of ripening, of their character and qua¬ 
lity. Plant your selected kinds a third year, and the crop will be fit for market 
or stock. The superiority which our correspondent discovers in “ old coun¬ 
try” potatoes, is not wholly owing to new varieties, but to climate. In our 
country we think the potato deteriorates south of lalitude 41, and perhaps the 
best potato zone may be comprised between latitudes 41 and 46 deg. north. 
The latitude of Britain is still farther north, though its climate is more tempe¬ 
rate than ours. In our latitude, in ordinary seasons, the best potatoes are 
grown on grounds that are deemed cold, as reclaimed swamps, &c. The best 
potatoes are grown in Ireland, Lancashire, Eng. in Nova Scotia, Maine, &c. 
I where the temperature is comparatively cool, and at the same time very hu« 
