436 
ON THE POTATO. 
very great advantages over the ancient horticulturist, and which will 
fully appear by treating of the above particulars in their order.— Ed. 
( To be continued .) 
On the Potato. —Great complaints have of late been made of the 
crops of potatoes in many parts of the kingdom, and it is said by many 
the crops are not generally so good as they used to be. This in many 
cases is not surprising ; if the growers of this valuable root will not be 
careful to have good seed, they must not expect a good crop. How 
careful, generally speaking, is the farmer to procure good seed for his 
crops; how particular the florist in having the most perfect seeds and 
plants he can procure: but with the potato, one of the most valuable 
vegetables in the universe, not one in six is sufficiently careful in pro¬ 
curing good seed. How often we see, in a flat of potatoes, some spring 
up with two or three weakly shoots, which soon die down and produce 
no tubers; in another part of the same flat no tops at all are produced. 
There can be no doubt this is owing to a deficiency in the seed, being 
in that exhausted state it cannot support the top, and in some instances 
cannot produce one at all, though if the potato be dug up it will be 
found to have made an effort to do so. It is a very common practice, 
but a very bad one, to take little or no notice of seed potatoes until just 
before they are wanted; then to go to the pit or heap where they have 
lain all winter (or to the may'ket), and take out what are wanted. 
Now, in three cases out of four, it is certain these cannot be fit for 
seed, for in a pit or heap it is impossible for the powers of the potato 
to be at rest; any one who has used his eyes would perceive how the 
potato has been exhausting itself by putting out numerous shoots, fre¬ 
quently many inches long. These are generally so tender, they break 
off immediately, another effort has then to be made when planted to 
produce others ; this of course must make against the crop, for how is 
it possible to have a good crop when the productive powers of the seed 
are injured or decayed ? This is not the worst, for they are often laid 
up again to produce other shoots before planting, which are so tender 
they are not unfrequently broken off* a second time. Allow me to sug¬ 
gest a few directions with regard to the seed and planting of this most 
valuable root. In the first place, I should advise every one to save 
their own seed. When the first crop of early ones are ready, throw 
out upon the bed as many middle-sized ones as are likely to be wanted 
for next year’s seed; there let them lie till autumn, by which time 
they will have become a green colour. Let them then be taken up and 
laid by for the winter in a cool dry place, protected from frost but not 
put in a heap. Previous to setting them, bring them out and expose 
them to the air for ton days or a fortnight; then let them be set whole. 
