THE CULTIVATOR. 
157 
27th of February; both the tubers and sets being in every case six 
inches apart in the rows, and nine inches deep.” 
“ On the 24th of April the points of the potatoes had reached the sur¬ 
face of the soil, and the next day about three inches of soil were drawn 
over them, for the purpose of protecting them from ground frosts, 
which in low and flat places, like the society’s garden, are still preva¬ 
lent at that time of the year. By the 2d of May the whole surface of 
the ground, in the division where the rows were only six inches apart, 
was a mass of entangled stems. By the 20th of the month, the stems 
in the division where the rows were one foot and a half apart had 
nearly covered the ground; and in a week after, those in the two feet 
division were in the same state; but the ground was not covered during 
the whole season, where the rows were two feet and a half apart. 
The shoots from the whole tubers were, in all cases, much stronger 
than those from the single eyes, but they began to be prostrated in the 
six-inch division, on the 29th of May, and the whole of them, in all the 
divisions, were in the same state by the 27th of June; while the stems 
from the single eyes continued erect till they began to turn yellow and 
wither, in the end of August. This will probably account for the su¬ 
periority of sets over whole tubers: could the crop be protected from 
winds, and the stems of the tubers prevented from breaking, I have no 
doubt that tubers would yield the largest crop; but their very vigor 
makes them brittle, and once broken, they are no longer able to per¬ 
form their functions perfectly. 
“The greatest length to which the stems attained was two feet; the 
principal part of them attained that length, but many did not exceed 
one foot and a half; and those in the division where the rows were 
at that distance were the most uniform in their appearance. The im¬ 
portant inferences to be drawn from -this were afterwards shown by 
the result." 
“ On the 26th of September the whole crop was taken up, freed from 
mould, and weighed. Where the rows were only six inches apart, a 
number of new potatoes were partially decayed, and a very large pro¬ 
portion was too small to be fit for use. The most uniform size was 
obtained from the division where the rows were two feet apart. The 
result of the experiment was as follows: 
Weight of seed Estimated produce per 
Distances 
between rows. 
Sets. 
ft. in. 
2 6 
0 6 
5 Whole tubers, 
( Single eyes, 
i Whole tubers, 
( Single eyes, 
| Whole tubers, 
l Single eyes, 
$ Whole tubers, 
l Single eyes, 
required per 
acre, 
lbs. 
acre, deducting the 
weight planted, 
tons. cwts. lbs. 
6,497 
18 
8 
4 
1,470 
15 
19 
82 
7,426 
16 
8 
46 
1,794 
24 
0 
87 
11,764 
21 
4 
72 
2,055 
22 
16 
102 
32,065 
16 
17 
91 
5,003 
16 
17 
110* 
“ I think this result the most interesting that we have yet obtained, for 
it not only reduces to something like a demonstration the superiority 
of sets over tubers, but it shows that the crop will be greater where the 
distance between the rows is most in accordance with the average height 
of the potato stems; and that if we take the minimum height—which 
in this variety is one foot and a half—although the crop may be the most 
promising while growing, it will in reality be smaller than when the 
branches are less dense. Thus, the most uniform crop of stems in this 
experiment was in the division where the rows were one foot and a half 
apart; but the crop in that division was less by one ton three hundred 
weight ninety-seven pounds than where the rows were two feet apart; 
this is equal to the avsrage height of the stems. 
“ For the sake of contrasting the produce thus obtained with the crop 
in the fields of those who cultivate potatoes for the market, I caused 
the weight in some neighboring fields to be ascertained by the same 
men who weighed the potatoes which were the subject of the forego¬ 
ing experiment. 
“A field of Yorkshire Shaw potatoes, belonging to Mrs. Medley of 
Acton, was found to yield at the rate of 14 tons, 1 cwt. 26 lbs. per acre 
about twenty-seven bushels of sets per acre being planted; which, al 
lowing 68 lbs. as the weight of the bushel, will give a clear return of 
only 13 tons 4 cwt. 94 lbs. per acre nett. A crop of long kidney pota¬ 
toes, in a fluid of Mr. Jessop, a tenant of the Duke of Devonshire, at 
Sutton Court, yielded a produce of 12 tons 4 cwt. 84 lbs. or only 11 tons 
8 cwt. 40 lbs. nett. 
“'The rows were from twenty-two to twenty-four inches apart, and 
the sets at uncertain distances in the rows, varying from six to nine 
inches; but, in the last case, they were not planted more than five inch 
es deep, including the subsequent earthing-up by the plough; and in 
the first, not more than eight inches. Moreover, Mrs. Medley’s crop 
was not planted till the latter end of May ; and Mr. Jessop’s some time 
in the beginning of April. 
* The quantity of seed, and the estimated produce per acre, were calculated 
upon the quantities sown and gathered, which are stated in the original table. 
“ It is not difficult to account for the small amount of produce obtain¬ 
ed in both these cases, as compared with what was yielded in the socie¬ 
ty’s garden; and they are the more interesting, because, so far as distance 
between the rows went, that point was attended to. The society’s pota¬ 
toes were planted oh the 27th of February, at the depth of nine inches, 
and were subsequently earthed up three inches more; so that, on the 
whole, they were buried a foot below the surface of the soil. Mr. Jes¬ 
sop’s potatoes were only five inches deep, and were not planted till the 
beginning of April; consequently, he lost seven inches in depth: a 
most important fact, and about five weeks of the growing season. Mrs. 
Medley, on the other hand, did not lose more than four inches of soil, 
her potatoes having been buried eight inches deepf but she lost nearly 
three months of the growing season. It is, however, worthy of remark, 
that notwithstanding this great disadvantage, her crop exceeded that 
of Mr. Jessop by 1 ton 16 cwt. 54 lbs. nett; from which it may be con¬ 
cluded that the greater depth at which hers were buried, more than 
compensated for the loss of time in planting. 
“ Mr. Knight also planted in his garden some tubers of a variety of 
potato of very early habits, but possessing more vigor of growth than 
is usually seen in such varieties. The soil in which.they were planted 
was in good condition, but not richer than the soils of gardens usually 
are, and the manure which it received consisted chiefly of decayed oak 
leaves. The tubers were planted nine inches in the soil, and the mould 
was afterwards raised three inches higher in ridges, to guard the young 
plants from frost. The produce was at the rate of 34 tons 9 cwt. per 
acre; and Mr. Knight is of opinion that still larger crops may be ob¬ 
tained.” 
From the foregoing facts it has been assumed by the society, “ that, 
in order to acquire the greatest possible weight of potatoes per acre, 
it is necessary that large, heavy, sound tubers should be employed; 
and that the space allowed for the growth of each plant should be as 
nearly as possible such as it would naturally occupy if suffered to 
spread freely on all soils without interruption; that this space will va¬ 
ry according to the habits of particular varieties, and Can’only be deter¬ 
mined by accurate experiments; and that too much, and too little room, 
arealike injurious to productiveness. Finally, that it is quite practi¬ 
cable to double the crops that are usually obtained.” 
I In the previous part of these observations we cordially agree, and 
[we think it very probable that crops may be increased by attention to 
the rules there laid down. We however doubt the possibility of their 
being doubled in the ordinary course of culture by any known improve¬ 
ment in its process; for the farmers in the neigborhood of large towns, 
which afford both high prices for the produce and abundant supplies of 
manure, and who are thus not wanting in the incentives to good culti¬ 
vation, have not yet found means to raise their produce to any .thing 
like that extent. The instances stated would indeed lead to that con¬ 
clusion : but it must be recollected that they are garden experiments; 
and men who work upon a large scale justly look upon such trials with 
some degree of scepticism. 
In addition to this it has been justly remarked, “that not only should 
the crops be thoroughly ripe before they are dug, but that after having 
been allowed to dry and season on the surface of the land, they should 
be so stored as to be kept dry, cool, and free from untimely vegetation, 
whether kept in cellars, potato-houses, or pits. Expedients for affect¬ 
ing this will readily suggest themselves; but in the case of pits it is 
recommended, when putting in the potatoes, to stick up narrow wicker¬ 
works funnels, at regular distances along the centre, thus leaving ca¬ 
vities or chimneys, from the bottom of the heaps, for the escape of 
steam.” 
It is perhaps not generally known, that the meal made from potatoes, 
if mixed with that of wheat, renders bread more light, palatable and 
digestible, than when manufactured from wheaten fl6ur alone. Most 
bakers, therefore, use a small portion of it, with a view to improve the 
quality; and it is for that purpose largely manufactured in the neigh¬ 
borhood of Paris, where the excellence of the bread is very remarkable 
To obtain the powder, the potatoes should be washed clean, accu 
rately peeled, grated with a coarse grater, and the pulp washed repeat 
edly through a hair seive, after being each time allowed to settle ; af 
ter which, when the water is found to pass quite pure, and without 
sediment, the pulp should be spread upon a cloth to dry very gradually 
and then pounded or ground down into flour. When manufactured up¬ 
on a large scale, the trouble of peeling may be avoided. The dried 
pulp may be ground and bolted in a common corn-mill. 
It is thus obtained in different proportions, according to the goodness 
of the potato, from one-fourth to one-fifth of the weight of the root, and 
in nowise different from the starch made from grain. It indeed an¬ 
swers many domestic purposes, for it makes all sorts of pastry of a su¬ 
perior quality than when formed from wheat alone. It also posses¬ 
ses the advantage of retaining its qualities for a great number of years, 
without the least deterioration; and if the flour be not used, bread can 
be made with a mixture of potatoes, by choosing the most mealy, which, 
when boiled and peeled, are beaten and rolled smooth on a table with 
