THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
8-1 
ing twelve-inch furrows the rows will he brought two feet 
apart. After a little time the land should be rolled, or 
harrowed, if required. 
The after-culture may he well executed by an implement 
much in use, and convertible for the purpose of either 
horse-hoe, or double mould plough, for earthing or hilling 
the rows. 
Early sorts are now the only varieties which can be ex¬ 
pected to give a crop, because, in late varieties, the blight 
attacks the haulm before the bulbs are matured. Three 
good sorts are the York Regents, the Fortyfolds, and the 
Early Lemon. These kinds mature early, crop well, and 
are of good quality; they produce very little haulm, and do 
not sutler from blight so much as the later varieties, which 
have very luxuriant haulm. I have found that a much better 
wheat crop can be obtained after these early sorts than 
after the late varieties, which exhaust the land very much 
by the growth of strong haulm, without the advantage of a 
matured crop of tubers. 
The quantity of seed required for an acre of land will 
vary according to distance of the rows; when the sets are 
placed seven or eight inches apart, in rows at two feet in¬ 
tervals, about twenty bushels of small Potatoes will plant an 
acre ; but in case cut sets are used, it will require twenty- 
five or twenty-six bushels per acre. A difference of opinion 
exists as to the advantages of using Potatoes for seed either 
whole or cut, but I am inclined to think it depends much 
upon the period of planting; when planted very early, whole 
tubers should be used, being less likely to rot and decay in 
case wet and bad weather follow soon after they are set. 
Whole seed will generally give the best crop if full-sized 
tubers are used; but they cost more than cut sets. The 
most economical and advantageous seed for field culture are 
the small Potatoes, just under the marketable size,—a less 
quantity of them being required to plant an acre, and not 
being so ready of sale for other uses. The cheapest and 
most expeditious mode of separating the small from the 
marketable Potatoes, is to pass them over a strong wire 1 
rudder, which may be made to any size required. 
Since this root has been subject to the attack of blight, 
objections have been raised against the use of manure in 
its cultivation ; but I have found that the quantity and 
quality of the manure used for Potatoes should be regulated 
by circumstances. When the crop is required to be taken 
up and disposed of at the earliest period, and in an unripe ■ 
state, the strongest manures, and those rich in ammonia, 
such as stable manure, night soil, or Peruvian guano, may 
be used with great advantage, because the disease seldom 
attacks the plant at the early period; therefore, when a 
large quantity of strong manure has been used, it will 
stimulate the growth of the tubers, and produce them of a 
marketable size, at the earliest period, upon all dry and 
warm soils. 
In case the crop is intended to remain in the land until 
it is perfectly ripe and matured, and also when the tubers 
are required for storing, to be used in the winter and spring 
months, the question of manuring assumes a different form 
allogether, the plant having to withstand the attack of 
disease, which, of late years, has usually appeared about the 
time that the haulm is in full growth; it has, consequently, 
been found advisable not to use any strong stimulating , 
manure which would produce a luxuriant growth of the I 
haulm and thereby render the plant more susceptible of 
blight and disease. T therefore recommend that artificial 
manures should be used for the main crop, as being likely 
to produce tubers of the soundest and best quality for 
general purposes. Two quarters of bone-dust, four bushels 1 
of peat charcoal, and one-and-a half cwt. of sulphate j 
of magnesia, mixed with ten or fifteen bushels of ordinary 
turf or peat ashes, will be found an ample dressing for an 
acre of land. I have applied this kind of manure in the 
following manner:—After the sets have been placed in the 
furrow, a man follows with a seedlip full of the manure, and 
strews into the furrow, by hand, the requisite quantity, the 
plough following, buries the seed and manure in close contact. 
These manures act very beneficially, the charcoal, being 
decidedly disinfectant, operates against disease, and the 
bone-dust, with sulphate of magnesia, furnish the plant with 
those sbstances essential in producing tubers of the best 
quality. Joseph Blundell. 
May 5. | 
EGGS AT TOULTRY SHOWS. 
The Royal Agricultural Society, marching with the spirit 
of the times, has wisely resolved on an Exhibition of Poultry 
at their Country Meeting of 1853. Prizes on a liberal scale 
are offered “for improving the Breeds of Farm Poultry;” 
and, in furtherance of this praiseworthy object, I would 
suggest that there should be an exhibition of eggs, as well 
as of fowls. Unfortunately, all eggs are regarded alike in 
the market; and one weighing two ounces realises as much 
money as another that weighs three or four ounces. Ought 
this to be ? In taking the merits of fowls into consideration, 
for general purposes, not only the number, but the size of 
their eggs, should be duly ascertained. Wise cooks weigh 
the eggs they use, rather than entrust the success of their 
operations to the uncertain and empirical system of numbers. 
It could be easily arranged to exhibit the fowls and their 
egg-produce at the same time, and the size or weight of the 
egg should form an element of success in gaining the prize. 
Very rigid conditions, even to the extent of affidavit in 
doubtful cases, might be enforced to secure honesty or 
fair play; in other words, to guarantee that the eggs dis¬ 
played should be the bond file produce of the fowls exhibited. 
No person can fairly deny that the size and number of the 
Spanish fowl’s eggs are an important set off against the 
weight of the birds themselves, as compared with the 
Shanghae (or Cochin-China) breed; and, as the Spanish 
fowls differ greatly in the size of their eggs, the prize should 
always be given, other qualities being equal, to the hen 
which produced the largest eggs. For example: Captain 
Hornby’s birds are stated to produce eggs weighing nearly 
or quite four ounces; whereas, the writer is cognizant of 
many Spanish hens that do not lay eggs weighing three 
ounces. Again, as regards Ducks—the Aylesbury breed may, 
perhaps, be excelled by others in size, but their eggs are 
very heavy, rich, and numerous. The writer speaks on this 
point, however, only from his own experience; his Aylesbury 
Ducks frequently producing eggs weighing four ounces each. 
Ought not these qualities to be estimated by a Society 
awarding prizes for the improvement of Farm Poultry ? It 
may be said, that this scheme leaves the matter of frequency 
of production untouched; and that, in many cases, the defect 
in the weight of individual, eggs is more than compensated by 
the greater number; and, consequently, greater weight ulti¬ 
mately obtained. It may do this; but, leaving out the fact, that 
exhibitions cannot wholly reach such a matter, it may be 
I fairly expected that similar species would be nearly equal in 
| this respect, under the same conditions of warmth, food, 
and situation. And, of course, Spanish should contend 
against Spanish, only; and so on with others. A small box, 
carefully divided, having a glass top, would serve as a fit 
medium for the exhibition of the eggs; and I feel assured 
I that such an addition would add to the attraction and useful¬ 
ness of our “ Poultry Shows.” J. H., Mickleover. 
THE DISCONTENTED SPIRIT. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers'' 
Have any of my readers, or have any one of their friends 
and neighbours, the misfortune, the affliction of possessing 
a discontented spirit? Let that unhappy one read with 
attention the following narrative. It has been sent to me 
by a most, kind heart, whose hope is, that it may be the 
means, by the blessing of God, of doing some good to those 
who are “seeking rest and finding none,” in change of 
place and circumstance, seeing nothing of the Hand that 
holds the universe in its grasp, and orders all things; yes, 
all things that happen to the children of men ; but blindly 
supposing that their own poor feeble fingers can weave the 
web of worldly good, independently of that one blessing, 
without which, “the devices of the crafty” are disappointed, 
“ so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.” 
“ William Green was a native of South Wales, the son of a 
small farmer, by whom he was apprenticed to a bookbinder 
in a neighbouring market-town. My first acquaintance with 
him commenced with a reply which lie made to an advertise¬ 
ment, inserted by me, for a journeyman in that department 
of my business. Finding, upon enquiry, that he was steady, 
