263 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 26, 1858. 
emission,, small threadlike roots, which, as soon as planted, 
take possession of the soil. Here is the grand secret of 
obtaining early Potatoes. 
To acquire this stage of advancement, many expedients are 
resorted to. It is the natural habit of the Lemon Kidney to 
sprout early ; indeed, oftentimes there is a difficulty in retard¬ 
ing this movement, for if the sprout is too long, it runs great 
risk of being knocked off in course of setting. The mode here 
adopted by the cottagers, is no less original than ludicrous. 
After Christmas, the seed, is taken out of store, whether from 
“pits,” or “graves,” or elsewhere. The Potatoes are then 
brought into their houses, and placed under their beds. When 
these recesses are filled, they fill small baskets, of same kind and 
dimensions as those from which the seed is planted, and hang 
them up on hooks to the ceding of their apartment down stairs, 
to obtain the advantage of the warmth of the fire; and thus 
proceed to fill every possible place where they may be kept 
from the frosts. If a man possesses a co\yhouse or stable, the 
rafters are forthwith adorned with hooks, and the little 
baskets suspended. The breath of cows is very beneficial. 
Care, however, must be taken that the sprouts do not become 
blanched and weak : they must have plenty of light. 
One of the largest cultivators in this district lias improved 
upon the cottagers’ plan; and lias converted the liay-lofts 
over his horses and cows into “ sprouting-rooms.” Above 
these lofts, he has laid a second floor, so that he is enabled to 
sprout double the quantity. The warmth arising from the 
cattle has been proved to be quite sufficient to keep out the 
frost. 
The tubers should not be placed thicker than two inches 
deep, or the roots would become one mass of sod. 
Unless, then, some other mode be devised, or sprouting - 
houses be purposely erected, there will remain the difficulty— 
the impossibility, wo had almost said—of any one grower 
setting as large a quantity of early as of late Potatoes. 
And again, as we before observed, the period of cultivation 
is so short, and the work to be done in that time so pressing, 
that it would require an incredible number of hands, and of 
hands probably totally unaccustomed to this kind of work. 
At the time of setting, you would require a man and a boy per 
acre ; then there would be a cessation from labour for about a 
fortnight or so, until the time for moulding up; and, when 
this was finished, there would be another interregnum until 
they were ready for getting up. Three shoolers will keep a 
pair of horses preparing the land for them. 
In “ dropping” weather, the hoe must be kept constantly 
at work. The ground that has been gone over one day must 
be gone over again the next. You must keep a-head of the 
weeds, and pace with the growing crop. 
“ Put why not cultivate them,” some one may say, “ in the 
same way as the late varieties ?” We cannot afford to do so ; 
the land is too valuable. Were the “ winter” plan adopted, 
we should only be able to obtain one-third of the number of 
rows per acre, and consequently would lose one-third of the 
value. 
We before mentioned that, in the cultivation of the seed 
for the following year, all plants showing flower, as well as all 
others which manifest a diversity of leaf, are carefully eradi¬ 
cated. From the field, the seed is taken to the barn, spread 
on the floor about one foot thick, and kept in the dark. Here 
they are suffered to remain for a month, when, if no disease 
appear, they are removed, and may be considered safe. At 
least this is the plan we would recommend, and which has 
been proved to be most successful ; for we have known 
Potatoes, when brought from the field, to have been just tilted 
up <3n the barn-floor; and have observed that in these large 
heaps symptoms of disease have appeared, whilst none have 
been detected amongst those which have been spread. We 
presume it was owing to the sweat not being permitted to 
escape, and dry as readily as when laid in smaller heaps. 
After Christmas is turned, the Potatoes are brought out of 
the “hogs,” or “graves,” or “ pits’’—all of which are pro¬ 
vincial terms for the same mode of covering them with straw 
and earth—and are laid for “ sprouting.” We cannot refrain 
here from expressing an opinion, that it would be desirable to 
extend this sprouting to all the late varieties. Amongst 
Lemon Kidneys we never hear of disease, at least amongst 
those which are got up for the markets in July. Some slight 
i t races may be found in August; whilst those lifted in Septem¬ 
ber, and October, have been much affected. And the same 
observation may be made with respect to lied Kyes; the crop 
taken up in August has been found and kept sound, whilst in 
those taken up later, there has been considerable loss. We 
are, therefore, induced to think that, if the winter varieties 
were set well sprouted, they would run much less risk, and a 
great saving of food be effected. We have no business to take 
up Lemon Kidneys in September, and October; but the cot¬ 
tagers will risk it, and they set for seed after they have got up 
and sold their first crops. They calculate that they shall lose 
one half by disease; and, if they only preserve the remaining 
half, they obtain a more valuable crop than by sowing 
or transplanting any other vegetable. The great objection to 
sprouting is the expense, and want of convenience: the 
former i3 very trifling, and the latter is generally at hand. 
Any cattle-shed w T ould answer the purpose ; a few rough slabs 
to form a floor above the cattle, whereon to spread the Potatoes, 
would be quite sufficient. So long as you can keep up the 
temperature above freezing-point, they will not suffer; and 
this the breath of the cattle would effect. 
With regard to protecting the young plants from frost, little 
here is, at present, done. A few borders in sheltered places are 
covered with straw screens ; posts are driven into the ground, 
on which are nailed strips of wood to support the screen. 
Some few use calico instead of straw; they are handier and 
much lighter to lift off and on, but they are difficult to manage 
in a high wind. We have seen a much better plan. A friend 
of ours has contrived a kind of sheet, or sail, made of calico, 
which will furl and unfurl ad lihitum. It is attached by rings 
to wires, fastened to poles driven into the ground; and upon 
these wires, it is made to run up and down by means of a 
cord and pulley. This plan lias been proved to be efficient to 
repel this spring’s frosts, which have been unusually severe; 
and therefore, there is little doubt, but that the experiment 
will be enlarged upon. 
In conclusion, we must caution our readers against the 
purchase of seed. We had almost said a Potato is frequently 
not a Potato; but we may safely say a Kidney is not necessarily 
a Lemon Kidney. Of Kidney Potatoes, there is an endless 
variety : there are the Short-top, the Rough-top , the York¬ 
shire , or Winter Kidney , the Walnut-leafi and the Ash-leaf, 
&c. And the worst of the matter is, that if you order a load 
of Karly Kidney Potatoes you will, in all probability, get all 
the varieties. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule ; but 
we speak generally, and, what is more, we speak from ex¬ 
perience. Even here, where the best and the earliest varieties 
are grown, it is very difficult to obtain good and unmixed seed. 
In fact, you must see them growing ; and, when you see them 
growing, you must have the eye to discover whether they all 
have the same kind of leaf, and habit of growth, and equal 
absence of flower. 
Here, all early Potatoes are included under the general 
term, Lemon Kidneys , as in other places, they are denominated 
Ash-leaves. But amongst these, “Forrart uns,” as they call 
them, there are many varieties. Some have a broad, round, 
shiny leaf; this is the true Lemon Kidney ; some have narrow, 
pointed leaves ; others small, curly leaves ; whilst a fourth 
exhibit a small, rough, romid leaf. We should, therefore, re¬ 
commend such as are anxious to cultivate the true Lemon , to 
obtain a small quantity of the genuine kind, and rear their 
own seed, if they would avoid the disappointment of a mixture. 
It is only reasonable to conclude, that if you have a mixed 
lot, some w ill be ready to be lifted, whilst others are only just 
forming their tubers ; so that you must either let them stand 
till the latter are ready, by which means you lose the ad¬ 
vantage of an early market, or you must get them up as they 
are, and sacrifice the late ones : either way involves a loss. 
The growers who possess genuine seed are loth to part with 
it; to obtain a few stones’ weight at a high price is considered 
a favour. If you can obtain some at Is. 6d. per stone, you 
may consider yourself very fortunate ; we have known as 
much as 2s. 6d. asked and given. 
In cultivating the late varieties, we would strongly recom¬ 
mend the adoption of sprouting, which w r e believe to be, if not 
a panacea, yet one of the best of the few remedies hitherto 
prescribed. Set the Red Kye and Fluke when the land is in 
fine order ; wait, if necessary, until as late even as the end of 
April or the beginning of May. Set them well sprouted, and 
you will be astonished at the rapidity and luxuriance of their 
