THE CULTIVATOR. 
* 
183 
“ I think this result the most interesting that we have yet obtain¬ 
ed, for it not only reduces to something like a demonstration the supe¬ 
riority 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 mini¬ 
mum 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 nmety-seven pounds, than 
where the rows w r ere two feet apart—this is, equal to the average 
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 foregoing 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, allowing 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 potatoes, in a field 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 Irom six to 
nine inches ; but, in the last case, they were not planted more than 
five inches deep, including the subsequent earthing-up by the plough; 
and in the first, not more than eight inches. Moreover, Mrs. Med¬ 
ley’s crop was not planted till the latter end of May ; and Mr. Jes- 
sop’s some time in the beginning of April. 
“ It is not difficult to account for the small amount of produce ob¬ 
tained in both these cases, as compared with what was yielded in 
the society’s garden; and they are the more interesting, because, 
so lar as distance between the rows went, that point was attended 
to. The society’s potatoes were planted on 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. Jessop’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 thin four inches of soil, her potatoes having been buried 
eight inches deep ; 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 concluded that the great¬ 
er 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 gar¬ 
dens 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 obtained.” 
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 
vary according to the habits of particular varieties, and can only be 
determined by accurate experiments; and that too much, and too 
little room, are alike injurious to productiveness. Finally, that it is 
quite practicable to double the crops that are usually obtained.” 
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 
improvement in its process; for the farmers in the neighborhood of 
large towns, which afford both high prices for the produce and abun¬ 
dant supplies of manure, and who aro thus not wanting in the incen¬ 
tives to good cultivation, have not yet found means to raise their 
produce to any thing like that extent. The instances stated would 
indeed lead to that conclusion : but it must be recollected that they 
are garden experiments ; and men who work upon a large scale just¬ 
ly look upon such trials with some degree of scepticism. 
In additions 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 effecting this will readily suggest themselves ; but in 
the case of pits, it is recommended, when putting in the potatoes, to 
stick up narrow wicker-work funnels, at regular distances along the 
centre, thus leaving cavities or chimneys, from the bottom of the 
heaps, for the escape of steam.” 
It is perhaps not generally known, that the meal made from pota¬ 
toes, if mixed with that of wheat, renders bread more light, palatable 
and digestible, than when manufactured from wheaten flour alone 
Most bakers, therefore, use a small portion of it, with a view to im 
prove the quality ; and it is for that purpose largely manufactured in 
the neighborhood of Paris, where the excellence of the bread is very 
remarkable. To obtain the powder, the potatoes should be washed 
clean, accurately peeled, grated with a coarse grater, and the pulp 
washed repeatedly through a hair sieve, after being each time allow¬ 
ed to settle; after 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 upon a large scale, the trouble of peeling may 
be avoided. The dried pulp may be ground and boulted in a com¬ 
mon corn-mill. 
It is thus obtained in different proportions, according to the good¬ 
ness 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 answers many domestic purposes, for it makes all sorts of 
pastry of a superior quality than when formed from wheat alone. It 
[ also possesses the advantage of retaining its qualities for a great num¬ 
ber of year.s, without the least deterioration ; and if the flour be not 
used, bread can be made with a mixture of potatoes, by choosincr the 
most mealy, which, when boiled and peeled, are beaten and rolled 
smooth on a table with a rolling-pin, then kneaded with one-fourth, 
or one-third, of wheaten flour. 
_ Young Men’s Department. _ 
OF THE NECESSITY OF UNDERSTATING THE PR1NCIPUSS~0F 
OUR OWN GOVERNMENT. 
Let no American youth flatter himself, because he was born free, that he 
will, therefore, certainly live and die so; much less, that his children will es¬ 
cape oppression. In past ages, and in all countries, the great body of the peo¬ 
ple have been, andeven now in most countries yet are, little better than slaves. 
Subject to the absolute will of unfeeling masters, or oppressed by tyrannical 
and unequal laws; condemned to suffer punishment, without a hearing, groan¬ 
ing under excessive taxes, compelled to waste their lives in wars, undertaken 
not for their benefit, but, to gratify the passions of their rulers; awed into sub¬ 
mission by standing armies, maintained for I he express purpose of keeping them 
in subjection, arid supported by the sweat of their brows; wilfully kept in igno¬ 
rance of their rights, and afraid even to utter a word of complaint against then- 
oppressors—life itself, to them, can hardly be considered a blessing. 
Hut, v\ hat has been the condition of all other nations, and still is the condi¬ 
tion of most, it would be folly to deny, may yet be that of the people of these 
United States. Why not? Human nature is every where essentially the same. 
The rulers of other nations are tyrants, not because they are naturally worse 
than many other men; but because they have power to oppress. Men are na¬ 
turally fond of dominion, and the possession of power increases the love of it, 
blunts the moral sense, and hardens the heart. 
Let the American people once cease to guard their liberties, and they vs ill 
soon find rulers willing enough to oppress them. Let them once bow' their 
necks to the yoke, and there will not be wanting a tyrant to put it on. The 
framers of our constitutions well knew this. They foresaw that America, like 
all other countries, would produce ambitious and wicked men, who would as¬ 
pire, and perhaps successfully, to places of power and trust; and therefore it 
was, that those wise and patriotic statesmen were so careful, as far as could be 
done by constitutional restraints, to put it out of the power of the public 
functionaries to deprive the people of their liberties. 
But it is a truth, never to be forgotten, that our written constitutions are 
chiefly valuable, as land marks to guide the people, and as standards by which 
to measure, or rather as tests by which to try, the wisdom and fidelity of their 
rulers. For, after all, of themselves, they are but parchment and ink, useful 
only while the principles they contain are adhered to, and liable to be evaded 
or trampled under foot whenever the people cease to enforce them. 
To point out all the various modes in which our free institutions are in dan- 
