POT 
POT 
standing through the heat of summer, 
will, in all probability, receive ad¬ 
vantage from being stationed where the 
ground possesses more moisture; at the 
same time we do not recommend wet, un¬ 
drained land for their culture at all, 
because in such places disease is en¬ 
gendered, and the returns almost cer¬ 
tain to be a failure. 
In the preparation of the sets it is 
usual to cut large tubers into three or 
even four pieces, but where a sufficient 
number of whole sets can be obtained 
from the smaller roots they are to be 
preferred. Those about the size of 
bantams’ eggs are perhaps the best, 
rejecting the very small ones as not 
being sufficiently mature to shoot with 
vigour; when planted whole in this 
manner they are less liable to rot, and 
grubs have not so good a chance to 
attack them. Where large quantities 
are required to plant, it will sometimes 
be necessary to cut the larger ones, 
when from two to four eyes should be 
left on each set, and as they are cut 
the severed part should be dusted with 
quicklime, and exposed to the air for 
a day or two to dry before being placed 
in the ground. This being performed, 
and the land thrown into ridges as 
before described, of about nine inches 
depth, the seed or sets may be stationed 
in the furrows, and should then be 
covered with half rotten straw-yard or 
stable manure to half the depth of the 
ridge, returning the mould over so as 
to leave the whole level: the advantage 
of placing the manure on the top of the 
sets is that it protects them from frost, 
should it occur severely, and is in the 
exact place to be of most benefit to 
young roots as soon as they are formed ; 
for it must be remembered, the actual 
set which is planted is no more than 
a germ of the future plant which shoots 
upwards from it, and spreads laterally, 
but never descends, and therefore to 
bury the dung beneath the set is to 
place it where it can be of no benefit. 
As the plants advance in growth, and 
have attained about a foot of stem, the 
earth should be drawn up about them 
with a hoe, repeating the operation as 
they grow three or four times in the 
course of the season, till the laud is 
left in equal ridges, the stem of the 
plant issuing from the top instead of 
being in the furrow as when planted. 
Most of the late kinds of potatoes bloom 
abundantly, and where seed from the 
apple for the production of new varieties 
is not an object, it has been found bene¬ 
ficial to the tubers to remove the flowers, 
inasmuch as the strength of the plant, 
being thus prevented expending itself in 
the natural mode of producing seed, 
is returned to the nourishment of the 
tubers as the only other means of pro¬ 
pagating its species, which, by a wise 
provision of nature, is made to be the 
ultimatum of existence in all created 
matter. 
As the season arrives for taking up 
the several crops, the haulm is usually 
cut off, and the whole of the tubers dug 
up with a fork; it is, however, a good 
plan, especially with the early kinds, 
which are generally wanted for use be¬ 
fore they are quite ripe, to leave a por¬ 
tion to become thoroughly matured, 
that sound seed may be ensured for the 
next season; these may remain till the 
haulm dies naturally, and should then 
be set aside expressly for planting. 
The bulk of the crops intended for 
winter use is generally preserved in 
“ clamps,” but the tubers intended for 
planting should undergo a preparation 
before being stowed. On the due ripen¬ 
ing of these depends much, not only of 
their safe keeping through the winter, 
but also of then’ vigour and health in 
the following growing season, and in 
order to render this as certain as the 
nature of the subject will-permit, they 
should be exposed to the air for some 
weeks until they become green, when 
they may either be clamped or stored 
away in any other manner that will 
keep them perfectly dry, cool, and secure 
from frost. The great art in keeping 
seed-potatoes is to have them in such 
a position that will preserve them in a 
state of perfect dormancy till wanted 
for planting; warmth and moisture must 
therefore be avoided, or they sprout, 
and consequently exhaust themselves. 
