5315. The quantity of sets depends on the size of the potatoes; in general, where the sets are sufficiently large, from eight to ten cwt, will be required for an acre: more than ten for yams, and fewer than eight cwť. for the early nonsuch and ash-leaved.

5316. The modes of planting the potato are various.

5317. Where spade culture is employed, they are very frequently planted on beds (provincially lazy-beds), of four or six feet wide, with a trench or gutter of a foot or eighteen inches in width between, which supplies soil for earthing up the potatoes. This is the rudest mode of planting and cultivating potatoes, and unworthy of being imitated either on a farm or in a garden. The next mode is planting on a plain surface, either with or without manure, according to the state of the soil. Here the sets are placed in rows, with a distance of from eighteen inches to two feet and a half between the rows according to the kind of potato, and from four to nine inches in the rows. In planting, a hole for each set is made by a man with a spade, while a woman or boy drops the set, and the earth is replaced; or the potato dibber is used, and the ground afterwards slightly harrowed. Another mode of planting on a plain surface, when the soil is inclined to be dry, is in some cases practised, which is, after the land has been brought into a proper condition by ploughing over twice or oftener and well harrowed, to spread the manure regularly over the whole surface, the sets being planted in every third furrow, and the dung with the fine earth turned upon them by the next furrow of the plough. In this way the manure is however placed upon the sets, which has on experiment been fully shown to be injurious to the produce. Besides, from the whole of the surface of the ground being covered with dung, a considerably larger proportion must be requisite than when deposited only in the drills, and of course the crop cannot be cultivated to advantage in that respect.

5318. In planting the potato on sward land, after it has been prepared by the use of a plough that just pares off the surface and deposits it in the furrow, it is advised by Somerville to place the sets upon the inverted sod, and cover them with the loose mould from below by means of a common plough; or the trench plough may be used with perhaps more advantage; but a better method is that of paring and burning. In some cases the practice is, however, to turn down the turf with or without manure, and then to put in the sets by a dibble; though the former is probably the better practice, as the turfy material on which the sets are put soon begins to decay, and the purpose of a manure is in some measure answered by it. It is a plan that may be adopted with advantage where manure is scarce, as in bringing waste and other coarse grass lands into the state of preparation for grain crops.

5319. A mode of planting potatoes and at the same time trenching the land, is practised in Lancashire, and in some districts in the north-east of Scotland. The farmer having carried the dung, and laid it on the field in heaps, at proper distances, the operation is performed by the manufacturers and people who rent the field, and in the following manner-Across the end of the ridge a trench is formed, about three feet wide, and from ten to fourteen inches deep, according to the depth and quality of the subsoil. That being done, a second trench of the same breadth is marked off, and the surface-soil, to the depth of six or eight inches, is thrown into the bottom of the former trench, over which a sufficient quantity of dung being laid, the potatoes are planted at the distance of eight or ten inches from each other, and then as much earth is taken from the bottom of the second trench as is necessary for covering the potato sets, and making up the first trench to its former level Thus the field being completely trenched, well manured, and kept thoroughly clean by repeated hand-hoeings, must not only produce an abundant crop of potatoes, but must also be in high condition for receiving whatever kind of seed may be after.

wards sown.

5320. The mode of planting potatoes practised by the best farmers of the northern districts, is in drills formed by the plough in the same manner as in preparing the land for turnips. The soil is laid up into ridgelets from twenty-seven to thirty inches broad, the manure is distributed between them, and on this manure the sets are placed from four to eight inches asunder: they are then covered by reversing the ridgelets.

5321. The planting of early potatoes is carried to a very high degree of perfection in Lancashire. It is stated in The Lancashire Agricultural Report, in respect to the raising of seed potatoes, that upon the same ground from which a crop has already been taken, the early seed-potatoes are in some places afterwards planted; which, after being got up about November, are immediately cut up into sets, and pre. served in oat husks or saw-dust, where they remain till March, when they are planted, after having had one sprout taken off, which is also planted. The sprouts are of a length sufficient to appear above ground in the space of a week. But the most approved method is, to cut the sets, and put them on a room-floor, where a strong current of air can be introduced at pleasure, the sets laid thinner, as about two layers in depth, and covered with the like materials (chaff or saw-dust) about two inches thick: this screens them from the winter frosts, and keeps them moderately warm, causing them to vegetate; but at the same time admits air to strengthen them, and harden their shoots, which the cultivators improve by opening the doors and windows on every opportunity afforded by mild soft weather. They frequently examine them; and when the shoots are sprung an inch and a half, or two inches, they carefully remove one half of their covering, with a wooden rake, or with the hands, taking care not to disturb or break the shoots. Light is requisite, as well as air, to strengthen and establish the shoots; on which account a green-house has the advantage of a room, but a room answers very well with a good window or two in it, and if to the sun still better. In this manner they suffer them to remain till the planting season, giving them all the air possible by the doors and windows, when it can be done with safety from frost: by this method the shoots at the top become green, leaves are sprung, and are moderately hardy. They then plant them in rows, in the usual method, with a setting-stick; and carefully fill up the cavities made by the setting.stick; by this method they are enabled to bear a little frost without injury. The earliest potato is the superfine white kidney; from this sort, upon the same ground, have been raised four crops, having sets from the repo sitory ready to put in as soon as the others were taken up; and a fifth crop is sometimes raised from the same lands, the same year, of transplanted winter lettuce. The first crop had the advantage of a covering in frosty nights. It is remarked that this useful information was communicated by J. Blundell, Ormskirk, and has hitherto been known only among a very few farmers

5322. In the western parts of Lancashire the early potato is cultivated in the fields in warm situations, and brought to market in the end of May and during June. The chief sorts there grown for this purpose are, the lady's finger, or early Rufford kidney, and the carly round potato. The cultivators, aware that the buds from the root and top end of the tuber germinate at different periods, assort their sets in the following manner:-The sets near the top end (fig. 747. a) are found to come to maturity a fortnight 747

earlier than those at the root end (d); and these, therefore, form two classes of sets
for an earlier and a later crop. The sets from the middle (b, c,) are put together
for an intermediate crop. The sets are planted in the month of March or beginning
of April, in drills of twenty-four drills in twenty yards, in the following manner:-
After the drills are formed (fig. 748. a), loose earth is brushed with a spade or
harrowed down, to the depth of six inches, in the interval between them (b);
dung is then placed over this loose earth, to the depth of four or five inches (c);
the potato sets of the earliest degree (fig. 747. a) are then laid on the manure,
at four or five inches apart, for the early crop, and sets of the second degree
(fig. 747. b.), at from six to eight inches apart, for later crops; and so on. The
sets for the early crop are then covered with a spade, to the depth of two inches,
and subsequently covered, at two or three different times, to the depth of about
five inches. The second and third crops are usually covered with the plough,

Some lay the potatoes intended for plants early in the year, before they are wanted to be cut, loose and

748

separate in straw, or on warm boarded floors; and others put them on flakes or frames, in warm situations near the fire, for the same purpose, in order that they may sprout; and when so sprouted to the length of half an inch or an inch, they are then carefully cut as described, assorted, and planted. (Gard. Mag. vol. i. p. 407.)

5323. In the north of Lancashire the potatoes are removed from their winter quarters in the last week of January, and spread out on a floor or placed on shelves in a room where a fire is kept, or in an upper room of a warm house. On the 2d of February they are covered with a blanket or woollen cloth for about four weeks, which is then taken off in order to harden the sprouts. Towards the latter end of March the sprouts will be found about two inches long, and, if they are carefully set, the potatoes will be ready in seven or eight weeks afterwards. Some bring the sets forward by spreading them out and slightly covering them with light mould under the stage or on the shelves of a greenhouse, or in a cucumber frame, or in a loft over a stable or cow-house. (Gard. Mag. vol. ii. P. 48.)

5324. In Denbighshire the early potatoes cultivated are the Foxley, the Nelson, and the Rufford kidney. Potatoes intended for sets the following year are taken up before they are ripe, just when the outer skin peels off, and before the stalk or stem begins to wither; they are then laid upon a gravel walk, or any dry surface fully exposed to the sun; they remain in that situation for a month or six weeks, when they become quite green and soft, as if roasted, and often much shrivelled; they are then put away in a cellar or pit, where they will remain dry, and neither invaded by frost nor much heat. In February they are examined, and every eye being then generally found full of long sprouts, they are fit to be planted. The tubers are therefore cut, seldom into more than two sets, viz. the eye or top part, which is planted by itself, and found to come a fortnight earlier; and the root or bottom part, which succeed them. (Gard. Mag. vol. ii. p. 172.)

5325. In gardens in the south of England potatoes are planted in a warm border from the first week of October, till the latter end of November. They are placed nine or ten inches under the surface, and well covered with dung. About the latter end of March they begin to appear above the surface, when the ground is deeply hacked with a mattock, and made very loose about the plants; then in a fortnight or three weeks move the surface again, but the plants need not be earthed up unless they are very much exposed to the wind, when a little may be drawn about them to keep them steady. By this method fine ash-leaved kidney potatoes may be gathered by the 12th or 15th of May, even in situations not very favourable for early crops, and nearly three weeks earlier than they can be gathered from sets planted in the same situation in the latter end of February; and if ordinary care is taken in planting, no danger need be apprehended from the frost. (Gard, Mag. vol. vi. p. 59.) Every farmer knows that, among the corn raised after a crop of potatoes, potato plants will be found which can only have sprung from tubers preserved there all the winter, in consequence of having been buried by the plough deeper than the frost could reach. It is evident, therefore, that this garden mode of raising a crop of early potatoes might be adopted in the field, more especially where the soil was dry; but the success would depend entirely on the deep pronging or grubbing of the soil between the rows early in spring. This might be done to the same degree of perfection as in the garden by the excellent implements of Wilkie or Kirkwood. (2656, and

4955.)

5326. In Cornwall early potatoes are planted in October, spring up a few weeks afterwards, are ready before the autumnal frost stops their growth, and the soil being covered with litter to exclude the frost, they are begun to be used about the end of December, and continue in use till May, when they are suc ceeded by the spring planted crops. Of late years Covent Garden market has received supplies of early potatoes from Cornwall, treated in the above manner. (Gard. Mag. vols. ii. v. vi.) Early potatoes, when they first come through the ground, are liable to be injured by spring frosts; but there is an easy and effectual remedy to every cultivator who will take the trouble- and that is to water them, so as to thaw off the frost before sunrise. In Ayrshire, where even late potatoes are liable to this injury, acres are sometimes so watered on a single farm; all the hands being called to business by the break of day, and the water being sprinkled on the young sprouts, from vessels of any sort, by means of a handful of straw. A garden-pot and rose would of course answer better.

5327. The after culture of potatoes consists in harrowing, hoeing, weeding, and earthing up.

A

5328. All potatoes require to be earthed up, that is, to have at least one inch in depth of earth heaped on their roots, and extending six or eight inches round their stem. The reason of this is, that the tubers do not, properly speaking, grow under the soil, but rather on, or just partially bedded in, its surface. coating of earth, therefore, is found, by preserving a congenial moisture, greatly to promote their growth and magnitude, as well as to improve their quality, by preventing the potatoes from becoming green on the side next the light. The earth may be thrown up from the trenches between the beds by the spade; or, where the potatoes are planted in rows, the operation may be performed with a small plough, drawn by one horse, or by the hoe. In Scotland, where the potato is extensively cultivated by the farmer, as food for cattle as well as man, the plough is universally used. In Ireland, where the bed, or lazy-bed, manner is adopted, the earth is thrown up from the intervening trenches. The hoe is generally used by market-gardeners.

5329. The after-culture, where potatoes are planted in ridgelets, as above described (5319.), commences when the plants begin to rise above the surface. They are then harrowed across, and afterwards the horse hoe, or small hoeing plough, and the hand-hoe are repeatedly employed in the intervals, and between the plants, as long as the progress of the crop will permit, or the state of the soil may require. The earth is then gathered once, or oftener, from the middle of the intervals towards the roots of the plants, after which any weeds that may be left must be drawn out by hand; for when the radicles have extended far in search of food, and the young roots begin to form, neither the horse nor hand-hoe can be admitted without injury.

5350. The after-culture adopted in some parts of Devonshire is somewhat singular, and deserves to be noticed. The sets are there generally cut with three eyes, and deposited at the depth of three inches with the spade or dibber: when the first shoot is three inches high, prepare a harrow with thorns inter. woven between the tines, and harrow the ground over till all the weeds are destroyed, and not a shoot of the potatoes left. It may seem strange that such an apparent destruction of a crop should cause an increase; but it may be affirmed as an incontestable fact, that by this means the produce becomes more abundant. The reason appears to be this: although three eyes are left to a piece of potato, one always vegetates before the others, and the first shoot is always single; that being broken off, there is for the present a cessation of vegetation. The other eyes then begin to vegetate, and there appear fresh shoots from the broken eye; so that the vegetation is trebled, the earth made loose, and the lateral shoots more freely expanded. If these hints are observed, the produce of potatoes, it is said, will exceed a fifth of the crop obtained by the usual mode of cultivation.

5331. The culture of potatoes in the district of Kintyre is thus given by an intelligent writer in the Transactions of the Highland Society.

5332. The land is generally ploughed as early in spring as possible, and that at least twice. In cases where the two ploughings do not sufficiently pulverise the ground, it receives a third, and after every ploughing is well harrowed. The greatest attention ought always to be given to these preparatory operations.

5333. The ground being now prepared, and the season for planting arrived, drills are made for receiving the seed with the common plough; these are drawn about two feet asunder, and three inches in depth. The first seven of them are all drawn from one end of the field, the plough returning out of work from the other end, in order to afford time and room for the operation of putting in the seed, and also the dung, where this last operation is rendered necessary. By the time the ploughman has drawn three of these shallow drills or furrows, the persons in charge of the seed begin to plant the first of them, laying each plant at a distance of from nine to ten inches; these are followed by others who put the dung on the top of it, in the case already mentioned, where the manure is to be put into the drill. The ploughman, having completed seven of these drills, may now proceed to return, by ploughing to the depth of seven inches between the first and second drills, so as to cover the seed in the first. He then opens another of the shallow drills of three inches, at the distance of two feet, as before mentioned, from the last which he had made, being the seventh; and returning back, he makes another of the seven inch deep furrows between the second and third rows of seed, which covers the second: returning, he opens another seed-drill; and back again a deep one, between the third and fourth rows of seed, which covers the third row; and so on from each end of the field. In this manner the drilling and planting will proceed, without any interruption or interference the one with the other, the plough having at first attained a sufficient distance from the planters to have always a drill open before they can overtake it. The great advantage of placing the seed so much nearer the surface than the deeper furrow alongside of it is, that it is more effectually preserved from the bad effects of wet or damp, consequently less liable to be injured by frost, and it springs

sooner.

5334. In this state the field is allowed to remain from a fortnight to three weeks, when it is cross harrowed to a perfect level. Afterwards, as soon as the drills can be distinguished by the potatoes shooting above the ground, the plough is again applied, and the drills are formed as before; but in doing so, the plough is taken as close as possible to the plant upon both sides; on one side the plough is lightly put in, but on the other it is inserted as deep as possible, throwing the soil over on its neighbouring row of seed, filling up the vacuum which the plough had previously left at it, and forming at the same time a ridge, as it was originally, on the top of the plant. What is thus ploughed in the forenoon is cross harrowed com pletely level during the same afternoon. The great advantage which I apprehend to be derived from this process is the loosening of the soil, destroying the weeds, and the saving of hand-hoeing. I am satisfied, from my own particular experience and observation, that this mode of treating the young growth of the potato is far preferable to any other I have seen practised, either here or elsewhere, however forbidding the rough usage thus given to the young plant may appear to one inexperienced in this particular mode of cultivating it.

5335. As soon as the weeds begin to appear, the plough is again introduced, which, in the idiom of this country, is called "taking from the potatoes," which is done by running pretty close to the plant on both sides, so that a slight ridge is thrown up between the line of plants; and in this situation they remain for eight days, when the plant is "put to" by again applying the plough between the rows, and separating the earth composing the middle ridge above mentioned, towards the plant on each side, but without covering it. After this, the process of putting to" of earth is continued as the plant grows, and takes place at least twice, until the stems are so high that a single horse going among them may seriously injure them. The "putting to" will now be understood as a deeper insertion of the plough in the middle of the drill. The whole of the labour of ploughing, drilling, "taking from," and "putting to" the potatoes, as above described, is performed with the common plough." (Highl. Soc. Trans, vol. viii. p. 68.)

5336. The field culture of the potato in Argyleshire is thus given by an experienced cultivator in the Gardener's Magazine. The manure is sometimes applied to the field during winter and ploughed in, or it is by the better economists reserved till the field is drilled for planting. When the first plan is adopted, another ploughing is given across the field, which is then planted, the plough going one bout along the furrow of which the set is placed, and then covered by the return of the plough. The best way is to prepare the field in the same way as for turnips, and place the dung in the drill, and the set on it (fig. 749. a), and 749

d

f

then cover them up by clearing down the ridgelet, and forming others (b): a fortnight or so afterwards, the whole field is harrowed across (c). As soon as the plants have so far sprouted as that the drill can safely be traced from end to end (d), then the whole field is drilled again, as at first, with a very strong furrow (e), and then the harrows are set immediately to work after the plough has finished drilling, and the field is levelled again (ƒ). Any one that is unacquainted with the system would suppose the crop ruined, but it is far otherwise. The after-culture is no way different from the common practice of paring away the earth, drill harrowing, and earthing up, as in other countries. It is advisable only to pare or earth, as the case may be, one side of the drill at each turn; as, by this means, the operations are sooner performed at the time, the earth can be more frequently stirred, and at the same expense. The charm of this system consists in the additional drilling up and harrowing down; by this harrowing, all the larger clods are thrown to the furrow, where they are fully pulverised by the drill harrow and after culture, and all the weeds are so effectually drawn from between the plants that there is no use of hand-hoeing The expense may be cal culated at less than a third of hand-hoeing, from the effect and expedition; of course, dry weather is the time for the second drilling and cross harrowing to be performed. (Gard. Mag. vol. ii. p. 316.)

5337. Pinching off the whole of the potato blossoms is a part of after-culture not unworthy the attention of the farmer. This may at first sight appear too minute a matter to enter into the economy of farm management. But when it is considered that the seed is the essential part of every plant, and that to which the ultimate efforts of nature are always directed, it will be allowed that an important part of the nourishment of every vegetable must be devoted to this purpose. In the case of the potato, every person knows that the weight of the potato-apples, grown by a single plant, is very considerable. Now we have seen (5304.) that apples may be produced instead of tubers in early potatoes; whence it may justly be inferred, that more tubers may be produced in late ones by preventing the growth of the apples. Such was the reasoning of Knight; and, by repeatedly making the experiment, he came to this conclusion, that in ordinary cases of field culture, by pinching off the blossoms of late crops of potatoes, more than one ton

per acre of additional tubers will be produced. The experiments are related in the second volume of The Horticultural Transactions, and the practice is similar to one common among the growers of bulbous roots in Holland, as alluded to by Dr. Darwin, who also recommends its application to the potato. A woman or boy will crop the blossoms from an acre of potatoes in a day, or even in less time, when the crop is not excessively luxuriant.

5338. The taking of the crop of potatoes on a small scale is generally performed with the spade or three-pronged fork; but under judicious farm management, and the row culture, by the common plough.

5339. The coulter is removed and the plough goes first along one side of all the ridgelets of a ridge, or any convenient breadth, and then, when the potatoes so brought to view are gathered by women placed at proper distances, it returns and goes along the other side. When the land is somewhat moist, or of a tenacious quality, the furrow-slice does not give out the roots freely, and a harrow which follows the plough is commonly employed to break it and separate them from the mould. Various contrivances have been resorted to for this purpose. A circular harrow or break, of very recent invention, to be attached to the plough, has been found to answer the purpose well, and to effect a considerable saving of labour. machine for taking up and collecting potatoes is said to have been invented by Mr. Michael Barry of Swords near Dublin; but though we have written to that gentleman, we have been unable to procure a description or drawing of his invention.

A

5340. A mode of taking part of a crop suited to cottagers and others, especially in years of scarcity, deserves to be mentioned. Having ascertained that some of the tubers have attained an eatable size, go along the rows and loosen the earth about each plant with a blunt stick, taking two or three of the largest tubers from each and returning the earth carefully. By keeping the edge of the blunt spatula or spade perpendicular to the main stem of the plant, the flat side will be parallel to the radiating roots, by which means they will be comparatively little injured. By this means both an early supply, and the advantage of two crops, may be obtained; for the tubers which remain will increase in size, having now the nourishment destined to complete the growth of those removed.

5341. Potatoes intended for seed should be taken up a fortnight or three weeks before being fully ripe, for reasons that have been given in treating of early potatoes, and will be recurred to in treating of the diseases of this plant. The ill shaped, small, bruised, or diseased tubers should be laid aside, and the fairest and best dried in the sun, spread on a cellar or loft floor, and covered with ashes, or chaff of sufficient thickness to keep out the frost. In this state they may remain till wanted for cutting. Some persons in Ireland plant potatoes from which they intend to procure sets extremely late, namely, the first week in July. The produce consequently never attains the same degree of size or ripeness as that of an earlier planted crop.

What

5342. Potatoes are stored and preserved in houses, cellars, pits, pies, and camps. ever mode is adopted, it is essential that the tubers be perfectly dry, otherwise they are certain of rotting, and a few rotten potatoes will contaminate a whole mass.

5343. The most effectual mode, and that which is generally adopted, consists in putting them into close houses, and covering them well up with dry straw. In some parts of Scotland it is a common practice to dig pits in the potato field, when the soil is dry and light, and, putting in potatoes to the depth of three or four feet, to lay a little dry straw over them, and then cover them up with earth, so deep that no frosts can affect them. Another method, which is practised in England as well as Scotland, is to put them together in heaps, and cover them up with straw, in the manner of preserving turnips, with this addition, that the heaps are afterwards well covered with earth, and so closely packed together as to exclude frost. The farmers in Lancashire in the course of taking them up sort and separate their potatoes according to their sizes, and are particularly careful to throw aside all those that are spoiled before raising, or that are cut in the taking up. This is a very necessary and proper precaution (although by no means generally attended to), as the crop must have a much better chance for keeping, than when diseased or cut potatoes are stored up with it. It is also of great advantage to have the work performed in a dry season, as the potatoes seldom keep well when taken up wet, or when placed in any sort of repository for keeping while in that

state.

5344. Potato pies, as they are called, are recommended by Young as the best mode in which potatoes can be stored. A trench, one foot deep and six wide, is dug, and the earth cleanly shovelled out, and laid on one side, and on the bottom of the trench is laid over them a bedding of straw. One-horse carts shoot down the potatoes into the trench; and women pile them up about three feet high, in the shape of a house roof. Straw is then carefully laid over them six or eight inches thick, and covered with earth a foot thick, neatly smoothed by flat strokes of the spade. In this method he never lost any by the severest frosts; but in cases of its freezing with uncommon severity, another coat of straw over all gives absolute security. These pies when opened should each be quite cleared, or they are liable to depredation. To receive one at a time, besides also being at first filled for immediate use, he has a house that holds about 700 bushels, formed of posts from fir plantations with wattled sides, against which is laid a layer of straw, and against the sides exteriorly earth six feet thick at the bottom and eighteen inches at top; the roof flat, with a stack of beans upon it. This he has found frost-tight. The beans keep out the weather, he says, and yet admit any steam which rises from the roots, which, if it did not escape, would rot them.

5345. Several other modes of preserving potatoes are in use in different places. In Rutlandshire, Marshal says, the method of laying up potatoes is universally that of camping them; a method somewhat similar to the above, but which requires to be described. Camps are shallow pits, filled and ridged up as a roof with potatoes; which are covered up with the excavated mould of the pit. This is a happy mean, he thinks, between burying them in deep pits and laying them upon the surface. Camps are of various sizes; being too frequently made in a long square form like a corn-rick, and of a size proportioned to the quantity to be laid up. It has, however, been found by experience, that when the quantity is large, they are liable to heat and spoil; much damage having sometimes been sustained by this imprudence. Experienced campers hold that a camp should not be more than three feet wide; four feet are perhaps as wide as it can be made with propriety, proportioning the length to the quantity; or, if this is very large, forming a range of short ones by the side of each other. The usual depth is a foot. The bottom of the trench being bedded with dry straw, the potatoes are deposited, ridging them up as in measuring them with a bushel. On each side of the roof long wheat straw is laid, neatly and evenly, as thatch; and over this the mould raised out of the trench is evenly spread; making the surface firm and smooth with the back of the spade. A coat of coal ashes is sometimes spread over the mould, as a still better guard against frost. It is needless to observe that a camp should have a dry situation; and that the roots ought to be deposited in as dry a state as possible. These camps are tapped at the end, some bavins, or a quantity of loose straw, being thrust close in the open end, as a bung or safeguard. As it is a matter of the highest importance to preserve this root without spoiling during the whole year, it has been suggested, that the best method yet discovered for keeping potatoes sound for the longest period, is to spread them on a dry floor early in the spring, and to rub off the eyes occasionally, as they appear to have a tendency to push out; by using these precautions, Donaldson has frequently seen potatoes kept in good condition till the month of June.

5346. In Canada and Russia the potato is preserved in boxes in houses or cellars, heated when necessary to a temperature one or two degrees above the freezing point by stoves. (Farm. Mag, vol. xx. p. 449.)

5347. To keep potatoes any length of time, the most effectual way is to place them in thin layers on a platform suspended in an ice cellar. There the temperature being always below that of active vegetation, they will not sprout; while not being above one or two degrees below the freezing point, the tubers will not be frost bitten. Another mode is to scoop out the eyes with a very small scoop, and keep the roots buried in earth. A third mode is to destroy the vital principle by kiln-drying, steaming, or scalding. A fourth mode is to bury them so deep in dry soil that no change of temperature will reach them, and consequently, being without air, they will remain upwards of a year without vegetating.

5348. The produce of the potato varies from five to eight, and sometimes ten or twelve tons per acre; the greatest produce is from the yam, which has been known to produce twelve tons or 480 bushels per acre. The haulm is of no use but as manure, and is sometimes burned for that purpose, being slow of rotting.

5349. The most important application of the potato crop is as human food; on this it is unnecessary to enlarge.

5350. Einhoff found mealy potatoes to contain twenty-four per cent. of their weight of nutritive matter, and rye seventy parts: consequently, sixty-four and a half measures of potatoes afford the same nourish. ment as twenty-four measures of rye. A thousand parts of potato yielded to Sir H. Davy from 200 to 260 parts of nutritive matter, of which from 155 to 200 were mucilage or starch, fifteen to twenty sugar, and thirty to forty gluten. Now, supposing an acre of potatoes to weigh nine tons, and one of wheat one ton, which is about the usual proportion; then as 1000 parts of wheat afford 950 nutritive parts, and 1000 of potato say 230, the quantity of nutritive matter afforded by an acre of wheat and potatoes will be nearly as nine to four; so that an acre of potatoes will supply more than double the quantity of human food afforded by an acre of wheat. The potato is perhaps the only root grown in Britain which may be eaten every day in the year without satiating the palate, and the same thing can only be said of the West India yam and bread fruit They are, therefore, the only substitute that can be used for bread with any degree of success; and indeed they often enter largely into the composition of the best loaf bread without at all injuring either its nutritive qualities or flavour. (Edin. Encyc. art. Baking.) In the answer by Dr. Tissot to M. Linquet, the former objects to the constant use of potatoes as food, not because they are pernicious to the body, but because they hurt the faculties of the mind. He owns that those who eat maize, potatoes, or even millet, may grow tall and acquire a large size; but doubts if any such ever produced a literary work of merit. It does not, however, by any means appear that the very general use of potatoes in our own country has at all impaired either the health of body or vigour of mind of its inhabitants.

5351. The manufacture of potato flour is carried on to a considerable extent in the neighbourhood of Paris, and the flour is sold at a price considerably higher than that of wheat, for the use of confectioners and for bakers who prepare the finer sorts of bread. The potatoes are washed and grated, and the starch separated from the pulp so obtained by filtration; it is dried on shelves in a room heated by a flue, and afterwards broken on a floor by passing a cast iron roller over it. It is then passed through a bolting machine and put up in sacks for sale. The most complete manufactory in the neighbourhood of Paris in 1829 was that of M. Delisle at Bondy. (Gard. Mag, vol. vi.) Most of the operations there are performed by a steam engine attended by children. It is reported by the Count de Chabrol, in his Statistical Account of Paris, that 40,000 tons of potatoes are annually manufactured into flour within a circle of eight leagues around that city.

5352. The quantity of farina which potatoes produce varies not only according to the species, but according to the period when the extraction takes place. The variations produced by this last cause are nearly as follows:-Two hundred and forty pounds of potatoes produce of farina, or potato flour, in

The extraction of the farina should be discontinued at the period when the potatoes begin to grow, the farina being destroyed by germination. Red potatoes produce a smaller quantity of farina. Those which are blue on the outside give little, but it is of good quality; the white, which is often tinged with red in the interior, is the least proper for this extraction. The best of all is that which has a yellow tint, as its farina is of very good quality, and abundant. (Hygie de Bruxelles.)

5353. Potato flour is made into bread in a very simple manner. Its adhesive tendency does not admit of baking or kneading unmixed with meal or wheaten flour; but it may be made into cakes in the following manner: A small wooden frame nearly square is laid on a flat pan like a frying-pan; this frame is grooved, and so constructed, that, by means of a presser or lid introduced into the groove, the cake is at once fashioned according to the dimensions of the mould. The frame containing the farina may be almost immediately withdrawn after the mould is formed upon the pan; because, from the consistency imparted to the incipient cake by the heat, it will speedily admit of being safely handled. It must not, however, be fired too hastily, otherwise it is apt to become unpleasantly hard and unfit for mastication. This precautionary measure being observed, it will be found, that, where thoroughly ready, the bread of potato flour, even unaided by any foreign ingredient, will eat very palatably. It might thus, from time to time, be soaked for puddings, like the tapioca; or it might be used like the cassada-cake, which in appearance and quality it so much resembles; that is, when well buttered and toasted, it will make an excellent breakfast appendage. (Quar. Journ. Agr. vol. ii. p. 69.)

5354. The meal of potatoes may be preserved for years closely packed in barrels, or unground in the form of slices; these slices having been previously cooked or dried by steam, as originally suggested by Forsyth, of Edinburgh. (Encyc. Brit.) Some German philosophers have also proposed to freeze the potato, by which the feculent matter is separated from the starch, and the latter being then dried and compressed, may be preserved for any length of time, or exported with ease to any distance. (Annalen des Ackerbaues, vol. iii. s. 389.)

5355. The manufacture of tapioca from potatoes is thus given in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. The potatoes selected are thoroughly washed, after which they are grated in a machine constructed for the purpose. The parts thus reduced or grated fall into a vessel placed underneath. From this vessel they are removed, and strained into a tub. On the juice being well expressed for the first time, the fibrous matter is set apart, and cold clean water is thrown over them. These fibres are again put through the same strainer, till the whole of the substance is collected, when they are finally cast aside. On this being done, the contents of the tub, now in a state of mucilage or starch, are allowed to settle. A reasonable interval being suffered to elapse, the old water is poured gently off, and fresh water supplied. After this process of fining and washing, the blanched matter is passed through a smaller strainer.

5356. The affals are separated. The starch becomes now much whiter; still fresh water is abundantly dashed over it. When by frequent ablution the surface of this vegetable mass is rendered quite smooth and clean, it is filtrated a third and last time.

5357. The strainer now used is of very fine texture, so that no improper or accidental admixture may interfere. As soon as the starch, thus purified, has firmly subsided, it is spread on a board, and exposed to the open air. The damp speedily evaporates, on which it is, as a security for cleanliness, put through a

sieve.