616 Cultivation of Arable Land.—Potatoes.

ting potatoes is probably the mof adapted to thofe forts of foil and fituation ir| which the moifture is apt to be too readily diflipated, as by preferving a level furface it may be more fully preferved in the interftices of fuch porous foils. As the whole of the furface is in this way covered with dung, it is obvious, how- ever, that a confiderably larger proportion of manure will be neceffary, than where it is depofited in the drills only; it muft of courfe be an improper mode in fituations where that article is not eafily procured.

And in the county of Chefter, where this ufeful root is extenfively cultivated, it is moft frequently the cuftom to form the land into narrow beds of about five feet in breadth by the plough, the manure, when neceflary, being previoufly fpread out evenly upon the ground, and turned down. The fets are then planted by means of a dibbling-ftick to the depth of about three inches in rows, ten inches apart, and alternately ten and twelve inches in them, fo as that the root-fhoots of the plants may occupy the ground as completely as poflible with- out interfering with or injuring each other. When the fhoots of the plants firft appear upon the furface, each of the furrows or divifions between the beds is dug out to the depth of about one fpit; the loofe earth thus raifed being caft as evenly as poflible over the plants in the beds, by which they, as well as any weeds that may have fprung up, are covered, and the growth of the former greatly promoted, while the latter are in a great meafure deftroyed. And in cafes where the ftaple of the land will admit of it, in about a week or ten days afterwards a fecond covering is dug out and thrown over the crop in the fame manner, by which its growth is ftill farther promoted. In this mode of plant- ing, as much frefh earth is from time to time applied to the plants, their vi- gorous vegetation is not only fecured, but the extenfion of the roots rendered more full and complete. As a quantity of frefh earth is thus annually furnifhed for the growth and fupport of the potatoe, it is aflerted that repeated crops may be taken from the fame land, even where manure is not made ufe of, with- out its being exhaufted in any great degree*. It may therefore be had ree courfe to with advantage where manure cannot be eafily procured. And from its being well fuited to the keeping of the foil dry, it may be well adapted to {uch lands as are inclined too much to the retention of moifture for the perfe& growth of potatoe crops.

Where this fort of crop is planted upon fward-land, it has been recommended by an intelligent cultivator, after the land has been prepared by the ufe of a

* Commercial and Agricultural Magazine, vol. I. p. 76