Cultivation of Arable Land.— Potatoes. 619

But as much injury muft conftantly be done to the fhoots of the plants in the operation of taking them up, and as roots’ of the potatoe kind feldom grow very well after being removed, it is probable that fuch a method of planting can {carcely ever be adopted with advantage,,except in filling up the rows when defective, or in procuring more early crops, whether in the field or garden culture of the root.

In whatever method potatoe crops are put into the earth, experience fhews that it is neceflary that care be taken not to plant the fets to too great a depth, as the potatoe has a conftant tendency to rife towards the furface; four or five inches is moftly fufficient in all the drier forts of foil, and in thofe of the more moift and heavy nature lefs may be proper.

There is another circumftance that deferves great attention in the planting of this moft ufeful vegetable; which is that of the fets, of whatever kind they may be, being depofited in or covered by fuch mold as is ina fine ftate of mellow- nefs and pulverifation: as, where the earth by which they are furrounded is ina lumpy and unbroken condition, the crops are never fo fine or produétive. In proof of this, a ftriking fa&t has been recorded by a correfpondent of the Board of Agriculture, who, on viewing a crop of about three quarters of an acre, planted by a gardener of the name of Watt, near Leicefter, remarked that an eighth-part of it was at leaft fix inches higher than the other part. On enquiry it was found that the land, which was of an equal quality throughout, was all prepared by digging in the fame manner, had an equal proportion of manure applied to it, the fets being of the fame fort, and moft of them planted the fame day; the only difference being, that on the part in which the crop was the moft full and luxuriant, the planting was performed in drills made by a hand-hoe about a foot afunder, while the other, by accident, were put in by the dibble at the fame diftance. The fuperiority of the drilled over the dibbled part was eafily perceptible during the whole of the fummer, and to the period of taking the crop up, when it was nearly a foot higher in the ftem, and about a month earlier, fome of the dibbled being taken up at the fame time, in order to fhew the difference. The whole was hoed three times in the fame manner,during the fummer; and when taken up, on comparing the different crops, the drilled was found to produce a quarter more than the dibbled. Befides, the potatoes were larger, and nearly a month earlier, both which are advantages of confider- able importance*.

Jt has alfo been fuggefted as neceflary, where potatoes are planted in rows on

¥ Englith Encyclopedia, art, Husbandry.