162

₰

ire Report; but to render which, if poſſible, more

herewith ſent of the potatoe, marked out previous tion, and afterwards ſections of ſets. Some may object to the great waſte of only making one ſingle ſet out of one potatoe; dut of what confideration is a fmall addition of ſeed to an abundant crop thereby gained 7

Taking the potatoe up, according to the ufual proceſs, is a tedious and expenſive piece of buſineſs, and cold work, eſpecially in wet ſeaſons. In the autumn of 1794, the weather was very unfavourable; many potatoes periſhed before they were taken out of the ground: both men and women were frequently ſeen at work upon wet lands ancle-deep. Schemes have been deviſed to facilitate and expedite this work; amongſt which the fol- lowing implement, made nearly in the form of a plough with three ſtrong iron prongs fixed to it, which works through the centers of the drills where the potatoes grow; but this inſtrument requires three horſes to draw it, a holder to direct it, a driver of the horſes, and another perſon to clear away the weeds and ſtems of the potatoes, which would otherwiſe continually choak the inſtrument, and retard its progreſs; and after this proceſs, many potatoes would yet remain in the ground, and uncovered with earth.

Mr. Harper's drill-plough has performed this work in a ſtyle much better than the above-noticed inſtrument, in the following manner: The culter muſt be removed, and the ſmaller ſhare only applied. The toothed wing, or dray-boy(n), mult be fixed on the right fide of the end of the beam, fo that the horſe may go up the interval betwixt the drills, and the plough up the vVery center of the drills, with the ſfhare under the growing potatoes; by which the drill is ſplit in the middle, a furrow thrown each way, and the principal part of the potatoes laid bare. This operation muſt be followed by gatherers with baſkets, and cleaners with a three-pronged fork, to lay bare what may yet remain, and to collect the weeds and ſtems into heaps.

No more ſhould be uncovered than what can nearly be collected, leſt rain or froſt ſhould happen. One horſe is ſufficient for this work, with a man to hold the plough; but without a driver. Upon a calculation made of the work done in a certain ſpace of time, the expence of horſe, ploughman, gatherers,&c. compared with the uſual proceſs of taking up by the three- pronged fork, there appeared a faving in favour of the plough of not leſs than one fourth..

The manner of depoſiting the potatoe in repofitories during the winter ſeaſon, has already been defcribed in the Laucafhire Keport, and again in

explained in the Lancaſh

ligible, drawin

(7) Here again is a puzzling word: in the Scotch Cyclopedia it is called zmnazle; in the Engliſh, does not ſeem noticed; in Lancafhire, the provincial word is buck: a kind of cat- head, to alter the line of draught to take more or leſs land.

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