Cultivation of Potatoes

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                   Cultivation of Potatoes.

    The Bath Agriculture, &c. Society, have published
an account of a new mode of cultivating potatoes from
the shoots only, which they received, authenticated in
the fullest manner and on the most respectable authori-
ties, from Ireland, and which goes to prove, that the
crops raised from shoots, have been greater and better
in quality than the crops raised the same season from
whole potatoes and cuttings in similar soils, and on e-
qual quantities of land; and from the calculations made
in Ireland in favour of this practice, a national saving
in that kingdom is apparent of 1 875, 000 barrels of
seed potatoes for feeding different kind of stock.
    In general the mode is, on opening the potatoe
stores in the spring, to strip off the shoots or runners
which are found on them, and if longer than five or six
inches, to reduce them to about that length, by cutting
or division. The quantity is accumulated at pleasure,
by laying them in small heaps, lightly covered with
mould to preserve them fresh, till the planter chuses to
plant them. They have been usefully planted in small
drills, opened by different implements, about six in-
ches deep, in ground properly prepared. Some have
set them perpendicular others have laid them horizon-
tally in the drills, at the distance of about 12 inches
from each other, lightly covered with some suitable
manure; and then by hoe or plough, returned the
earth over them in a ridge; some have completely co-
vered the shoots, others have suffered them to rise a
little above ground. The time of planting have varied,
for the purpose of experiment, and accidentally from
February to June; but from all these times of planting,
the crops seem to have exceeded all expectation, and
in some instances extremely flattering, the common
practice has been to earth up the drills, as the shoots
advanced, to about the average height of 15 and 18 in-
ches; the distances of the drills have varied from two
to three feet. The intelligent Farmer will need only
general hints of practice, and it is presumed the above
will be sufficient.