in botany. See Solanum.
These roots came first from Ireland into Lancashire where they are still very much cultivated. It was, however, 40 years after their introduction before they were much cultivated about London; and then they were con- considered as rarities, without any conception of the utility that might arise from bringing them into common use. At this time they were distinguished from the Spanish by the name of Virginia potatoes, or batatas, which is the Indian name of the Spanish sort.
At a meeting of the Royal Society, March 18th, 1662-3, a letter was read from Mr Buckland, a Somerset gentleman, recommending the planting of potatoes in all parts of the kingdom to prevent famine. This was referred to a committee; and, in consequence of their report, Mr Buckland had the thanks of the society, such members as had lands were intreated to plant them, and Mr Evelyn was desired to mention the proposals at the close of his Sylva. Since that time the plant has been so universally cultivated, that it has become a considerable part of our food; and attempts have even been made to substitute the potatoe instead of bread, or to make bread from it. See the article Bread.
For the method of cultivating potatoes, see Agriculture, no. 127—129. Besides what is there delivered, there are many curious experiments concerning the culture of potatoes related in the Georigal Essays.
1. On the Howard or large Bedfordshire potatoe. By all the experiments that have been made, the Howard potatoe is found to produce the largest crop. On that account they are chiefly used in feeding of cattle. In two beds, four feet wide and 200 feet long, I planted in a common field a sufficient number of sets of this kind of potatoe, and managed them by the horse-hoe. The produce was 64 bushels, each bushel up-heaped, weighing about 70 lb. My cattle eat them boiled with as much eagerness as the best sorts, and came on as well with them. I have built a boiling-house, &c. on Mr Young's plan, and during this whole winter have boiled potatoes for my cattle. For the fattening ones, I mix ground oats with them; and for the milk-cows, malt-dust; and dare venture to affirm, that they are much more profitable than either turnips or cabbages. Once, when my potatoes grew low, I debited giving them to the milking-cows. Immediately, though fed with the best hay, they fell off amazingly in their milk. I therefore began again, and in a week's time they gave better than one-third more butter. I own this accidental discovery gave me much satisfaction, as it confirmed my opinion, that potatoes boiled are an excellent winter food for cattle. Their culture is not so difficult; at least not so precarious, as either turnips or cabbages. Their value is superior, and there is no risk of their giving a disagreeable taste either to butter or milk. Add to this the vast increase of the Howard potatoe, and its equality with the best sorts when used for cattle.
2. On the increase of potatoes. My gardener cut a large potatoe into nine pieces, which he planted with drugs, in a drill, in the garden. By earthing up and laying the shoots, he produced 575 fixable potatoes, which weighed eight stone eight pound. Another of my servants produced, in the field, seven stone of good potatoes from the same number of sets. Tho' this experiment cannot always be executed in its full force in an extensive scale, it ought, notwithstanding, to be imitated as nearly as circumstances will allow. It shows, in the most distinguishing manner, the use of clean and careful husbandry.
3. On the increase of potatoes. On the 14th of April, I cut a large white potatoe into 17 sets, which were planted in as many hillocks, at the distance of four feet. In the course of growing, the plants were earthed up, and on the 14th of October the crop was taken up: The produce, 10 pecks of fixable potatoes. At the time that this experiment was made, I had several hillocks, in which I put three and four sets of the same kind of potatoe. But, upon the most careful examination, I could not observe that these hillocks produced a greater crop than the others planted with a single set. Hence it is obvious, that the potatoe spreads its roots most kindly when least crowded.
4. On the method of raising seedling potatoes. Take a bunch of the apples of any sort of potatoe. Hang it up in a warm room during the winter, and in February separate the seeds from the pulp, by washing the apples in water, and pressing them with the fingers. Then dry the seeds upon paper. In the month of April, sow these seeds, in drills, in a bed of earth well dug, and manured with rotten dung. When the plants are about an inch high, draw a little earth up to them with a hoe, in order to lengthen their main roots. When they are about three inches high, dig them up with a spade, and separate them carefully from each other, in order for planting out in the following manner.
Prepare a piece of fresh ground by trenching it well. Dig up the seedling plants as before directed; and plant them out in the ground, thus prepared, in such a manner, that there shall be 16 inches between each plant. As they advance in growth, let them receive one or two earthings up, in order to lengthen the main root, and encourage the shoots under ground.
By this management, the potatoes will, in the course of one season, arrive at the size of hen's eggs, and the haulm will be as vigorous as if sets had been planted. But what proves the luxuriancy, in the most convincing manner, is, that flowers and apples are produced.
In Lancashire, where the gardeners raise potatoes from seed, they are always two, and sometimes three years in bringing them to full size. By the above method of transplanting, with wide distances, many of the potatoes nearly attain their full size in one season.
It is observable, that these seedlings produce potatoes of all the different kinds; and sometimes new sorts are procured. We do not find any difference whether the apple comes from one kind or another. It is not so when we use the set, which invariably produces the same kind.
Potatoes, when propagated from sets, after a number of years, are found to decrease in bearing; for which reason they should be brought back every 14 years to their original.
From a want of attention to this circumstance, I have known potatoes to run out, that they hardly returned treble seed. The farmer complains that his land is tired of them, but the true cause is the age of the sets.
The increase of potatoes raised from seed is alto- astonishing. They continue in vigour for about 14 years; after which, the produce gradually declines.
5. On the best method of raising early potatoes. As the culture of potatoes, and particularly of the early sorts for the table, has of late become an object of very general attention, I hope the following account of a new method of obtaining these (without the help of hot-beds) will be acceptable to the public.
On the 2d of January 1772, I made a hot-bed for the forward sort of potatoes, and on the 7th put in the sets, placing a glass and frame over them, and taking every precaution to defend them from the frost. Of these small potatoes, or sets, there remained about 40 in a basket, which was accidentally hung up in a warm kitchen, and there remained unnoticed till about the 25th of April. I then accidentally observed the basket, and perceiving something green on the edge of it, took it down, and, to my great surprise, found that the potatoes had sprouted half a yard in length, and that there were a great number of very small potatoes formed on the fibrous roots which had grown out. I took them into my garden, and planted them in a rich sandy soil, without any manure. The roots I put into the ground three inches deep, and laid down the stems that had sprouted horizontally, and covered them with two inches of soil, but left the tops uncovered. Without farther attention they grew surprisingly.
On the 26th of May, I took up the roots planted in the hot-bed on the 7th of January. They by no means answered my expectations, or paid for the trouble of their culture; but, at the same time, I was astonished to find the others, which were put into the ground so late, to have produced larger potatoes than the roots in the hot-bed. I took up all the roots, and picked off the large potatoes from them, which amounted to from 4 to 12 on each root, and then set the roots again in the same ground. This, indeed, I have successfully practised for many years, sometimes even twice, and have had a third good crop at Michaelmas. When this method is tried, the roots must be watered on the evenings of hot days.
In January 1773, in order to make a second trial of this experiment with a large quantity, I placed a great many potatoes of the early sorts on a thick layer of gravelly soil, close to each other, over an oven, flatted over, but open to the south-west, and covered them two inches deep with the same earth.
At the end of April I took them up, and found the stems about a foot long or more. For fear of injuring the fine and delicate fibres of the roots, I took great care in taking them up, and planting them in the soil. This I now manured, but in all other respects treated them in the manner above described, many of the fibrous roots having then potatoes formed upon them, nearly as large as walnuts. For a week, the plants came on surprisingly, when, by one sharp night's uncommon frost, they were nearly destroyed. However, notwithstanding this, fresh stems grew up in a few days, and I actually gathered from them, on the 3d of June following, finer potatoes than were sold at that time, at Manchester, from 3s. to 1s. 6d. per pound, being the produce of hot-beds.
After taking off the larger potatoes, I again planted the roots for a second crop, and in September obtained a very large produce. I weighed the increase of many separate roots, which amounted from four pound eight ounces to 14 pound 12 ounces, the potatoes being the largest of the forward kinds I ever saw.
6. On a method of raising potatoes in winter. Make a compost of earth, sand, and coal-ashes. With this mixture fill a tub about 16 inches deep. Plant this artificial soil with some sets of the early round potatoe, and place the tub in a stable opposite to a window, taking care to water the earth now and then. In all seasons the sets will sprout, and give a tolerable increase of potatoes. Last November I planted some sets in the above manner; and, in February following, I took up a considerable number of young potatoes, clean skinned and well flavoured.
7. On transplanting potatoe tops. On the 18th of May 1772, finding some beds I had sown very early with onions, to be a milling crop, I was induced to make the following experiment. The year before, I had set some potatoes in another part of my garden, in the common way; and as it is impossible but some will remain in the ground all winter, so I found a number of sprouts about three inches high, which I tipped off close to the ground, and transplanted them into the onion-beds, without any further preparation, about a foot and a half asunder, in the same manner that cabbages and cauliflowers are planted. As the season became immediately very dry, I was obliged to give my plants a little water for four or five successive nights; after which they began to flourish, and had the appearance of a promising crop during all the summer. At the usual time, in October, I ordered them to be taken up; and for size, quantity, and quality, they exceeded all I ever had in the common way. Had the ground been fresh, properly manured and prepared, and the plants put down at a proper distance from each other, I am of opinion that the success would have been still greater.
8. On feeding hogs with potatoes. From an accurate experiment made last year, I dare venture to recommend baked potatoes as an excellent food for hogs. The pork produced by this food, was equal to that from barley and beans; but at present I cannot exactly ascertain the comparative experiment with regard to expense; however, I am of opinion, that roasted potatoes, considering the improvement of the hogs, is as cheap a food, if not cheaper, than can be given them. I roasted my potatoes upon a kiln, similar to what is used by oat-meal shellers for drying their oats. The difference in expense between boiling and roasting the potatoes is prodigious, both with regard to the labour and fuel. A kiln that will cost £1 will roast potatoes sufficient for the maintenance of more than 20 hogs; and one man will below all the necessary attendance upon them, and do other work besides. The action of the fire, by dissipating the crude juices that are contained in raw potatoes, reduces them into a state highly wholesome and nutritious. Boiling does this in part, but not so effectually. A potatoe roasted in the manner above described, partakes much of the nature of a chestnut, and perhaps is not greatly inferior to it.
There is one remarkable property of the potatoe, that when planted in water, it shoots out a great num Potatoe
Potentilla.