Lancashire was the first district of the kingdom in which potatoes were extensively cultivated; and it was there that the curl lit st made its appearance, in 1778; before which period it was altogether unknown. The disease, however, rapidly spread over all the low coun try, or earliest distlicts, and threatened to put an end to the culture of a root confessedly of manliest utility in supporting the inhabitants. Roused by such an evil, se veral societies offered premiums for discovering the most proper means of averting the threatened danger; and the pens of hundreds of agricultural theorists were put in requisition, to ascertain the nature of the disease, and the most efficient and salutary remedies for remov ing it. The nature or cause of the disease, as already said, remains unknown ; though it is sufficiently ascer tained, that, by procuring seed-pIants from the upland districts, the disorder may be averted for one season at least. The theory which would seem to follow from this result of practice is, that the curl is occasioned by an over-ripeness of the plant, whereby its strength, or procreative power, is so much debilitated, as to reticler it unable to bring forward a healthy plant afterwards. We by no means consider this theory as incontroverti ble, though undoubtedly it rests upon as strong a basis as many others that have been offered. 'rile fact is, as we have stated, that seed from upland districts will not curl in the vear, w hen planted in the low districts, though the lowland seed, carried to the first-mentioned districts, are affected as speedily with the disorder as if they had been planted at home. When this baneful dis ease can be so easily prevented, it is very foolish to risk suspect: el seed; and the increased expense of pu•chas ing hem the late districts is of small consequence, when eornp with the danger encountered by the use of old. seed. The benefit of such a change is, however, so generally understood, that it is unnecessary to insist far ther upon it, Method of taking zip the crop, and storing it for con Numption.—Potatoes are generally Jigged up with a three-prong grape, or fork ; but at other times, when the weather is dry, the plough is used, which is the most exp«litious implement. After gathering- the in Le real, the furrow taken by the plough is broken and separated ; in which way the crop may 11C more com pletely gathered than when taken up by the grape. The potatoes are then stored up lor winter and spring use ; and as it is of importance to keep them as lung through summer as possible, every endeavour ought to be made to preserve them from frost, and from sprouting in the spring months. The former is accomplished by cover ing them well with straw when lodged in a house, and by a thick coat of earth, when deposited in a pit; and the latter, by picking them carefully, at different times, when they begin to sprout, drying them by exposure to the sun, or by a gentle toast on a kiln. Care ful people often preserve potatoes in perfection till the succeeding crop is fit for use ; though it rarely happens that they possess their original qualities after summer commences.
Of Turnips% The introduction of turnips into the husbandry of Bri tain, occasioned one of those revolutions in rural art which are constantly occurring among husbandmen ; and, though the revolution came on with slow and gra dual steps, yet it may now be viewed as completely and thoroughly established. Before the introduction of this root, it was impossible to cultivate light soils success fully, or to devise suitable rotations for cropping them with advantage. It was likewise a difficult task to sup port live stock through the winter and spring months; and as for feeding and preparing cattle and sheep for market during these inclement seasons, the practice was hardly thought of, and still more rarely attempted, unless where a full stuck of hay was provided, which only hap pened iii a very few instances. The benefits derived
from turnip husbandry are, therefore, of great magni tude; light soils arc now cultivated with profit and fa cility; abundance of food is provided for man and beast ; the earth is turned to the uses for which it is physically calculated; and, by being suitably cleaned with this preparatory' crop, a bed is provided for grass seeds, wherein they flourish and prosper with greater vigour than after any other preparation.
Turnips arc cultivated in two ways, viz. in the broad-cast and drilled method. In the first way, we view the benefit of this root as but partially and in completely gained ; for though a full crop may be ob tained, the ground cannot be cleaned sufficiently as when the drill system is adopted. The great body of cultivators being of this opinion, it is unnecessary to discuss the merits of the two systems; therefore we shall proceed to detail the various processes which be long to the culture of this inestimable root, from the preparatory process till the period when the crop is to be used.
Priparation.—The first ploughing is given imme diately after harvest, or as soon as the wheat-seed is finished, either in length or across the field, as circum stances may seem to require. In this state, the ground remains till the oat-seed is finished, when a second ploughing is given to it, usually in a contrary direc tion to the first. It is then repeatedly harrowed, of ten rolled between the harrowings, and every particle of root weeds carefully picked off with the hand; a third ploughing is then bestowed, and the other operations are repeated. In this stage, if the ground has not been very foul, the seed process generally commences; but often a fourth ploughing, sometimes a fifth, is ne cessary, before the ground is sufficiently cleaned. Less labour, however, is necessary now than in former times, when a more irregular mode of cropping was commonly followed.
Manoring.—Turnip land cannot be made too rich, for, in fact, the weight of the crop depends in a great measure upon its condition in this respect. Manure is sometimes applied to the crop which immediately pre cedes the turnips ; but, to answer well in this way, the land must naturally be of an excellent quality. in other cases, where the land is in good order, it is laid on the stubble previous to the first ploughing. But generally the dung is laid on immediately before the seed is sown ; the ground is formed into drills or ridges, and the ma mire spread in the intervals between them; the drills are then split by the plough, the earth on each side covers the dung, forms a drill where the interval for merly was, and furnishes a bed for the seed. These operations are now so well understood, that it is unne cessary to describe them more particularly.
Sowing.—The next part of the process is the sowing of the seed; this, almost in every case since turnips were introduced into Scotland, has been performed by drilling machines, of different sizes and constructions, though all acting on the same principles. At this time, the fashionable machine is drawn by a horse in a pair of shafts, sows two drills at a time, and answers ex tremely well, where the ground is flat and the drills properly made up. The weight of the machine ensures a regularity of sowing hardly to be gained by those of a different size and construction. From two to three pounds of seed are sown upon the acre, though the smallest of these quantities will give many more plants, in ordinary seasons, than are necessary ; but, as the seed is not an expensive article, the greater part of farmers incline to sow thick, which both provides against the danger of part of the seed perishing, and gives the young plants an advantage at the outset.