579
The potatoe plant possesses two modes of securing its repro-duction, the one by means of its tuberous roots, the other by thegeneral mode of flowers and seed vessels. It has been ascertain-ed by the ingenious President of the Horticultural Society ofLondon, (Mr Andrew Knight), that the plant employs thesame fluid in both these operations; and by preventing theconsumption of it in either one of these, it will be made toact more strongly in the other. Upon this principle, if a po-tatoc plant is carefully deprived of its tubers as soon as theyarc formed, it will be made infinitely more productive of blos-soms and seeds. On the other hand, if its blossoms are con-stantly picked off, and it is prevented from forming any seedat all, the fluid which would have been employed in that oper-ation, will be exerted in forming an increased crop of tubers.It is true, that men who have to attend to the managementof a number of acres, will hardly condescend to think of po-tatoes blossoms : but there are thousands of cottagers, whosescanty pittance may be increased by the simple expedient ofemploying their children in preventing a potatoe crop fromever forming a seed vessel. The point, however, is still dis-puted. It is contended, at the same time, that if the crop isnot increased by plucking the blossoms, it is sooner ripened,which is a material advantage, if it is uniformly the case.
SECT. IV.
OF CARROTS.
Garkots have not hitherto been much considered as an ar-ticle of culture in the system of Scotch husbandry. They re-quire, it is said, too early sowing, that is, in the beginning of
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dispositions of the sorts, or varieties to carry many or few, large or small,bulbs, and the state of health of the sort longest cultivated. The tendency tocurl will always be greatest in the oldest sort, circumstances in other respectsbeing similar.