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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 516, 10 October 1867, Page 2

The History of the Potatoe.—The potatoe is still found on the western slopes of the Andes, the Tubers, however, being no bigger than the common filbert. It was first brought from America to Ireland, where it was cultivated in 1586 j but it is said to have been introduced into Spain and Portugal even before this date. Prom Ireland it found its way to the Low Countries and to Germany, and from Spain it readied Italy and France. It is an object of cultivation in Asiatic countries only where Europeans have colonised or settled, and there chiefly for their consumption, and only since the beginning of the present century. It is successfuly cultivated in Australia and New Zealand, which produced no esculent farinaceous root at all, not even the yam or taro. It appears that France produces more potatoes than any other European country, move even than Ireland. Thus the extent of land under potatoes at the date of the last comparative returns was in Great Britain 498,813 acres, in Ireland 1,050,419 acres, in Sweden 331,000 acres, in Denmark Proper 69,176 acres, in Wurtemhurg 167,948 acres, in Bavaria 619,735 acres, in Holland 265,987 acres, in Belgium 369,850 acres, in Franco 2,010,361 acres, and in Austria 1,308,143 acres.

Eggs for Hitching. —The eggs to bo chosen for hatching should be round, not poin'ed, symmetrical, and without soy apparent blemish. They are best from a hen between one and two years old which has been running with a cockerel. The eggs cannot bo too fresh, and should not exceed throe weeks old. Those which are the most fresh generally produce the finest and healthiest chickens. The eggs should be examined by an oonoscope, or by being surrounded with any opaque substance, so (hat the light of the sun or a candle can be shown through them, and if perfectly transparent they are fresh, but it does not follow that they are fertile. At the expiration of five or six days the egg should be again placed in the oonoscope, examined against the light, and, if still clear, they should bo taken from the nest, as they will nothatch. Tims more chance is given fortha otho'i. The old-fashioned number of eggs for a nest is thirteen. At all times eleven is enough, and in cold weather from seven to nine. There is probably luck in odd numbers, so we will not disturb it. Whatever tends to warmth and nourishment in chickens helpstheir growth and strength. It is manifestly better to have a few fin* birds, either for table or for exhibition, I ban a crowd of st arvlings. On or about the twenty-first day hatching will begin. Watch the nest narrowly from time to time remove the shells as the little chicks come out, but leave them with the mother. If some weakly bird shows a difficalty in breaking through the membrane which lines the shell, as was the case with a vast number of birds this year, take a pair of fine pair of scissors and carefully cut up towards the large end of the egg, as in the other direction it may cause death. The bird will then, in a short time, free itself. Occasionally it may be necessary to ascertain, if possible, the point at which the bird is tapping, unable to make the first breach in the shell. By the ear and by holding the egg up to strong light you may possibly find this. If you can gently J break the shell in that spot, pick it away j carefully in small pieces, and after a lit'lo time, if the membrane cannot be broken bv the bird, cut that also slightly and most carefully. Having removed all the shells from the nest, leave the chicks for ( twenty-four hours with the mother. Above all things, do not let your servants tear off the little horny lump on the beak, |“ pip the tongue,” whatever that may mean, or give beer and pepercorps ; for, bad these thinis been necessary, XXX would have been home-brewed in the \ ditches and pimento ready dried in our : hedgerows. —Hand and Water.