52 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



jectionable ; if whole potatoes of the proper size cannot be had, 

 large potatoes may be cut for the purpose. In some cases, cut sets 

 produce larger crops than whole sets, but there is not much 

 difference. 



5. Season foe Planting. — The earlier the sets are planted, 

 the better. We have had immense crops from potatoes planted in 

 autumn, and covered with seven inches depth of earth. It is, how- 

 ever, seldom that we can obtain vacant ground in a fit state, and 

 therefore spring planting is the general practice. The first of Feb- 

 ruary is a better time than the first of March, and this last date 

 better than the first of April. He who voluntarily defers planting 

 until the last-named date is an April fool. Suppose they grow 

 early, and the haulm is destroyed by frost in May ? It does them 

 so little harm, and they recover so quickly, that it is better to risk 

 that than keep them out of the ground any later than some time in 

 February. 



6. Mode oe Planting. — "When we have had to get land ready 

 in haste, we have had deep trenches opened and nearly filled with 

 half-rotten manure, over which a little soil was thrown, then the 

 sets were laid, and covered with all the soil taken out, forming a 

 ridge. In 1868 we were compelled to plant about a hundred sorts 

 in this way, and the crop was immense and good. As a rule, 

 trenching in the sets is better than dibbing, as the soil lays loose 

 and warm and dry about them. Hard soil is always wetter and 

 colder than soil lying light and spongy. Cover early sorts with 

 two or three inches of soil, and from time to time draw to their 

 stems the light crumbs from between the rows just enough to keep 

 the roots covered. Large sorts and main crop cover with at least 

 six inches of soil at once, and do not add another grain all the 

 season. Cut sets should be cut side upwards ; never mind if people 

 laugh at you. If you dig a fine crop, you can afford to be told you 

 don't know which side of a potato should be uppermost. 



7. Distances. — Early sorts to average nine inches apart, the 

 smallest of them, especially if small sets, may be six inches. Late 

 and large-growing sorts, one foot at least. Some sorts will spread 

 out and cover a scpaare yard each plant. Tou must know your 

 sorts therefore. The plan we follow with all large sorts is to put 

 them twelve to fifteen inches apart in the rows, and the rows four 

 feet apart. 



8. Compound Potato Culture. — In this practice they are 

 planted on the surface, and mould taken from the alleys to cover 

 them, so that the haulm has to rise up through a ridge, and the 

 whole crop is formed above the general level. In the alleys we sow 

 or plant lettuces. "When the lettuces are taken off, the alleys are 

 heavily manured, and celery planted in them. "When the potatoes 

 are ripe, which is rather earlier than when grown in the ordinary 

 way, they are taken out, and the ridge is shovelled down, or slightly 

 lowered, to provide stuff for earthing the celery. The next business 

 is to dig into the ridges a heavy dressing of manure, and plant 

 broccoli to stand the winter. The next season the ground is 

 levelled, and sown with peas, and other green crops. The plots 



