CHAP. Ill VILLA GARDENING 405 



CHAPTER III 



The Potato. — I remember the time when the Potato disease 

 was so virulent that the minds of men were in a state of agitation 

 from doubts and fears as to the possibility of continuing the culti- 

 vation of the Potato ; but that feeling has disappeared, and of late 

 years its cultivation has increased enormously. In the large 

 Potato-growing districts the disease does not now cause so much 

 alarm as it formerly did, chiefly because the cultivators have learnt 

 that, to a considerable extent, the matter is in their own hands. 

 At the time when the savant and scientist were both at 

 their wits' end, jthe practical cultivator, nothing daunted by the 

 sayings of the wise men and the learned talk about the Perono- 

 spora and the resting spores, set to work to raise new varieties 

 possessing greater vigour of constitution, wisely considering that 

 if the enemy to be faced was a fimgus, the best remedy was to in- 

 crease the strength and vigour of the plant — not by an excessive 

 application of manures, which would encourage a plethoric habit, 

 and render the plant more susceptible, but by planting thinner, to 

 encourage robustness of stem and strengthen the fibres by the 

 free admission of light and air. Of late years, in addition to 

 the attention which has been given to robustness of constitution, 

 as exemplified in such kinds as Champion and Magnum Bonum, a 

 more rational system of culture has been adopted. The plants 

 have had more room to grow, and a freer exposure to sunshine and 

 air has given it a greater power of resistance to its enemies. 

 Then, again, the seed Potatoes have been treated in a more 

 rational manner. It is true that many of the choice old kinds of 

 Potatoes have nearly disappeared ; but no matter — Potatoes of 

 excellent quality are plentiful and cheap everywhere. 



Preparing the Ground. — The best land for Potatoes is a 

 deep, dry, sandy loam. If they must be planted on cold damp 

 clays, throw the surface into ridges, and plant one row on the 

 crown of each ridge. They should be about 5 feet apart. More 

 Potatoes will be produced in this way than if they are planted on 

 the level at half the distances apart, and there may be a row of 

 Cabbages or some other crop grown between. A friend of mine 

 sows a row of Turnips between each two rows of Potatoes. It is 

 especially necessary that the ground should be thoroughly prepared 

 for Potatoes by exposure to the atmosphere in winter. Land 

 roughly trenched or ridged up in December or January is in good 

 condition for planting the last half of March and the first half of 



