iv FOREWORDS. 



utilised for growing so important a food crop. In the 

 future everyone who possibly can should grow potatoes as 

 the staple crop, and thus render himself independent of 

 market supplies. 



To grow potatoes of good quality and in abundance 

 more attention must be paid to the tillage of the soil, as 

 well as to the selection of varieties of sterling merit, than 

 is often done. Potatoes require a deeply-dug, rich and 

 generous soil. To attempt to grow them in hungry, shallow- 

 dug soils can only end in light crops of poor quality. 

 There must be no waiting until the planting time before 

 attempting to prepare the soil ; this work should be car- 

 ried out in autumn and winter, so that the soil is rendered 

 sweet and wholesome for the roots when the growing 

 season begins. This being accomplished, the next impor- 

 tant point is to select varieties suitable to the soil, whether 

 heavy or light, and the climatic conditions of the district. 



The reader who desires to obtain the most authoritative 

 information on the cultivation of the noble tuber on allot- 

 ments, in the garden, or on the farm, should " read, mark, 

 learn, and inwardly digest " the contents of the following 

 pages. Therein he will find everything there is to be said 

 about the cultivation of so valuable a vegetable, and a 

 vast deal of other interesting facts on the subject. The 

 lists of varieties have been carefully drawn up and super- 

 vised by leading experts. No attempt has been made to 

 give a complete list of all the sorts in cultivation, but only 

 those modern and older well-tried sorts that can be relied 

 upon to give entire satisfaction as regards productiveness, 

 first-rate cooking qualities, and more or less complete 

 immunity from disease. 



