90 THE POTATO. 



find room for a iew potatoes should grow the early sorts 

 to use as wanted from the soil. Late potatoes are good 

 enough, if the right sort, w T herever grown, and these can 

 be purchased cheap enough when required. So, if you 

 have limited room, by all means grow earlies for your own 

 use, and buy late ones in due season. If you have a fair 

 amount of room grow earlies and second earlies, so as to 

 maintain a supply till autumn, and buy late potatoes in 

 winter. But, if you have plenty of room, grow all three 

 types; it will pay you to do so, and, moreover, if you are 

 careful in the selection of sorts, you will get much better 

 flavoured potatoes than you could probably buy in the 

 open market. In order, then, that you may grow your 

 potato crops successfully we will now proceed to tell you 

 all about the business, reserving no special secrets, but 

 placing all our knowledge and experience fully and freely 

 at your service. 



Early Crops. Here we mean early crops grown out- 

 doors, not those reared in pits or frames, as referred to in 

 another chapter. To have tubers fit to lift in June a south 

 border at the foot of a wall, and a rich, deep, well-drained 

 soil is preferable; but an open plot, provided it be shel- 

 tered from north and east, and slope to the south, will 

 answer almost as well. The soil should be prepared and 

 manured as advised in the chapters on Soils and Manures, 

 and the " sets " got ready for planting in the manner 

 advised in Chapter VII. Draw the drills from north to 

 south, and three to four inches deep, and twenty to 

 twenty-four inches apart. In these place the sets eight to 

 ten inches apart, cover with mould, and the planting is 

 finished. In the event of the soil not being over friable, 

 spread some decayed refuse or well rotted manure along 

 the drills, place the " sets " in position, and cover each 

 tuber with a small quantity of leaf-mould or old potting 

 compost, before filling up the drills with the ordinary 

 mould. In warm districts from the end of February to 

 the first week in March will be a good time to plant. When 



