14 GARDENING WITH BRAINS 2 

 gently crush a leaf. Such a tomato is as superior 

 to the city grocer's as a fragrant Havana is to 

 a five-cent cigar. 



Fortunately the most useful of all vegetables, 

 the potato, does not need to be transferred at 

 once from the garden to the kitchen. Yet it 

 deteriorates sooner than is commonly sup- 

 posed. Once in the Yosemite Valley I ate one 

 which I was assured was a year old, yet it was 

 still mealy and of a fine flavor; but that was 

 an exception. Most potatoes cease to be at 

 their best when five or six months old. In July, 

 August, September, October, November, a new 

 baked potato, with salt and fresh butter, makes 

 a delicious meal in itself a specific for persons 

 who wish to gain weight; but after Christmas 

 I have no use for the year's crop. The tubers 

 gradually lose flavor and become soggy and 

 indigestible; and as sprouting time approaches 

 they become injurious to health also, because of 

 the development in them of a poisonous prin- 

 ciple common to plants of the same family. 



We welcome the Bermudas which come into 

 the market ere winter is over, but the early 

 varieties are usually shipped before they are 

 mealy or have much flavor. The plain truth is 

 that there are several months every year during 

 which we ought to give up potatoes altogether, 

 using in their place macaroni, boiled chestnuts, 

 rice, fried hominy, or divers other dishes that 

 appeal to vegetarians or else go well with meat. 



