Potato 



of secondary importance. It must be admitted that every stage in the 

 cultivation of the Potato is costly, and the labour bill certainly does 

 run up. As soon as the shaws appear the ground should be ploughed 

 or hoed between the rows, and if there is any fear of frost the shaws 

 should be lightly moulded over. As the growth advances the crop 

 must be earthed up, care being exercised not to earth up too much, for 

 taking six inches as the best average depth, the crop will be diminished 

 by an increase beyond this depth. One urgent reason for early work 

 between the rows is that a prosperous crop will soon put a stop to it. 

 The moment it becomes likely that the shaws will be bruised by 

 traffic between the rows they must be left to finish their course in 

 their own way, because the formation of tubers below will be in the 

 ratio of the healthy growth above ground. The Potato may be said 

 to be manufactured out of sunshine and alkaline salts. The green 

 leaves constitute the machinery of the manufacture, for which the 

 solar light from above, and the potash, phosphate of lime, phosphate 

 of magnesia, and phosphoric acid from below are the raw materials. 



In the course of cultivating the Potato crop it will probably be 

 noticed that an occasional strange blotch is conspicuous. Here and 

 there will be seen a head of green shaws differing in colour or in 

 growth from the rest. When this occurs there are ' rogues ' to be 

 dealt with, and there are two ways of dealing with them. The severe 

 and proper way is to dig them out and consign them to the rubbish- 

 heap as soon as they reveal their false faces. In the saving of seed 

 this course is imperative. But a compromise is possible, and in 

 small gardens may be accomplished with advantage. Mark every 

 rogue with a stake, and dig all these first and take care that they are 

 eaten. The remaining stock will be pure, and to insure this result 

 is really worth some trouble. Those who have been in the habit of 

 saving their own seed will thoroughly appreciate the advice thus 

 offered ; for when the stock shows no disposition to revert to long- 

 lost character, it cannot be supposed that with but a limited space at 

 disposal, both for growing and storing Potatoes, admixture will not 

 sometimes accidentally occur. Hence the importance of depending 

 on seed procured from those who, having every facility for the pur- 

 pose, can and do offer stocks of all the best varieties entirely true to 

 name and free from rogues: 



In common with all other crops, the Potato needs as often as 

 possible a fresh soil, and a renewal of seed from some distant source. 

 The need for a change of soil is made apparent by an analysis of the 

 root, which contains large proportions of potash, phosphorus, and 



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