THE POTATO. 623 



and carrot occupy a considerable space in the garden, but not the 

 others. In a rotation of crops they all answer well for succeeding 

 leguminous or alliaceous plants, and some of them for following the 

 cabbage tribe. 



The Potato. 



The Potato (Solanum tuberosum, L.) is a solanaceous herbaceous 

 perennial with tuber-bearing subterraneous stems, a native of the 

 western coast of South America, and in cultivation in Europe, for its 

 tubers, from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Its uses as a 

 culinary vegetable and as a substitute for bread are known to every 

 one. Potato starch, independently of its use in the laundry, when 

 mixed with a small proportion of wheat flour, makes a most excellent 

 light bread ; and it is also manufactured into a substitute for sago, 

 arrow- root, and tapioca ; and as starch is convertible into sugar by 

 fermentation, both a wine and a spirit can be produced from it. The 

 tender tops are eaten as spinach in Canada and Kamtschatka, in the 

 same manner as those of the gourd ; and the unripe berries have been 

 pickled and preserved, and when ripe dressed like those of the tomato. 

 As potatoes, like bread, are required at table every day in the year, 

 if the whole supply is grown in the garden, a large breadth will be 

 required for this purpose ; but the winter supplies are chiefly obtained 

 from the field or the public market, and indeed in most gardens only 

 the early crops are grown. The crop is more exhausting than any 

 other, except in cases where seed is ripened, as when a gardener 

 grows his own turnip or onion seed. In the rotation it ought either 

 to be accompanied with, or follow, a light crop which has been grown 

 on soil in good heart. The uses of the potato in the management of 

 live stock, and its field culture, being foreign to this work, we shall 

 confine ourselves to a brief notice of its culture in gardens. 



Varieties. These are now very numerous. In the ' Gardener's 

 Chronicle' for November, 1869, one writer, Mr. Alexander Dean, says 

 he grows 140 varieties ; it is difficult among so many to choose the very 

 best. Among early sorts, the Ash-leaved Kidney still holds its ground. 

 We have now many varieties of it, such as Rivers' Royal, Mona's 

 Pride, the Albion, Myatt's Prolific, Veitch's Improved Early, and the 

 Red Ash-leaved Kidney. All of these are good, as is the Walnut- 

 leaved, which is a dwarf and excellent variety. The Rufford Kidney, 

 Gloucestershire Kidney, and Sheppard's Early are also good. To these 

 might be added most of Paterson's varieties, nearly all of which are 

 distinguished by great excellence of quality and vigour of constitution. 



Paterson's Fluke is a first-rate kidney, and said to resist disease. 

 Ditto Red Goliath is a fine pale-red kidney, and a great bearer. Ditto 

 Rock, a large round fine potato. Ditto Early, white flesh, fine-flavoured, 

 round. Ditto Regent, better, hardier, and more productive than any 

 of the other Regents. Ditto Oval Blue, very fine flesh, fine flavour. 



A good deal has been heard of late of American potatoes. Among 

 these the Early Rose, Peach Blow, Early Goodrich, Calico, Late 



