Cultural Directions. 245 



York city, although by coddling a comparatively few plants, the 

 tubers can be brought to some size. The crop, however, will not 

 be a profitable one for market in such northern localities. 



GROWING THE PLANTS. To start the beds we need a good 

 strong hot-bed, although not as early in the season as for egg- 

 plants or even tomatoes. The manure is but lightly covered with 

 soil or sand, and the tubers are spread out in single layer, the 

 larger ones split in halves, cut-side down, as closely as possible 

 without overcrowding. The layer is then covered with 3 or 4 

 inches of sand. Water and ventilation have to be given as for 

 egg plants or peppers. In five or six weeks the first plants will 

 be large enough to sever from the seed tubers, which is accom- 

 plished by simply pulling them up. New plants continue to start, 

 and may be pulled, and planted out as they grow large enough. 



GROWING THE CROP. Warm, well-drained soil of medium fer- 

 tility is best. Rich soil is apt to produce too rank a growth of vines, 

 and make it almost impossible to prevent them from rooting all 

 over the ground, and thus wasting their energies in the formation 

 of large numbers of tubers too small for use, instead of concen- 

 trating them on the development of the tubers in the hill. 



Mark out light furrows 4 feet apart, and fill them rounding 

 full with good manure, or scatter a liberal quantity (say 800 

 pounds or more per acre) of good special potato fertilizer in them. 

 Next with a one-horse plow throw a furrow to the manure 

 from each side of the row, forming a pretty good ridge, which is 

 to be smoothed nicely with the hoe, and thus got ready for 

 setting the plants. The proper time for doing this is when the 

 ground has become thoroughly warm, say from May I5th to 

 June 1 5th. Set the plants firmly on top of the ridge, about 24 

 inches apart, leaving them in the centre of a slight depression. 

 I need hardly repeat that the roots of the plants, just previous to 

 setting out, ought to be dipped in water. A half-pint of water 

 should also be poured into the depression around each plant. 

 Afterwards keep well cultivated and free from weeds, and occa- 

 sionally lift up the vines to detach them from the ground, where 

 they have begun to strike root between the hills and rows. 



HARVESTING. After the first light frost, the vines are to be 

 cut off close above the ground, and the roots carefully lifted out 

 by means of a spading fork. Great care is necessary in order to 

 avoid bruising the tubers. The latter may be left out on the 

 ground for a few hours to dry, and should then be stored in a dry 

 and warm loft. To keep well, they should not be exposed to much 

 change of temperature, or a lower temperature than 50 or 55 



decrees Fahrenheit. 



VARIETIES. 



Yellow Nansemond. The leading market sort in the 

 middle states. A red sort is now gaining in popularity. 



