POTATOES, MAIN CROP. 



382 



POTATOES, STORING. 



potato may drop in easily. A potato or 

 set is dropped in each hole, and filled up 

 by drawing a wooden rake over' them. 

 But it is objected to this, and rightly 

 enough, that the pressure of the dibber 

 hardens the soil all round, and checks the 

 spreading of the young tubers ; making 

 drills with a spade, and planting that way, 

 is therefore preferable ; or they may be 

 planted as the ground is dug, merely 

 placing a line, cutting the drill, placing the 

 potatoes 15 inches apart, then digging 

 backward 2 feet, placing the line, cutting 

 another drill, and so on. The main crop 

 may be planted about the end of March or 

 beginning of April, as already said, or it 

 may be deferred till quite the end of the 

 latter month, and smaller plantings may be 

 made till midsummer. 



Planting in Heavy Soil. If the ground 

 is wet, heavy, or, indeed, under any 

 circumstances, a good plan is to cut a drill 

 with the spade 6 or 8 inches deep. In 

 this place the sets 15 inches apart, then 

 move the line to the next row, cut another 

 drill in the same manner, but fill up the 

 preceding drill with the soil taken out, 

 covering the sets in it. This is an expe- 

 ditious mode, and will do on any soil. 

 On stiff soils the dibber should never be 

 used, because it forms a basin in which 

 water is likely to stand and rot the potato. 



After-management. When potatoes 

 have grown 8 or 10 inches high, a little 

 earth should be drawn up to them, just 

 sufficient to cover any tubers that may 

 grow near the surface ; but too much 

 earthing up produces luxuriance of growth 

 in the haulm, and is contrary to nature. 

 The ground should be thoroughly drained. 

 It is generally admitted that the disease is 

 most prevalent in wet soils or wet seasons. 

 Some recommend cutting off the haulm as 

 soon as the blight appears ; this may save 

 them in a great measure from the rot, but 

 slops the growth of the tubers, and whether 



any real advantage is derived from it is 

 still undecided. It is advisable to pick off 

 all the flowers, unless seed is wanted, as 

 doing so will throw the strength of the 

 plant into the process of forming tubers. 

 In the case of the early varieties, which 

 may be in danger of suffering from the 

 frost, the soil should be kept ridged up 

 round the shoots as soon as they appear 

 above the ground, keeping them covered 

 until they are 4 to 6 inches high, and all 

 danger of frost is past. Before earthing 

 up, fork the ground lightly between the 

 lines, so as to pulverise the soil, then draw 

 it to the plants with a hoe or spade. Keep 

 the ground clear of weeds. 



Potatoes, Storing. 



When the haulm has thoroughly withered 

 and died down, the tubers are fully ripe, 

 and should be. taken up for storage during 

 the winter months. Care should be taken 

 to prevent the frost from obtaining access to 

 the tubers, and if they cannot be put away 

 within doors, which can only be done in 

 the case of comparatively small quantities, 

 the best way to preserve them is in pits 

 covered in, or " caves," as they are usually 

 called in the West of England. To make 

 these, a warm and sheltered position is 

 chosen under a high hedge, and if possible, 

 with a slight fall away from the hedge. A 

 space is then cleared away about 3 or 4 

 feet in width, and as long as may be 

 necessary, and the roots are then piled up 

 against the hedge, sloping upwards from 

 the outer edge of the space that has been 

 cleared, and they are then covered in with 

 wheat straw, over which a thick coating of 

 earth is thrown, taken from a trench dug 

 out at each end and in front of the cave. 

 When a supply is required one end of the 

 cave is opened and closed again when a 

 sufficient quantity has been removed. 

 When there is no hedge to form a backing, 

 and it is necessary to make the cave on the 



