VARIETIES OF POTATOES 269 



should be stored in a dark, dry place and protected from heat. If 

 left in the field for a time the piles should be covered with boards, 

 straw or canvas. 



Varieties. As with other vegetables, California has tried many 

 kinds of potatoes and grows very few on a commercial scale. The 

 first notable varieties were brought from Chili and Peru in very 

 early days, and are still grown to some extent, though the main 

 crop is now made of newer kinds because in some localities the 

 old varieties ran out and showed great susceptibility to blight. 



The blight, which was some years ago a serious menace to 

 potato growing, has been largely circumvented by the introduction 

 of new varieties which were thrifty while the old varieties on ad- 

 jacent ground perished. For this reason new varieties should be 

 tested in all localities. 



The potato which constitutes most of the market crop is the 

 Burbank and some variations of it are locally popular. For mid- 

 season and late potatoes nothing compares with the Burbank. For 

 early potatoes the old Early Rose still prevails widely, though 

 others are encroaching upon it. Triumph is a little earlier and is 

 gaining ground. Early White Rose, Early Clark and Early Ohio 

 are chiefly popular in southern California. American Wonder, and 

 Snowflake and Pearl are advancing as shipping varieties and Peer- 

 less still retains favor in some localities. 



Although there are local adaptations of different varieties, the 

 character of the potato depends more upon local conditions of soil 

 and climate than upon the variety, and the same variety from dif- 

 ferent localities commands widely different prices in the market. 



SWEET POTATOES. 



The sweet potato is grown in nearly all parts of California 

 where rich, sandy loam, suitably moist, can be found. Adequate 

 heat is essential to quality and the upper coast region has localities 

 which are deficient in this respect, but protection from coast in- 

 fluences renders the product satisfactory, even though distance 

 from the ocean be not great. As a rule, however, the crop in the 

 upper half of the state is grown in the interior valleys, while at 

 the south, both the coast slopes and the interior valleys yield a fine 

 product. Where the soil is rich, warm, and free and the moisture 

 sufficient, the sweet potato attains immense size and rightly ranks 

 among the great things of California. 



