248 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



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. For mid-season and late potatoes nothing compares with 

 the Burbank. For early potatoes the old Early Rose still prevails 

 widely, though Chili is encroaching upon it in northern and cen- 

 tral California. Triumph is a little earlier and is gaining ground. 

 Early White Rose constitutes the greatest part of the southern Cali- 

 fornia crop, and Early Ohio is also popular. American Wonder, 

 British Queen and Pearl are advancing as later varieties. 



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. 



The sweet potato is a strictly tender plant and a heat-lover as 

 well, consequently there is no winter planting, though in drier parts 

 of the state, free from frost, there may be fall plantings which carry 

 their crop well into the winter and for more than half the year 

 fresh potatoes may be taken from the ground, and by proper stor- 

 ing the vegetable may be enjoyed throughout the year. 



Preparation of the Ground. Planting is done at the begin- 

 ning of the frost-free period and the date depends upon the locality. 

 Usually it comes about the first of May, but preparation of the 

 ground should begin earlier to secure good culture and moisture 

 retention as described for other root crops. In regions of good 

 rainfall moisture enough can thus be retained to make the crop or 

 at least start it will. On dry plains it may be necessary to thor- 

 oughly irrigate in the spring before the deep plowing with which 

 the planting is to be made. On loose, lowland soils or in irrigated 

 regions there is often abundant moisture within reach of the plant 



