CHAPTER XLV 



POTATOES 



THE luxury of being able to dig a dish or two of early 

 potatoes from one's own garden towards the middle of 

 June is one that the amateur gardener will not readily 

 forgo once he has tasted its delights. But to be able to achieve 

 this triumph regularly, as each season comes round, presupposes 

 some previous experience hi the art of successful potato-growing, 

 a fair amount of space, and a suitable situation in the kitchen 

 garden in which to mature the crop. 



The average suburban garden, limited in area as it usually is, 

 is almost invariably and quite rightly, as I think devoted to 

 the cultivation of flowers, small fruit trees, and such vegetables 

 as occupy the minimum of space and yield the maximum of 

 useful produce for the larder. In choosing among the thousand 

 and one subjects which invite experiment at the hands of the 

 amateur gardener with limited time and means at his disposal, 

 potatoes should be the first to be jettisoned. Where potatoes 

 are grown from reasons of domestic economy, and where in 

 consequence the amateur allots almost all his available space to 

 their cultivation, I should be sorry if any arguments of mine 

 diverted him from his purpose. But I venture to say that among 

 the vast majority of small suburban gardeners this necessity does 

 not arise. Ground which would be occupied by the cultivation 

 of a dozen or two rows of main crop potatoes could, I am certain, 

 be put to better, more profitable and greater pleasure-yielding 

 uses. 



Where a main crop is grown with the object of securing a house- 

 hold whiter supply there will be very little chance of obtaining 

 more than one crop of potatoes from the garden during the year. 



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