874 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



of providing a covering of soil later on for the newly formed tubers. 

 Neglect to perform this operation might result in exposing the 

 tubers to the air and sun. They would if thus exposed turn 

 green and be rendered unfit for food. Earthing up should be 

 done with a hoe, first of all taking care to remove all weeds at the 

 sides of the rows and afterwards carefully drawing the soil round 

 the stems in such a manner that none of them shall be either com- 

 pletely covered or damaged by coming hi contact with the blade 

 of the hoe. A second earthing up is advisable a few weeks after 

 the first. 



In selecting varieties for cultivation in the garden it is as essential 

 for the amateur as for the professional potato-grower to beware 

 of those kinds which are known to be subject to disease. New 

 varieties are introduced every year, and it is therefore a somewhat 

 difficult matter for the inexperienced amateur to determine the 

 kind upon which he shall depend for his season's crop. Happily 

 the scientist has come to the aid of the gardener and he has been 

 able by careful trial and experiment to determine which are the 

 varieties that are most susceptible to the dreaded disease black 

 scab which hi some seasons causes untold harm in the potato 

 fields and the kitchen garden. He tells us that the varieties that 

 are most liable to be attacked by the disease are the following : 

 Up-to-date, Northern Star, King Edward VII., Eldorado, Royal 

 Kidney, British Queen, Talisman, Epicure and May Queen, and 

 that the varieties that are safe against black scab are Golden 

 Wonder, What's Wanted, Langworthy, Sutton's Abundance, 

 and Findlay's Conquest. 



The amateur is best advised hi obtaining his seed potatoes, 

 no matter what variety he determines to grow, from a trustworthy 

 and reputable firm, and by being guided by them in his choice. 

 The grower may then by the adoption of the usual methods of 

 cultivation be reasonably sure of digging a satisfactory crop of 

 tubers, but to make assurance doubly sure and to guard against 

 any likelihood of attacks of disease, he should follow the example 

 of the great growers, who invariably spray the tops of their pota- 

 toes twice during the season, the first time soon after the tops first 



