82 GARDENING 



nearer the end than the beginning. Plenty of 

 space should be given between the rows (two feet 

 for early varieties and two and a half to three feet 

 for second early and main crop), and planted near 

 the surface and earthing up deeply, which are most 

 important, as the haulm makes strong growth and 

 the tubers develop freely in the freshly worked 

 soil, whilst the superfluous moisture is carried off 

 by the deep furrows on each side of the row. The 

 ground intended for potato cultivation should be 

 deeply dug before Christmas with a heavy dressing 

 of leaves buried in it, which should have been 

 lying by for some time previous ; then the shallow 

 drills should be made and the sets put in in rows of 

 twelve to fifteen inches apart. Then cover in with 

 a hoe, and as the growth appears above the surface 

 the soil should be drawn up round them and the 

 weeds hoed out. The final earthing up should not 

 take place till the haulms have grown a good 

 height, and then it is a good plan to sprinkle a little 

 artificial manure between the rows. 



Frost is a deadly enemy to potatoes, and the 

 morning frosts in May are very inimical to them ; 

 one hard frost will blacken and almost destroy 

 them. 



If light dry litter be placed a few inches over 

 them it will be found a great safeguard to frosty 

 weather. Sutton advises a few stout pegs on which 

 mats can be laid as being most efficacious. 



It is needless to say here that potatoes are 

 liable to the potato disease, as it is only too well 

 known the murrain or disease is a potato fungus, 

 and is supposed to be the result of much wet and 

 cold at the period of closing growth, when all bulbs 

 and tubers require an extra degree of dryness and 



