170 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



POTATO. 



French, Pomme de terre. German, KartoffeL Spanish, Papa. 



KIDNEY. WESTERN RED. BLUE-NOSE. CARTER. MERCER, &C. 



BRIEF DIRECTIONS. 



Plant in rows from two feet to thirty inches apart, in rich, 

 warm soil, and cover three or four inches deep. Dress them 

 with plaster as soon as they are well up, and hoe often, hilling 

 them carefully, but not high, in the process. 



Time : for early crop, plant at the very first opening of 

 spring North or South. For the main crop, a few weeks later, 

 which at New York may be in the beginning of May. 



The culture of the potato is so well known that it need 

 scarcely be mentioned as a garden vegetable, except with a par- 

 ticular object, viz., the raising of very early potatoes. For this 

 purpose the sets should have some special preparation. If se- 

 lected in advance, and placed in a warm room or cellar, so that 

 they start to grow about half an inch or a little more before 

 planting, and then be put in with care, and promptly covered 

 from the sun, they will, if the season prove favorable, go right 

 on to their maturity, and some time will be gained. 



For this crop select a very warm spot, and manure it thor- 

 oughly with fresh warm stable manure dug or plowed in. 

 Plant the sets at about one foot apart, in rows two and a half 

 feet wide, either in an opened shallow furrow or in holes made 

 for the purpose with the hoe ; in either case, dressing with a 

 half handful of plaster, or lime, or bone-dust, to each set, and 

 covering them about three inches deep. 



Or the manure may be laid thickly in the planting furrows, 

 made deeper for this purpose, and the sets be laid immediately 

 upon it, and dressed and covered as before directed. 



If the weather prove cold after planting, a light covering of 

 litter or coarse manure spread upon the surface will be a ben- 

 efit. 



Let the hoeing be performed promptly and deeply when they 

 appear above ground, and repeated again and again, dressing 



