96 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



to do the work neatly, or the leaf growth will be checked to the 

 injury of the crop. Light dustings will suffice to render the plant 

 unpalatable without interfering with its health, but a heavy careless 

 hand will do more harm than all the insects by loading the leafage 

 with obnoxious matter. The one great enemy of the Pea crop is our 

 old loquacious neighbour, the sparrow, whose depredations begin 

 with the appearance of the plant, and are renewed from the moment 

 when the pods contain something worth having. Other small birds 

 haunt the ground, but the sparrow is the leader of the gang. 

 Ordinary frighteners used in the ordinary way are of little use ; the 

 best are lines, to which at intervals white feathers, or strips of white 

 paper, or pieces of bright tin are attached. We have found the 

 surest way to guard the crop against feathered plunderers is to 

 have work in hand on the plot, so as to keep up a constant bustle, 

 and this shows the advantage of putting the rows at such a distance 

 as will allow the formation of Celery trenches between them. We 

 want a crop to come off, and another to be put on while the Peas are 

 in bearing ; and early Potatoes, to be followed by Celery, may be 

 suggested as a rotation suitable in many instances. Even then the 

 birds will have a good time of it in the morning, unless the workmen 

 are on the ground early. However, on this delicate point, the ' early 

 bird' that carries a spade will have an advantage, because the 

 sparrow is really a late riser, and does not begin business imtil other 

 birds have had breakfast, and have finished at least one musical 

 performance. 



POTATO 



(Solatium tuberosuni] 



THE POTATO has been designated the ' King of the Kitchen Garden,' 

 and perhaps we should so regard it. Of its importance it would be 

 idle to speak ; but we may be permitted to remark that in our opinion 

 the Potato is destined to a far higher position, not only in our daily 

 dietary, but in the useful and decorative arts, as well as in various 

 manufactures, than it has attained to as yet. The exceedingly simple 

 manner in which gum may be prepared from Potato starch, the cheap 

 rate at which a good substitute for arrowroot may be produced, and 

 the ready manufacture from the Potato, after the starch is removed 

 from it, of substantial imitations of horn and ivory, suggest that in 

 this root there is more wealth hidden than has hitherto been dreamt 



