278 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



danger of their becoming greened, another 2in. of moist com- 

 post must be spread all over the surface. Great judgment is 

 required in giving water ; if the weather is wet or dull probably 

 none will be required, whilst if it is dry and bright several 

 waterings may be needed. In any case, every care must be 

 taken to keep the soil nicely moist but not sodden. A light 

 crop of radishes can be taken from between the rows whilst the 

 Potatoes are growing. By the middle of May the frames will 

 be available for growing cucumbers or vegetable marrows. 



For cold-frame work, when the equipment of ordinary frames 

 and lights is insufficient, two rows of parallel boards and any 

 old but sound lights will answer very well (a detailed descrip- 

 tion of this method of constructing cold frames will be found 

 on pages 132 and 133). Where lights are not available the 

 frames alone, covered with mats each night, will produce crops 

 earlier than when the beds are entirely in the open-air. For 

 cold-frame work it is necessary to lay down a bed of rich 

 compost, 9in. deep, on top of the ordinary soil, and to plant well 

 sprouted sets at the beginning of March. 



Spraying. There is an ever-present enemy of the Potato 

 crop which no up-to-date grower can afford to disregard the 

 Potato disease, Phytophthora infestans. The crop is subject 

 to attack from several other fungoid diseases, but this one 

 is the most to be feared, for whilst it is always present in 

 some degree in various parts of the country, occasionally its 

 ravages are very serious, few crops escaping altogether. At 

 the same time, if the conditions of healthy growth, already 

 indicated, are carefully observed and only good sound seed of 

 vigorous varieties used, although immunity cannot be expected 

 a long step will have been made in that direction. But beyond 

 this, the careful grower ought to do everything that lies in his 

 power to protect his crops from serious infection by system- 

 atically spraying the haulms with Bordeaux mixture, made 

 according to the directions given in the section on Insect and 

 Fungoid Pests. Where Potatoes are cultivated on large areas 

 one of the modern implements designed especially for spraying 

 this crop will naturally be taken advantage of, but for small 

 places one or two ordinary knapsack machines will be found to 

 fulfil all requirements. 



