94 A MANUAL OF 



THE POTATO. 



NOTES ON THE NEWER VARIETIES. 



PROBABLY no vegetable in the catalogues is 

 of greater importance, the world over, than 

 the potato. Therefore, any hints by which the 

 grower may be enabled to improve his crop, 

 in yield or quality, must be regarded as season- 

 able. Good crops may be grown on a great 

 variety of soils ; but a deep, light, sandy loam, 

 or a thoroughly drained peaty soil, is most 

 suitable. A heavy application of stable manure 

 will greatly increase the size of the tubers, and 

 also the general yield ; but it will also increase 

 their liability to rot : so that it is not advisa- 

 ble to apply fresh stable manures largely, 

 except in case of early varieties, designed for 

 marketing as soon as dug. 



However, we have never yet observed any 

 damaging influence from the use of horse- 

 manure with which plenty of litter has been 

 mixed, and think the loosening properties 

 which such materials have are exactly adapted 

 to the wants of the potato. The best possible 

 position for potatoes is where a light soil has 

 been heavily manured the year previous for 



