50 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



Earthing Up. Early varieties that are soon 

 through the ground are better to have some fine soil 

 drawn up over the shoots in the early stages as a pro- 

 tection against late frosts. But the final earthing 

 up of all varieties should be done when the plants are 

 6 to 8 inches high. This should be done with the 

 draw-hoe, so as to form broad, well-formed drills 

 with a good bulk of soil along each side. Drills of 

 this sort are better able to hold moisture and heat, 

 and later in the season reduce the risk of injury to 

 the tubers through exposure to the air and to disease 

 spores. Avoid making narrow drills that run up to 

 a sharp ridge at the top. It only remains to keep the 

 drills clean by hand weeding until the time arrives 

 for lifting the crop. 



Lifting and Storing. Early varieties are usually 

 lifted gradually for use during July and August ; but 

 as soon as they are quite ripe, and the shaws or 

 haulm withered, they should at once be lifted and 

 stored as a precaution against the inroads of potato 

 disease. This also applies to second early varieties, 

 which ripen in September, though it is advisable to 

 leave them in the ground so long as they retain a 

 fair amount of green foliage and the tubers are 

 increasing in size and weight. They keep in better 

 condition when well ripened. 



Main-crop potatoes are lifted when ripe in October, 

 early or late in the month according to the locality, 

 the season, and conditions of growth in the crop. 

 They have reached this stage when, on being rubbed, 

 the skins of the tubers are found to be " set " and 

 firm, or when the shaws are quite withered and can 

 be pulled out easily without bringing any tubers along 



