92 CONTTKUOUS CROPPING 



It is therefore necessary to spray the crop before the 

 disease makes its appearance. Two sprayings at least 

 should be given, the first one as soon as ever the potato 

 tops are about 6 inches high, and the second about 

 three or four weeks later. 



In practice it will be found that the most convenient 

 time to spray is immediately after the first and second 

 moulding of the crop. It will scarcely be necessary to 

 spray the earlies, as they will be dug, in most years, 

 before the blight has made its appearance, and, further, 

 they won't be stored, but sold as soon as dug. 



The spraying mixture is applied with a small knap- 

 sack spraying machine, which costs about 36s. From 

 80 to 100 gallons of the mixture are required per statute 

 acre. 



THE STORING OF POTATOES 



Now as to the pitting of potatoes. It is something 

 of a paradox to say so, but in pitting potatoes never 

 put them in a pit ; that is to say, make the clamp, or 

 pile as it is sometimes called, on the level surface of the 

 land. 



Very, very often a pit of from 9 inches to 12 inches 

 deep is dug and into this the potatoes are put and 

 then built up into the form of a pyramid like a clamp 

 of mangolds. This system means that there will be 

 about 9 or 12 inches deep of potatoes below the surface 

 of the land, and in anything like a wet winter the 

 potatoes are bound to become damp. Therefore, start 

 the pit on the level land and on the highest piece of 

 land in the field, or whei-ever else the potatoes are 

 pitted. 



CLAMPING POTATOES 



INIake the pit about 3 feet 6 inches or 4 feet wide at the 

 bottom, and let it taper off to a point, using the big 



