io6 POPULAR VEGETABLES 



the most favoured, but generally the most widely 

 grown, is the Potato. Of vegetable products Potatoes 

 rank next to Wheat, hence their great value in 

 national economy. We grow in Britain some of the 

 best varieties in the world, and probably obtain some 

 of the heaviest crops, and in spite of occasional disease 

 attacks, very seldom seriously harmful, can produce 

 all we need for our ordinary supply, being dependent 

 on external sources only for very early importations 

 during the early spring months. Ordinarily our 

 home stocks furnish all that is needed from the middle 

 of June till the end of February, and even then many 

 consumers prefer to eat the old tubers to having those 

 usually watery and immature ones which come in so 

 abundantly from the Canary and Channel Islands and 

 from France. Once young, home-grown Potatoes 

 are in, imported ones find no favour. 



In the production of good Potatoes the most 

 important points are : first, suitable and well-prepared 

 soil ; second, sound seed tubers and good varieties ; 

 third, thin planting and proper summer culture ; 

 fourth, freedom from disease and careful storage. 



Soils. All are not suitable for Potatoes naturally, 

 although much may be done to make them so by 

 deep trenching or digging, liberal manuring for some 

 previous crops, plentiful dressings of lime, soot, wood 

 ashes and artificial manures, and any well-decayed vege- 

 table matter, especially tree leaves. All these substances 

 prove most helpful in converting poor soils into those 

 of great productiveness, when allied to deep culture. 



