POTATOES 167 



With careful attention, these should grow very 

 rapidly and should supply the table with potatoes 

 long before the regular crop is ready. 



Later Potatoes 



Advantages of Raising Late Varieties. — It is 



generally wiser to depend for the main crop upon 

 the later standard varieties, which are well rep- 

 resented by the Green Mountain, Gold Coin, and 

 Carmen. There are several reasons for this : 



In the first place, there is no hurry about getting 

 the seed into the ground, so planting can be left 

 till all danger of frost is over. This is important, 

 as the potato is sensitive to cold. ' 



The standard potatoes, planted after warm weather 

 has come, are in less danger of attacks from the 

 Colorado beetle, or potato bug, which now inhabits 

 nearly every part of the land. Having a strong 

 and rapid growth, they overcome accidents and 

 natural obstacles with greater success. It is a well- 

 founded opinion that the later potatoes are more 

 free from blight than those planted before them. 

 This is probably due to the fact that the plant is 

 exposed a shorter time, and the microscopic spores 

 which cause the blight get less chance to find a 

 lodging in its fohage. It is generally true that the 

 stronger and more rapid the growth of the plant, 

 the more certainty there will be of a generous 

 harvest. 



