EARLY POTATOES. 



527 



Fig. 299. 



They would be the better for the lights for a few days. In 

 this way they will be found to do better than when grown 

 in a stove, and probably prove a more grateful vegetable 

 than the Chinese yam in its best state. 



Early Potatoes. — The supply of early Potatoes for the 

 market is an important branch of industry about Paris, a 

 considerable portion of the slopes of the hill sides to the 

 north of St. Cloud being devoted to it. I only speak of 

 the subject here to point out that the cultivators commonly 

 allow the Potatoes to sprout vigorously indoors before plant- 

 ing them out, and thus secure crops so early as to have 

 them out of the ground in time to put in summer crops. 

 Some of the houses of the cultivators are stored with 

 Potatoes freely exposed to the light in winter. It matters 

 little where they are placed, 

 provided they enjoy plenty 

 of light and are kept per- 

 fectly free from frost. The 

 usual plan is to have a room 

 fitted up with rough shelves, 

 and placing the Potatoes in 

 the old oyster and fruit 

 baskets of the markets, 

 store them on the shelves 

 till ready to plant out. 



Or the shelves may be dispensed with, and rough wooden 

 trays, with feet like those shown in the accompanying figure, 

 used instead. These may be piled one above another, and 

 may be quickly made out of old boards by the commonest 

 workmen. 



Only one layer of tubers should be placed in each basket 

 or box. The variety used is a Kidney Potato, the Marjolin : 

 the roots are in preparation as described so early as No- 

 vember, and are planted out in February, the crop being 

 gathered in May and June. There is no need to warm the 

 place they are in, except indeed to keep the frost from 

 getting in, as the tubercles get on very well without it. In 

 case they show signs of weakness, the windows of the house 

 should be opened whenever the state of the weather allows 



Early Potatoes arranged for ' 

 indoors. 



Sprouting ' 



