White Potato 



207 



Control: Injury to the vines is not serious. The greatest loss 

 comes from infested tubers. Plant deep and keep the vines 

 carefully hilled so as not to allow any of the tubers to become 

 exposed. When harvesting, do not leave any of the potatoes 

 exposed overnight. When potatoes are found infested in 

 storage, fumigate with carbon bisulfide at the rate of 2 lbs. 

 to 100 cu. ft. space, allowing the fumigation to continue for 

 48 hours. Repeat at intervals of a week in summer or two 

 weeks in winter. Do not plant potatoes after potatoes ; destroy 

 all solanaceous weeds. 



Potato tlea-beetle {Epitrix cucumeris) . — A small black 

 flea-beetle, ie in. long, that riddles the leaves with holes. 

 Control: Keep the plants thoroughly covered with bordeaux 

 mixture. When an arsenical is added for the control of the 

 potato beetle many of the fliea-beetles are also killed. 



The potato is such an important article of food and 

 commerce that much study has been given it and an ex- 

 tensive literature has developed. To the books and bulle- 

 tins the reader is referred if he intends to make anything 

 like a specialty of the crop. Although potatoes will grow 

 practically anywhere, within reason, yet real success in the 

 cultivation of them is a question of good soil and location 

 and of thoughtful experience. At this time only the 

 simplest advice may be given ; and of course this book has 

 in mind the vegetable-garden handling of the crop. 



The early potato crop, for market-gardening use, is se- 

 cured by (1) choosing " early ^' soil and site; (2) by pre- 

 paring the land the fall before, either by means of special 

 plowing or by growing a late-tilled crop; (3) by using 

 quickly available concentrated fertilizers; (4) by choos- 

 ing early varieties; (5) by sprouting the potatoes in a 

 warm place before planting (before the tubers are cut), 

 allowing the sprouts to become 3 to 6 inches long. It is a 



