ESCULENT-ROOTED PLANTS— THE POTATO. 



217 



from the striking-bed, all shoots are removed 

 except the main one, and they are planted 4 

 inches deep. Radishes are then sown thinly 

 over them, covering lightly with mould. When 

 the haulm of the potato has grown to about 6 

 inches in height, the points are nipped off : this is 

 done in order to give the radishes fair play; 

 and although it may stop the growth for a few 

 days, still the crop is always excellent. The 

 plants are never moulded up, a plan which 

 weakens the potato more than anything else. 

 After planting, nothing more is required but to 

 admit plenty of air, and give water," and, of 

 course, exclude frost : " the crop is not dug up 

 until it has come to maturity." Potatoes are 

 also largely grown in hooped beds in the open 

 ground, the tubers being sprouted as above 

 described. " The beds or ridges are dug out 2 

 feet deep in January, filled with hot dung, and 

 covered with the surrounding mould to the 

 depth of 10 inches. The potatoes are taken up 

 and planted 5 inches deep, and above all ra- 

 dishes are sown. The ridges are then hooped 

 over, allowing about 2 feet of space in the 

 middle between the mould and the hoop. They 

 are covered with mats and straw ; but, as soon 

 as the radish has come up, they are uncovered 

 daily, and covered again every night. This is 

 continued till the potatoes are ready for digging 

 in May; for sometimes large losses are occa- 

 sioned by a sudden change of weather on cold 

 April nights." As regards the sorts grown for 

 early forcing, our authority also states that Mr 

 Fitch, a very extensive grower at Fulham, cul- 

 tivates the true early shaw: many grow the 

 ash-leaved kidney, because it always fetches the 

 highest price ; while Mr Cuthill himself prefers 

 the lapstone kidney, as being the best flavoured, 

 most mealy and productive. This variety is a 

 great favourite with us ; but we have not found 

 it so good for forcing as the ash-leaved kidney 

 and golden dwarf. 



The following deception is common in the 

 early-potato trade : The old tubers of the Corn- 

 wall kidneys are kept back till July, and then 

 planted. " They grow fast, but the crop never 

 ripens before frost sets in ; as soon as the haulm 

 is cut down, large quantities of straw are put on 

 the ground, and towards Christmas the tubers 

 are dug up, put into 1-lb. and 2-lb. baskets, and 

 sold for new potatoes at from 6d. to 8d. per lb." 

 They are full of water and tasteless, and the 

 skin remains firmly attached ; and, when cooked, 

 they have very little resemblance to new pota- 

 toes, except in size and external appearance. 

 The substitution of immaturely-ripened pota- 

 toes — of a variety known as the Dutch winter 

 potatoes, for early-forced ones — is largely 

 practised in Covent Garden market. Twenty- 

 five years ago, we had these potatoes sent 

 from Holland, with instructions to plant in 

 autumn in the open ground, and statement that 

 they would grow all winter, and be fit for use 

 early in spring. The result was, that the tubers 

 came into use exactly at the same time as did 

 those of the ash-leaved kidney and several others 

 planted in March. This is a small round potato, 

 with a very uniform outline and smooth skin, 

 by no means uncommon in the vegetable mar- 



kets abroad as one of their ordinary sorts. If 

 the old tubers be kept back till July and then 

 planted, an abundant crop of immaturely- 

 formed young tubers will be found at the 

 roots ; and, if kept in the ground till they are 

 required, they have all the external appearance 

 of fine forced potatoes, but not one of their 

 qualities. 



Young potatoes, during winter, are produced 

 by selecting the largest tubers of almost any 

 variety in spring, placing them in a cool cellar 

 to retard vegetation. The embryo sprouts as 

 they appear are rubbed off until the month 

 of August or September, when they are removed 

 to a warmer place — the floor of a mushroom- 

 house, for example. Here they are laid upon a 

 bed of light sandy soil, about 10 inches apart 

 from each other; they are then covered over 

 with similar soil 4 or 5 inches deep, watered 

 with tepid water, and allowed to remain so till 

 December, at which time numbers of young 

 potatoes will be found attached to the old tubers 

 by a transformation of the matter in the latter 

 into young potatoes, and this without the pro- 

 duction of stems or leaves. They may, for the 

 same purpose, be packed in soil in old casks, 

 boxes, or, indeed, anything that will keep the 

 soil together ; and they may be placed in any 

 out-of-the-way place, if in a temperature of from 

 50° to 60°. 



Taking the crop, and subsequent preserva- 

 tion. — The early varieties are taken up 

 for use as they attain the required size, 

 which, in warm exposures, will be about 

 the beginning of June, and so on till the 

 middle of July in less favourable places. 

 Some remove the soil partially from about 

 the roots, and gather the largest tubers, 

 leaving the smaller ones for a week or so 

 longer, in the expectation of their attaining 

 a larger size. It is seldom, however, that 

 this mode of proceeding realises the hopes 

 of the grower, for the potato, if once dis- 

 turbed at the roots, seldom recovers the 

 check. It is, therefore, better to take up 

 the crop as it is required, and immedi- 

 ately replant the ground with something 

 else. For private use, only as many 

 should be taken up daily as may be re- 

 quired for that day, as they will not keep 

 good above a day or two ; and hence the 

 inferior quality of those young potatoes 

 brought to the London markets from the 

 Continent, compared with those grown in 

 the vicinity. The end of May in England, 

 and the beginning of June in favoured 

 spots in Scotland, is the commencement of 

 potato-taking; while, on less favoured situ- 

 ations, it is delayed till the beginning of 

 July, even where partially protected. A 

 week's delay in commencing on the crop 

 is of much importance to the bulk and 



