AND GUIDE TO THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 113 i 



— i 



ROOTS AND PLANTS. 



POTATOES. 



Selection and Preparation of the Soil. — A deep, tlioroiighly drained, light sandy loam, or 

 peaty soil, is the most suitable for the potato. The application of manure for this crop is now generally 

 held to increase its liability to be attacked by disease, to bring it on at an earlier jicriod than would 

 otherwise be the ease, and also to produce large crops of imperfectly matured tubers, which if they 

 escape the disease while in the ground, arc more liable to be attacked after they are lifted than those 

 grown on poorer soil. The ground selected, therefore, should be in fair condition, from having been 

 moderately manured for some.-exhaustiiig green crop in the jircvious season. But if the only land to 

 be had is so poor as to render it necessary to apply manure in order to ensure a fair crop, then use 

 charred vegetable refuse, or a very light dressing of well dccay^jd farm or stable-yard manure. The 

 ground should be trenched two spades' deep, and ridded up early in antumu ; and if manure 

 is applied this should be well mixed with the soil. Charred vegetable refuse, however, may be 

 applied about the sets when they are planted. We believe tiiat a slight sprinkling scattered along 

 the trench before planting, and then used in covering the sets, has, to some extent, proved a preventa- 

 tive of disease. 



Time and Manner of Planting. — Plant as early in January as the ground can be found in 

 fair working condition. We have no hesitation in saying, that early planting has hitherto proved 

 the best preventative against the attacks of disease ; for, as the crops sooner anive at maturity, they 

 frequently escape altogether, or suffer comparatively little. A small breadth of the ash-leaved 

 kidney should be planted on a south border, or in the warmest and most sheltered situation at com- 

 mand, to furnish an early supply. In planting, let the ground be neatly levelled, then, beginning at 

 one side, dig it over about six inches deep, and put in the sets in the openings at proper distances, 

 which must be regulated by the growth of the variety. The lines for the early kinds, as ash-leaved, 

 &c., which form but small tops, may be about twenty inches apart, leaving about nine inches between 

 the sets, but for the second early varieties two feet should be allowed between the lines, and ten 

 inches between the sets. The late kinds will require two feet six inches between the lines, and ten 

 inches between the sets in the line. The sets should be covered about six inches, leaving the soil 

 over them as open aiid loose as possible. On strong heavy land the ash-leaved and other weakly 

 growers should not be covered more than four inches. Planting in autumn has been strongly 

 recommended, and on light well drained land, this may safely be practised — the crop will probably 

 be both earlier and more abundant than from sjtring planting ; but the plan has not answered the 

 expectations which were entertained respecting it as a means of enabling the crop to escape disease. 

 All things considered, we think that planting early in spring is to be preferred ; and this should be 

 done as early as the weather and the state of the ground will allow. 



After Management. — When the tojis arc four to six inches above the ground, ridge the soil up 

 neatly about them. In the case of the early varieties, which may be in danger of suffering from the 

 frost, the soil should be kept ridged up round the shoots as soon as they appear above the ground, 

 keeping them covered until they are four to six inches high, and all danger of frost is past. Before 

 earthing up, fork the ground lightly between the lines, so as to pulverize the soil, then draw it to the 

 plants with a hoe or spade. Keep the ground clear of weeds. When the crop attams matm-ity, lift 

 and store ; or if the disease is troublesome before the tubers are ripe, lay the shoots down along the 

 top of the ridge and cover them with soil. This seems to be the most successful method known at 

 present of cheeking the ravages of the disease. The crop should be taken up, however, as soon as 

 possible after disease makes its appearance, and the tubers stacked and temporarily covered in some 

 place where they can be examined occasionally. When the disease appears to have done its worst 

 work; pit them in the usual manner, covering them sufficiently to protect them against severe frost. 



The following varieties -ivc offer as most worthy of cultivation : — 



ROUND POTATOES. 



per peck of Hlljs. 



Sarly Kandsworth. Of 74 varieties grown at the Horticultural Society's Gardens, 



Chiswiek, the Handsworth was the earliest by ten days 4 0 



„ ■ Coveiit Garden Prolific, a first-class variety, very early, a heavy cropper, 



fine flavoured, and does not grow much to top 3 6 



„ Oxford 3 0 



„ Shaw 2 6 



Dalmahoy, a first-rate second early 2 6 



British Queen 2 6 



Flour Ball ."" 2 6 



Regents ; 2 6 



KIDlSrEY POTATOES. 



Early Ash-leaf, true 3 6 



. „ Walnut-leaf, true 3 6 



Webb's Imperial, a new variety, raised by Mr. Webb, of Calcot ; it is an immense 

 cropper, resists the disease better than most others, is very handsome, and, what is of 



great consequence, may be cooked from July to June 3 6 



Jackson's Improved, somewhat later than the Ash-leaf, but a more abundant cropper 4 0 



Daw's matchless, very handsome, fine flavoured and very prolific, ready in August, 



and much in demand in Covent Garden 3 0 



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