The Irish Potato Crop 239 



Early perfectly fresh, and during the winter, when 



Bermudas ^j^^ potatoes from Bermuda make their 



appearance in the markets, the growers who have a 



surplus of these potatoes have found that they can 



take them up and barrel them fresh in double-head 



barrels and ship them to New York, where they are sold 



as New Bermuda potatoes. The only fraud is that they 



did not grow in Bermuda, for they are really better than 



the true Bermudas. The red skin Bliss is the potato 



used for this purpose, as the Bermudas are red skinned. 



The great crop of early Irish potatoes in 



Planting and the South has been brought about largely 



rowing t e |^ ^^^ increase in the manufacture and 

 Early Crop in -^ 

 the South quality of commercial fertilizers. And yet, 



while it is known that the earUest and clean- 

 est crop can be grown by the use of these it is also well 

 known that it is important for the crop that the soil be 

 well supphed with humus. This is especially important 

 as a means for preserving the moisture in the soil so 

 essential to the perfection of the potato crop. The best 

 soils for the crop are the sandy soils common to the coast 

 country of the South Atlantic States, and the getting into 

 these soils, where deficient, a full supply of organic matter 

 to decay and form humus is an important matter. In 

 some parts of this section there are large areas of soils 

 reclaimed from the peaty swamps where there is a super- 

 abundance of this vegetable decay, and the lack is mainly 

 for the mineral elements phosphorus and potassium. 

 But on the lighter soils it has been found essential to grow 

 the previous season a legume crop to furnish not only the 

 organic matter but the nitrogen largely that is needed for 



