Cultural Directions. 239 



sprouts before planting. Here we probably have the secret why 

 "northern-grown" seed gives so much better satisfaction to 

 southern planters than seed from their own localities. 



EARLY CROPS. The same methods suited for the production 

 of early potatoes in the market garden may also be adopted for 

 the family garden, and for small-scale operations generally. 



The southern states supply the chief markets of the north 

 with young potatoes long before the northern near-by grower 

 can get his crop ready. It may be true that the southern potato 

 grower takes the cream ; but the milk that is left is yet very 

 acceptable to the northern grower, who manages now to get his 

 crop into market a little in advance of the rush, thus securing 

 quite remunerative prices in spite of all southern competition. 

 Earliness must be the foremost aim. 



As means to this end we have (first), a judicious selection of 

 soil, which should be well-drained, warm, somewhat sandy, and 

 full of vegetable matter ; (second), the selection of earliest good 

 varieties, such, for instance, as Early Ohio and Early Sunrise ; 

 (third), the use of well-preserved seed tubers ; (fourth), reasonably 

 heavy seeding ; (fifth), early planting, in a sheltered situation if 

 possible ; (sixth), stimulation of the plants by high feeding and 

 high cultivation to induce rapid development ; (seventh), digging 

 and marketing j ust as soon as the tubers are in merchantable 

 condition. 



GARDEN CULTURE. Early in spring the ground is thoroughly 

 plowed and harrowed, and the furrows marked out with a one- 

 horse plow, 2*4 or 3 feet apart. Market gardeners, following 

 their natural instincts and habits of close planting, usually have 

 the rows 2 l / 2 feet apart. I find it more convenient for cultivation 

 to make them for early sorts at same distance as for the late ones, 

 3 feet apart. If any fertilizer is applied in the bottom of the 

 furrows say a dressing of fine compost, wood ashes, hen manure, 

 or " special potato manure," it is well mixed with the soil, and the 

 latter at the same time nicely pulverized, by running a shovel- 

 plow once or twice along in each furrow. On a small scale this 

 may be accomplished by plying the hand hoe. 



The seed pieces are then dropped 10 or 12 inches apart in 

 the furrows, and covered about two inches deep with the hoe. 

 Some good special potato fertilizer may now be scattered along 

 the rows above the covered seed pieces, say at the rate of from 

 400 to 800 Ibs. per acre; and if the land is not rich in accumu- 

 lated plant food, a small dressing of nitrate of soda, broadcast, 

 will assist in bringing out an early and thrifty growth of foliage. 

 The cultivator (Planet Jr., or a similar narrow-bladed wheel-hoe) 

 should be used very freely ; and as the plants grow, the furrows 

 are filled up level with the surface. Hilling is neither required 

 nor beneficial. The old style of ridging by means of a winged 



