CHAPTER XIX 



EARLY POTATOES — SPECIALTIES 



THE early potato, like all other early vege- 

 tables and fruit, is an "out of season" or 

 "semi-out of season" product, and con- 

 sequently brings a fancy price. 



Extraordinary conditions, either natural or arti- 

 ficial, are required for its production. 



The early potato is a specialty suited to the 

 colder part of the season in semitropical countries, 

 such as California, Mexico, Florida, and Texas. 



With artificial conditions of sprouting and 

 starting the crop, a large industry has been de- 

 veloped in Great Britain and the Channel Islands 

 during the past ten years. 



Protection from early frosts is a prime con- 

 sideration in sections where the climate is other 

 than strictly semitropical. There are great pos- 

 sibilities for the industry in the Sacramento Valley 

 and other sections of California. 



One great advantage of an early crop is that it 

 is matured and harvested before the time (August 

 and September) when the blights and other diseases 

 may ruin the late crops. 



Some work has been done by American experi- 

 ment stations in investigating the business. In 

 "Farmers' Bulletin 114" of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture is the following: "A 

 difference of two or three days or a week in the 

 placing of a crop on the market often makes a dif- 



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