THE POTATO 491 



best adapted for the production of alcohol. In 

 some parts of Germany a mealy potato is popular, 

 while in others the watery variety is preferred. 

 The hard, mealy tubers are found to keep better 

 through the winter than the others. A loose and 

 not too heavy soil is preferably chosen for this cul- 

 ture, as in a heavy soil the crop is likely to deteri- 

 orate or become diseased. In the proximity of 

 large cities farmers seek to raise favorite table 

 varieties, and in the remote, and particularly the 

 northern, portions of the country the crop goes 

 to a large extent to the alcohol distilleries or starch 

 factories, or to cattle feeding purposes. In por- 

 tions of the empire where grain is a large crop 

 potatoes are planted every fifth or sixth year. 

 Cabbage also is raised for rotating purposes be- 

 tween wheat and rye, or other cereals. Should 

 the demand for this vegetable be considerably in- 

 creased there are large tracts of marsh and heath 

 land in northern Germany which could be im- 

 proved and made to yield potatoes in fair quan- 

 tities. 



"The success of the German farmer with potatoes 

 has largely resulted from the necessity of securing 

 an income from soil which could hardly be utilized 

 for anything else, and upon such soils, in addition 

 to stable manure, large quantities of industrial 

 fertilizers are also applied. In connection with 

 experiments made by order of the Director of the 

 Botanical Garden of Hamburg, the following in- 

 dustrial fertilizers have been successfully used for 

 the cultivation of potatoes : 



Kainit 0.7 tons per hectare (2.47 acres) 



Thomas meal 0.5 " " 



Chilean nitrate... 0.3 " " 



