32 POTATO CULTUKE. 



There are many advantages. We are quite likely to have 

 showery weather here in July, and that is a good time to 

 have a crop ripen. It is a great advantage to have them 

 ripen slowly. Blight seldom injures the early-planted early 

 potatoes. They are out of the way before blight weather 

 gets around much. The crop is secured before the hottest 

 and dryest weather of the season, as a rule. The spring 

 moisture, by careful tillage and by having plenty of veget- 

 able matter in the soil (clover plowed under), can be made to 

 carry a crop through pretty well, even in a bad season. We 

 can get crops off during good weather and long days, and 

 get a grain crop growing in good season. An early crop is 

 very seldom injured by rot. There will be now and then a 

 year when the early crop can be carried through so as to 

 yield quite well, arid a dry hot fall injures the late crop 

 seriously. The early man has his crop made, and reaps a 

 rich harvest then. We have done just this thing, time and 

 again, while it is seldom that the late planting will give 

 much better results than the early. This is my best opinion, 

 from long experience and observation that a skillful man 

 in Ohio will make the most in the long run by early planting. 

 But we do not sell early. We dig as soon as ripe, so as to 

 put in wheat, but sell when we can do best usually, late 

 years, along in October. 



In this latitude, Ohio, I would not plant at a medium time. 

 If not early, wait until late, and have potatoes ripen during 

 the cool weather of fall. Many large growers all over the 

 country practice this plan. They have one advantage they 

 can sell from the field as they dig, and will lose less shrink- 

 age ; but they do not have as good weather to do their work 

 in, as a rule. 



It must always be remembered, however, that it takes 

 land rather better fed, other things being equal, to grow 

 early potatoes. They ripen in less time, and before Nature 

 has had as much chance for making available plant-food. 

 You need to assist her a little more if you hurry her up. I 



