92 POTATO CULTURE. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Cultivation. 



All questions connected with the putting in of the crop 

 have now been considered. We will suppose you have the 

 best varieties for your soil and circumstances, and the best 

 of seed, properly cut, and planted on suitable land, all well 

 drained, and fitted and fed in the very best way. You have 

 done rightly so far, but you must not stop giving the crop 

 your most thoughtful attention daily, right along, for two 

 months or more yet. After that you may take it easy for a 

 while, and leave the rest to Providence. But don't you trust 

 in Providence in the slightest degree during these two 

 months, until you have done all you can yourself. Then go 

 to bed at night and don't worry a particle, but sleep soundly, 

 in the full assurance that a kind Father will give you your 

 reward in proportion to the efforts put forth. Would that I 

 could impress on every mind the importance of spending all 

 your energies in faithful work, and none in worrying. And 

 still it has been a hard lesson for us to learn. One year it 

 was very hot and dry. We began digging potatoes for early 

 market ; and, getting only about 90 bushels per acre, we felt 

 pretty blue, although we got 90 cents a bushel for them. It 

 seemed as though they would soon go down to 40 or 50 cents ; 

 and although we had never before tried so hard to do our 

 best, we were not going to get even a fair reward. Yes, 

 friends, I can well remember now that I thought Providence 

 was treating us pretty hard. But how did it end ? We kept 

 on working the dry hot surface in our fields, even after we 

 began marketing; and some sprinkles of rain came and 

 helped us out a little. Prices advanced instead of going 

 down, and the potatoes turned out better and better. Soon 

 we were getting $50 a load for potatoes, or more, and going 



