POTATO CULTUEE. 183 



thorough work in a few lines rather than half do more things. 

 Friend Boot was telling me the other day about a man 

 who would not buy our strawberry book because Terry wrote 

 part of it, and he didn't believe Terry ever raised so many 

 strawberries on half an acre as he told of, or he would keep 

 on doing it. Well, strawberries pay ; potatoes pay ; but we 

 found it not best for us to try to make them both pay to- 

 gether. While we were picking and selling $200 or $300 

 worth of berries, we could easily lose that much in the clover 

 and potato fields by not being right on time with haying and 

 tillage. That is the trouble with much of our mixed farm- 

 ing. I know you will not all own it, friends, Iput it is the 

 truth all the same. Half-way work does not pay any longer. 

 You undertake more than you can study over, and really do 

 the best you know how. We did so at first. We got a little 

 off the track growing berries to sell. As seasons run, there 

 is the most profit, and freedom from worry, on our farm, in 

 sticking right by the potatoes, wheat, and clover. Some- 

 times w r hen friend Root is here he says, u Why don't you do 

 this.? and why don't you go into raising tjiat V " I am afraid 

 he forgets that it is different with him. He can get any 

 amount of extra help at any time, and, of course, can over- 

 see many things. We farmers usually have to get along 

 with a fixed amount of help the season through ; and if we 

 get into a pinch we can not get extra help at any minute, 

 and hence we may lose on one thing what we make on an- 

 other. 



CARE OF POTATOES FOR EATING. 



All are interested in this. I have to. buy my potatoes to 

 eat this year, as we raised all Freeman, and can not afford 

 to eat them yet. I bought 50 bushels of a neighbor. He 

 brought us one bushel right from the field, when they were 

 digging. They were very white and nice. The next bushel 

 (he hadn't time to bring the whole lot) was quite poor. 

 Many were yellow, and almost green. I spoke to him about 

 'It, and he said, frankly, that they left that bushel standing 



