202 POTATO CULTUKE. 



the crop under in such conditions. Therefore he plowed it 

 all over, and was going to put it in corn.* 



Just as 1 was stepping into the buggy to leave, our young 

 friend said we must hold on just long enough to see his 

 potatoes in the cellar. Although it was the last week in 

 May, he had not yet planted them, and did not propose to 

 plant them for some little time. His forte is late potatoes, 

 and he does not undertake to put in wheat after them, as 

 friend Terry does. In fact, he has a rotation of his own fash- 

 ion, suiting his own needs. The cellar was closed up as tight 

 as a bandbox.- Not a bit of air nor light could get in. A 

 hundred bushels of potatoes which he had selected and saved 

 for planting were piled up in the celrar ; and so cool was it 

 kept that scarcely a sprout had begun to show, even though 

 it was in May. He raises principally the Monroe Seedling ; 

 and every time I go p-ist his place late in the fall I enjoy 

 looking at the bright clean green foliage that is sure to be 

 been in his potato held just before frost. Somebody told me 

 that he had last season about 1400 bushels, for which he 

 received over $1400. You may say he was lucky in having a 

 big crop when there was a general scarcity ; but I tell you it 

 was more hard thinking and prompt acting at just the right 

 time than it was luck. 



VISIT NO. 2, AUGUST 5. 



About June 1 I saw the potatoes that he intended to plant 

 spread out in his cool cellar with scarcely a sprout on them ; 

 and in this present visit, Aug. 5, we bad just been having a 

 nice rain, and I supposed he would be out among them. On 

 inquiry I learned that such was the case. A bright little 

 girl and a couple of boys volunteered to take me down to 

 the held" where their papa was at work. As we passed 

 through the garden I began to make exclamations of sur- 

 prise to see it looking so well during our severe, drouth. The 

 children. I found, knew all about it. They could tell me 

 just where the Snyder blackberries wore, the Agawam, and 

 all the other varieties. My youngest brother, wno was just 



* You see, the point is,: that an expert farmer will not undertake to 

 produce a crop unless he has the conditions something- near what he 

 thin ks3 they ought to be. I have frequently had ground fitted ready 

 to plant, just as he did; but I went ahead and put in the seed, thinking 

 I could not very well help the matter. Of course, this field 100 rods long 

 was:_doing things on a little larger scale, and it would be rather expen- 

 sive business to go ahead when there is a strong probability of failure 

 over so large a piece. 



