PLANTING 187 



Florida command high prices in February and March. As the 

 season progresses, localities farther north take their turn in supply- 

 ing the markets, until finally in June or July the northern cities 

 are supplied with new potatoes by their own local gardeners. Local 

 gardeners also usually supply the markets with mature tubers 

 during the early fall months, before the main crop ripens in the 

 distinctively potato regions of the North. 



For the early crop, early varieties are grown, such as Triumph, 

 Early Ohio, and Irish Cobbler. The Triumph is especially valuable 

 where the soil is someAvhat heavy. This is a red-skinned variety, 

 valued chiefly on account of its extreme earliness, and is of little 

 merit for table use except in the immature stage. For the main 

 crop later varieties are grown, which produce larger tubers and 

 larger yields. 



Soil. — In general, potatoes thrive best on rich, sandy loam 

 containing plenty of humus. The tubers are able to develop 

 better in such a soil than in a silt or clay loam and are also likely 

 to be of better quality. 



For an early crop of potatoes in central latitudes, the ground 

 should be plowed in the fall. Since a good supply of humus is 

 needed in the soil, it is advisable to apply a heavy dressing of 

 manure previous to the plowing, or to plow under a clover sod 

 or a catch crop of vetch or cowpeas. As soon as the soil reaches 

 workable condition in the spring, it should be disked or re-plowed, 

 depending upon its type and condition, and the potatoes planted 

 immediately. Often commercial fertilizers rich in potassium are 

 applied while fitting the land for planting or during the planting 

 process. 



Planting. — Potatoes should be planted about four inches deep, 

 so that the tubers will have room to develop without being exposed 

 to the sun or necessitating the hilling up of the soil against the 

 row. Hilling potatoes is a common practice, but results in injury 

 to the roots and unnecessary loss of moisture from the soil at a 

 time when the crop is most in need of moisture. Except in shallow 

 or poorly drained soils it is best to plant the potatoes deep and 

 give them level culture. 



Small areas of potatoes are planted by hand, while large areas 

 are often planted by special machinery. For hand planting, the 

 land is furrowed out by means of a single-shovel or turning plow, 

 and the seed pieces dropped by hand in a straight line along the 

 bottom of the furrow. The furrows are then filled in with the 



