212 The Sweet Potato 



difference between fall and spring prices is always con- 

 siderable and is worthy of calculation in determining 

 the best season in which to market. 



If the grower caters to the extra early market, the 

 earliest varieties should be grown. In the South, poss- 

 ibly the Nancy Halls and Triumphs will come earliest. 

 The first mentioned also makes a good potato for the 

 middle and late market, but the latter is seriously dis- 

 criminated against as soon as the yellow varieties come 

 in. Proper fertilization is also a material aid to the 

 early crop. 



If the bulk of the crop is to be marketed at digging 

 time to local canning factories, yellow varieties must 

 be grown, but no special attention need be paid to early 

 strains or special fertilization for early production. 



When the crop is to be marketed during the spring 

 months after storing, special care must be used to pro- 

 vide adequate and efficient storage facilities and to 

 avoid loss from decay by improper handling and unscien- 

 tific manipulation of the storage-house. The time of 

 selling, whether on the early, middle, or late markets, 

 will vitally influence all other operations of production 

 and must necessarily be considered in devising an effi- 

 cient marketing system. 



Containers. 



The Bureau of Markets, United States Department 

 of Agriculture, as well as many cooperative associations 

 and private dealers, have given considerable thought to 

 the subject of a suitable container for the sweet potato 

 which could be made standard and used universally, 

 Definite headway has been difficult because: (1) the 

 legal weight of a bushel of sweet potatoes varies widely 



