186 



POTATO CULTURE 



land for their potato crops, that they say invariably, "We can grow 

 better potatoes on the hills than in the valleys," though it seemed to 

 me the valley land was ideal for potato growing. Everybody will 

 admit that valley land is much richer than the hill land. There 

 must be some other factor than fertility of the soil that accounts 

 for that difference. In the light of the statements I have just been 

 making, I can understand that. I believe it will be found upon test 

 that those hills retain an equable, cool climate much more satis- 

 factorily than the valleys. We observe here in Ithaca a great dif- 

 ference between the valley and the hill, even away from the paved 

 streets. I take it that what you might call the danger line for the 

 potato crop lies right in there betw^een the valley and the hill. 



CULTURAL DETAILS 



The rest of the period we will devote to the details of growing 

 potatoes. Whether the climate is ideal or not, whether the soil is 

 ideal or not, most people desire to grow some potatoes. I would 

 say this: potatoes are very much affected by soil, as well as by 

 climate. I would count it bad policy to indiscriminately urge an 

 increase of potato acreage, one of the reasons being that, whenever 

 such a campaign is inaugurated, it stimulates people to attempt 

 to grow potatoes on land not well adapted to potatoes. From now 

 on-, we must be more particular to adapt our crops to the soils that 

 are suitable for them. One of the things that impressed me most 

 strongly as I studied European agriculture was that these people 

 have been going at it to find the things they can do best, and they 

 don't attempt to do everything everywhere. That is the lesson 

 we have to learn. As regards soil, the potato does not do its best on 

 a very heavy soil or a very light soil. On hea\^^ soil you cannot get 

 satisfactory results chiefly because a very hea^^ soil is especially 

 subject to weather conditions. It is on heavy soil that the extremes 

 of weather conditions most influence the crop. When it is too wet, 

 the heavy soil suffers most; when it is too dry, the medium soil is 

 less affected by extremes of moisture, and, I think, by extremes of 

 temperature also. As far as quality is concerned, you can grow 

 splendid potatoes on light soil, and very early potatoes. This is 

 desirable, because we get them off the land before the season has 

 advanced far enough for them to suffer from the drought. But 

 light soils are poor soils. They must be heavily fertilized and 

 manured, and they suffer from drought also. A light soil that is 



