The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-16
PLANTING EARLY POTATOES.

Since my article on early potatoes ap- peared, as given in this paper several weeks ago. 1 have been showed under with requests for my bulletin on this subject. We have been able to fill all of these demands. However, there ls such great demand for this bulletin that my stock of bulletins Is running low and as we cannot get out another edition in time for this seasons crop, we will have the bulletin printed Ill tull in this department of The Age-I1erald. From the tone of their letters 1t seems that our readers are going at this matter in an intelligent, organized way me potato crop, like all others, will pay in proportion to the amount of intelligent effort expended in planting, cultivating' harvesting and marketing.
 When our growers of all perlsnapie crops take the time to edcuate them selves in the best and cheapest methods of growing such crops and also post themselves as to the conditions and de- mands of the markets that they expect to supply, there will be no trouble Tn making such crops pay. The matter oi grading. packing and shipping Is one that our growers must give more atten- ton to if they expect to succeed. the better the soil Is prepared the less sort ing out there will be of small potatoes TO qrow the crop so as to have all potatoes merchantable is the idea. The tubers should be picked up clean and free from dirt and picked up as fast as ploWed out, so that they may not be bhstered and turned green by the hot sun. Dlg only when the soil is dry.
 By observing these rules and also py packing in attractive packages, the grow CT may reasonably expect to realize profit from his crops. Clean new bags that hold one hundred pounds are the best for carrying potatoes to distant mar kets. Where car loads of potatoes are grown at or near any station, these can usually be sold for cash on the track. But in order to have buyers Vlslt u section and pay cash on the track IL will be necessary 10 grow in lots or ten or more cars.
 one large car of good seed potatoes, say about GAO bushels of seed well man aged should produce from ten to twenty cars of mercantab1e stock, so 1t would De an easy matter for at least twelve good farmers to take a car of seed and dlVlde it among themselves, or twenty farmers would still be better. provided that they will work together in this matter
 New Potatoes.
 Some of our last years potato growers are meeting with q new experience. Last season potatoes were so cheap that many growers would not dig them and they were left in the field. The present mia winter frost has not affected them. The last spring crop left in the soil made a second crop. The late fall rains last fall caused the weeds and grass to grow ID and these helped to protect the tubers in the ground. Some farmers are now picking up as many as fifty bushels of nice seed potatoes, which are worth Il dollar ner bushel. l saw one grower on the Red river in Texas who was blowing I'D field of fine potatoes grown from the old crop left in the ground. Several nice baskets of new potatoes have al- ready been marketed in February. This volunteer crop will be of great value 10 farmers for seed this spring. New po- tafoes in February in this country are unusnal.