In parts of zone D cabbage, turnip, spinach, and kale will withstand the winter and may be planted in the fall. With protective covering these same crops may be carried through the winter in portions of zone E. Several of the crops listed can not be grown in portions of zones F and G, as the season is either too short or the average temperature too low for successful development of the crops, this being particularly true of eggplant, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, and melons. Beets, early cabbage plants, cauliflower, kale, onion sets, smooth peas, potatoes, and radishes may be planted two weeks before the average date of the last killing frost. Carrot, lettuce, onion seed, wrinkled pea, spinach, and sweet corn may be planted about the date of the last killing frost.

Bean, salsify, and tomato plants may be planted two weeks after the last killing frost, but the heat-loving plants, such as peppers, eggplant, Lima beans, and squash should not be planted in the open until the ground has warmed, which will be about four weeks after the last killing frost.

Location.-Success of any vegetable-growing enterprise depends upon the location of the grower in respect to markets and transportation facilities. Production on a carload basis should not be undertaken in a section where the enterprise is new and untried. If the crop can be grown in a given location, try it on a small scale at first; then, when its production has proved successful, organize the growers of the community so as to produce the commodity on a shipping basis. Such crops as muskmelons, lettuce, and celery are shipped successfully across the continent because of the fact that both the

production and marketing of these crops have been placed upon an organized basis.

Site. Local conditions, such as soil area, drainage, protection from frost, adaptability of crop to local farm conditions, and problems that affect the local production of the commodity, should be considered in the selection of a site. Certain vegetable crops are adapted to growing on low ground, where late spring and early fall frosts may occur. On the other hand, many of the more tender crops must be planted on land that is free from late spring and early fall frosts, and require good soil drainage and conditions that promote rapid

growth. The selection of the site, like that of location, may easily determine the success or failure of any vegetable-growing enterprise.

Root and Tuber Crops

General. This group includes the most important of our food vegetables. Root and tuber crops for the most part are adapted to intensive cultivation and yield a large food value on a limited area. The soil should be well drained, but naturally retentive of moisture, and drought resistant. These crops do best on rich, sandy loams having a clay subsoil, on the light clay loams, and on river-bottom or alluvial soils. Certain of the root crops give good results when grown on the muck or peat soils, especially those soils that are underlain by marl and are alkaline in nature. Rotted manure should be applied in advance of planting and thoroughly mixed with the soil. Commercial fertilizers varying in composition, according to the crop to be grown, are used U. S. D. A.-10-1-26

in rates varying from 600 to 2,000 pounds to the acre. The mixture most commonly used for growing carrots, beets, parsnips, and salsify contains about 5 per cent of nitrogen, 8 per cent of phosphoric acid, and 5 or 6 per cent of potash. For potatoes and sweet potatoes the nitrogen content is frequently cut down to 3 per cent and the potash increased to 7 or 8 per cent. Thorough soil preparation and intermixing of the fertilizer or manure with the soil is important in the production of root crops.

Beet. To produce an early crop grow in hotbeds and coldframes, or plant in open ground as soon as the soil can be worked. Can be planted as soon as danger of frost is passed. Sow the seeds in drills 14 to 18 inches apart, covering to a depth of about 1 inch. As soon as the plants are well up thin them to stand 3 or 4 inches apart. Seed required is about 4 to 6 pounds per acre. Yield of garden beets is 1,200 dozen bunches per acre. Yield of full-grown beets is 250 to 600 bushels per acre. Not injured by light frost. Store in outdoor pits or in cool, well-ventilated cellars. Leading varieties of table beets are Crosby's Egyptian and Detroit Dark Red. Those for stock feeding are Klein Wanzleben, Giant Half Sugar, Golden Tankard, and Mammoth Long Red.

the

Carrot. Grown throughout the United States. Plant in hotbeds or coldframes for early crop. Plant during fall and winter in extreme South for shipment to northern markets. Plant in home garden as soon as ground can be worked. Fifty feet of row will be enough of first planting to supply a family of four. Make second planting four weeks later. Width of rows should be 12 to 30 inches. Thin to 2 inches in row. Seed required is 4 to 6 pounds per acre. Carrots are also grown extensively as a field crop, the rows being spaced 18 to 30 inches apart for horse or small tractor cultivation. Seed planted in June or early July will mature in October. Leading varieties are Chantenay, Danvers Half-Long, Oxheart, and Hutchinson. Varieties for stock feeding are Improved Short White and Large White Belgian, also Danvers Half-Long and Improved Long Orange. Carrots yield from 250 to 600 bushels per acre when allowed to mature, and need not be dug until after heavy frost. Store in pits or in cool, well-ventilated cellars.

Parsnip. Plant and cultivate the same as carrots, except that rows should not be less than 24 inches apart for hand cultivation and 30 to 36 inches for horse culture. Thin to 3 or 4 inches in the row. Plant during the latter part of April or during May in the North, and give a full season's growth. The parsnip requires a rich soil and frequent cultivation. Dig and store in pits or leave where grown until wanted for use. Not injured by freezing if not disturbed. Hollow Crown is the leading. variety.

Potato-General.-Native of South America, and was introduced into the United States by way of Europe during the early colonial days. The potato is now the most important vegetable grown for the market, and its production is roughly divided into the early potato industry of the South and the late potato of the North.

Early varieties.-The leading varieties of early potatoes are Irish Cobbler, Bliss Triumph (or Red Triumph), Early Ohio, and Spaulding Rose. Irish Cobbler is rapidly replacing all other varieties as an early potato in most sections.

Late varieties.-The list of late varieties includes Green Mountain, Rural New Yorker, Russet Rural, Peerless (Pearl of Colorado), Russet Burbank (Idaho),

Charles Downing (Idaho Rural), Prolific (Brown Beauty of San Louis Valley), White Skin Burbank (Pacific coast and Colorado), and Up-to-Date (British Queen). Irish Cobbler is grown as a late crop in the northern sections for seed stock with which to plant the early crop in the South.

Seed certification.-Regulations governing the inspection and certification of seed potatoes vary, but most States require three field inspections and one tuber or bin inspection. In some States a shipping inspection is required. For the percentages of tolerance for various diseases see the inspection rules of each State. The diseases ordinarily covered are mosaic, curly dwarf, leaf-roll, spindling tuber, black-leg, wilt, rhizoctonia, and others. The highest tolerance for the first field inspection in any State is 11 per cent for all diseases (New York). The lowest tolerance for all diseases is 5 per cent (Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming). In Michigan the tolerance is reduced to 2 per cent for the second and third field inspections.

Fertilizers.-Growers of early potatoes along the At-lantic seaboard and Gulf coast regions apply 1 ton of fertilizer having an analysis of 4 per cent nitrogen, 8 to 10 per cent phosphoric acid, and 4 to 6 per cent potash per acre. The fertilizer is applied under the row and mixed with the soil before planting. Applications in the northern or late-potato sections vary with locality; in some places no fertilizer is used, but in others as high as 800 to 1,000 pounds are applied to an acre containing 3 to 4 per cent nitrogen, 8 to 10 per cent phosphoric acid, and 3 to 8 per cent of potash.

Rotation.-A four or five year rotation is recommended. A four-year rotation suggested for the northern districts includes corn one year, oats followed by wheat in the fall, clover sown on the wheat during the winter and the land allowed to remain in clover for one or two years, and then potatoes. A five-year rotation for the northern territory would consist of corn the first year, oats followed by wheat one year, clover two years, and potatoes. In the southern district a rotation including corn with cowpeas or velvet beans planted between the rows, followed by fall or winter oats, these to be followed by cowpeas during the second season of the rotation, and "potatoes the third season. This would make a three-year rotation, having corn, oats, and potatoes as the main crops, and cowpeas or velvet beans as the soilbuilding crops. In the West potatoes frequently are planted on land that has been in alfalfa four or five years, the potatoes being used as a renovating crop to get the land in shape to be reseeded to alfalfa.

Yields. In the southern or early potato districts yields vary from 35 to 125 standard 3-bushel barrels to an acre. Fifty-five to sixty-five barrels of No. 1 grade and 15 to 18 barrels of No. 2 grade are considered good yields. The average yield of late potatoes for the United States in 1924 was 124.2 bushels per acre, but the average for the five-year period ended with 1924 was 107.8 bushels to the acre. The use of certified seed and seed treatment has helped to increase the yields from 25 to 45 bushels per acre. The seed required to plant 1 acre varies according to size and variety from 9 to 15 bushels.

Radish. Plant in hotbeds or coldframes for early production. Plant in the open ground as soon as the soil can be worked. Plant in rows 12 to 18 inches apart and thin to 2 or 3 inches in the row. The quantity of seed required is 1 ounce to 100 feet of row, or 12 to 15 pounds per acre with rows 15 inches apart. Earliest U. S. D. A.-10-1-26