The Potato as a Truck Crop by L. C. Corbett describes the production of potatoes for the early market. The United States Department of Agriculture issued it as Farmers’ Bulletin No. 407 on October 7, 1910. The Government Printing Office printed the Washington edition.
Growing for a particular market
The bulletin concentrates on potatoes grown as a truck crop, with special attention to southern early production and movement toward northern markets. It distinguishes this trade from the larger field crop grown in other regions.
Corbett connects variety, soil, climate and season with the purpose of the crop. He recognizes that a potato successful in one region is not automatically suited to another. The timing and destination of the harvest are part of the production problem.
This makes the publication useful for agricultural history. It shows the crop as part of a supply system in which a field, a transport route and a market season are linked. Photographs of fields and shipping activity help establish that setting.
Soil and preparation
The practical discussion begins with soil and preparation of the ground. The author relates early production to the physical condition of the land and the work required before planting.
These sections give the later recommendations a context. A crop intended to develop quickly for an early market places particular demands on preparation, while regional conditions influence the choice of field and method.
The bulletin records the practices and equipment of its time. It can be used to compare historical production systems, while current decisions still require attention to the actual land and growing conditions involved.
Planting stock and second-crop seed
Seed receives several separate sections. Northern-grown seed, the quantity needed, southern second-crop potatoes and the rapid germination of second-crop stock all appear in the contents.
Held-over seed, treatment for scab and cutting follow. The sequence shows that the word seed refers here to planting tubers and their pieces, rather than only to botanical seed produced in berries.
These pages are particularly useful for readers researching the movement of planting stock between regions. Corbett treats the source, condition and timing of that stock as practical factors in obtaining the crop needed for the market.
Planting, fertilizers and cultivation
Planting leads into fertilizers and their constituents, then cultivation. Photographs illustrate equipment such as a fertilizer distributor and a cultivator with wing or hilling teeth.
The illustrations let the reader connect the written account with the field operations it describes. They are useful evidence of the tools and working arrangements available to a commercial grower at the date of publication.
Spraying and the preparation of Bordeaux mixture receive separate treatment. The chemical recipes and control recommendations are historical material and should be distinguished from current crop-protection guidance before any practical application.
Harvesting, packages and grading
The later sections turn to harvesting and digging, then packages, grading and marketing. This carries the account beyond the field to the condition in which potatoes enter trade.
Photographs show harvesting operations, potatoes in barrels ready for shipment and a barrel prepared for a northern market. They make the packaging and transport emphasis especially clear.
For a self-sufficiency reference collection, the relevant theme is that handling and destination influence production choices. An early crop is grown for a particular use and season, and its value depends on more than the number of tubers lifted.
Reading the bulletin
This free ebook suits gardening historians, researchers of market farming and readers comparing regional potato methods. Its compact scope is strongest as a connected historical account of early-market production from soil preparation through shipping.
The bulletin is also a useful companion to general potato manuals. Its attention to second-crop planting stock, packages and grading gives it a commercial focus that is less prominent in a home-garden guide.
The PDF contains 24 digital pages, including the title material, contents and illustrations. It preserves small type, photographs and the original printed pagination. Enlarge captions and equipment details and distinguish the PDF page position from the printed number when following references.
Book details
- Author: L. C. Corbett
- Publisher: Government Printing Office, Washington
- Year: 1910
- Edition: Farmers’ Bulletin No. 407; issued October 7, 1910
- Digital length: 24 PDF pages
- Language: English
- File size: 0.85 MB
