The New York State Vegetable Growers' Association was not formed with the idea that it should become a great business enterprise, but rather that its work should be educational and supervisory. It is the aim of the association to do all in its power to further the interests of the vegetable men of the state by disseminating information and by exercising its influence in the interest of progress.

The officers of the association are: President, Henry Greffrath, South Lima; vice-president, S. J. Cook, Dunkirk; secretary, Paul Work, Ithaca; treasurer, C. H. Aldrich, Mattituck.

VEGETABLE GROWERS' ASSOCIATIONS IN NEW YORK STATE Arkport-Burns Growers' & Shippers' Assn.

L. J. Taylor, Arkport, N. Y. Central N. Y. Vegetable Growers' Assn.

E. E. Smith, Secy., 103 Mill St., Syracuse. Erie Co. Growers' & Shippers' Assn.

Chas. H. Houshalter, Secy., Hamburg, N. Y. Fulton Vegetable Growers' & Shippers' Assn. John W. Pratt, Fulton, N. Y.

Ionia Growers' Assn.

C. R. White, Secy., Ionia.

Long Island Cauliflower Assn.

C. H. Aldrich, Pres., Mattituck, N. Y.

Long Island Potato Exchange.

H. R. Talmadge, Secy., Riverhead, N. Y.
Monroe Co. Market Gardeners' Assn.

A. J. Warren, Secy., Irondequoit.
Newburgh Market Gardeners' Assn.
Ep. Titus, Secy., Newburgh, R. D.
Rose Vegetable Growers' Assn.

E. W. Catchpole, N. Rose, N. Y.

Sodus Vegetable Growers' Assn.

W. E. Danford, Sodus.

South Lima Growers' & Shippers' Assn.
Chas. N. Pickell, S. Lima.

South Shore Growers' & Shippers' Assn.
S. J. Cook, Dunkirk.

Troy Market Gardeners' Assn.

J. H. Pateman, Secy., Watervliet.

EXHIBITION OF VEGETABLES

PAUL WORK

Superintendent and Instructor, Department of Vegetable Gardening, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.

The horse and stock industries have in the past found that exhibitions and exhibiting have accomplished great things for the advancement of the breeds with which they were working. The same statement might be made regarding both fruits and flowers, and furthermore regarding vegetables in European countries, particularly in England. The question at once arises in what way is exhibition worth while for the individual grower? The chief advantage is undoubtedly in its educational value and in the inspiration toward better effort. One cares to show nothing short of his best. His first problem in preparing an exhibit is, what is the best? In deciding this, he establishes clearly in his own mind an ideal toward which his effort for the whole crop will turn. The second question is: can I not improve my entire crop in the direction of the standard which I am selecting for the fair? Thus his attention is focused upon his cultural methods. upon his seed and his soil, and his market requirements. Thought always means progress. Question three arises when the other fellow gets the prize. What is lacking on my place that I can not do as well? More thought and study is the result, and again, inevitably, progress. The comparison of types on the show bench is also most useful.

Both producing districts and individuals have found that exhibition is profitable advertising. Of course, a "First " is always of intrinsic value, whether for sewing machines, ginger ale, Holstein cattle or garden products. The garden people have not thus far taken full advantage of the possibilities.

Exhibits mean much to the vegetable business as a whole, for the progress of all vegetable growers means progress for each. Slow but steady advance is made toward standardizing types and varieties, in letting the best be known and in raising the ideal of the average grower.

Vegetable exhibits help to educate the public as to the value of vegetable food, as to the variety that is available, and as to the quality which they should demand.

The opportunities which are offered at the State Fair and in the various county fairs ought to be accepted, and where proper facilities are not afforded-as is now emphatically the case at Syracuse united efforts should be exerted toward bringing about more favorable conditions.

POTATOES *

EDWARD VAN ALSTYNE, KINDERHOOK, N. Y.

Director of Farmers' Institutes

No one can lay down a set of rules which another may follow to the letter, and thereby insure a crop of potatoes or of anything else, for there is always to be taken into account differences in soils, as well as climatic and weather conditions, which prevent any hard and fast adherence to another's methods. Nevertheless, there are with the potato crop, as with every other, certain fixed laws which always obtain, and he who works in harmony with them, rather than from custom or tradition, works with nature, and is more likely to succeed.

Therefore, in calling attention to some of the principal laws which govern the potato-laws which are the same everywhere— I aim rather to help someone to secure a crop with a greater degree of certainty, than to give methods, which apart from the underlying principle may be of little value.

First, then, let us look at the construction of the tuber. It is made up, in round numbers, of 75 per cent. water and 25 per cent. starch. The water without which in sufficient quantities, and at the right time, it is impossible to obtain a maximum cropmust, of course, come from the soil. The starch is formed by the action of the sunlight through the green leaf. Whatever, then, tends to promote a vigorous growth, and maintain and preserve the leaf surface at its best throughout the entire period of the plant's life, will insure the development of the greatest amount of starch, without which no potato can attain full size or highest quality.

How shall we secure the requisite water supply? If we could control the rainfall, the problem would be an easy one. Unfortunately or fortunately-in nine years out of ten there is not

Revised from Report of Bureau of Farmers' Institutes, 1910. Write for The Potato Industry in New York State, Bulletin 57, Department of Agriculture.

enough rainfall during the growing season, from May to October, to produce a full crop of anything, much less a crop like the potato, which is three-quarters water. When one realizes that it requires at least 300 pounds of water to produce 1 pound of dry matter in a plant, and considers the tonnage from even a moderate crop of potatoes (75 per cent. water), and then compares this with the average rainfall in his locality during the above-mentioned period, he will appreciate the truth of this statement. We must, then, secure a water supply from that in the ground in early spring, derived from melting snows and spring rains, at a time when there is little evaporation from the soil; and conserve that from the precipitation during the growing season. This can be done in two ways:

FIG. 416.- POTATO FIELD OF H. F. HORTON, STEPHENTOWN, RENSSELAER COUNTY, N. Y. FOLIAGE IN PERFECT CONDITION AS A RESULT OF INTELLIGENT FERTILIZATION AND CULTIVATION, FOLLOWED BY THOROUGH AND TIMELY SPRAYING FOR BUGS AND BLIGHT

1. By preventing evaporation by frequent stirring of the surface soil. As fast as the ground is plowed in the spring, it should be harrowed or rolled-not left until the whole field is turned over. This will make the soil compact, and prevent loss of water by drying winds, and by breaking up of the capillary cells which quickly form when the ground is crusted, thus making the spaces so large that the water cannot climb to the surface and escape. If the weather is very dry, it is better to roll as fast as plowed, and then