SUCCESSFUL POTATO CULTURE. IO7 



the rows by the time the potatoes are breaking ground, but all 

 clean, loose dirt. The only weeds will be along the top of the 

 row, which should not be more than six or eight inches wide. 

 \\ hen the potatoes are breaking ground, no matter if some of 

 them are two or three inches high, take the horse hoe or shovel 

 plow and bury them up, not too deep but deep enough to cover 

 any little weed and a good part of the witch grass. This will 

 leave your field just as free from weeds as when planted and will 

 hardly check the potatoes. A potato or thistle will readily force 

 its way up again through a few inches of loose dirt, but all small 

 weeds and a good part of the witch grass will be killed. Keep 

 the cultivator going until the potatoes are fifteen to eighteen 

 inches high ; when they are from six to eight inches high, spade 

 or hoe them up again, throwing the dirt so that it will meet 

 along the top of the rows. If this work has been properly done, 

 there will be no need of any work with a hand hoe, unless there 

 are thistles in the field, which will have to be cut out from between 

 the hills by that method. The object is to do all the work with 

 the team and save the expensive hand hoeing. 



SrRAYING. 



I am often asked, At what time do you begin to spray? I 

 usually begin when the vines are from six to eight inches high, 

 but always as soon as I can find a single tiny slug hatched out, 

 and I think, taking one year with another, that this is soon 

 enough. The first three sprayings should not be over a week 

 or ten days apart at the most as this is the period of the most 

 rapid growth of the vines and insecticides should be used at each 

 of these first three applications, especially if bugs are plenty. 

 These should be followed by one or two more applications, at 

 periods of two weeks apart, of the Bordeaux mixture, and if 

 there are any slugs, if only a few, an insecticide should be used. 

 Do not try to save money by not using Bordeaux mixture at all 

 sprayings, as it will be mistaken economy, and go over the piece 

 and back on the same rows. In this way only can you be sure 

 that you have reached both sides and all parts of the hills. This 

 is especially important at the first three sprayings, and important 

 at all of them. The few minutes extra it will take per acre will 

 be many times repaid in yield of tubers, and in this way we are 

 sure that we shall not lose our crop by rot. 



