184 Bulletin 228. 



soil than is usually secured in this operation and should be con- 

 sidered as part of the tillage given the land before the crop is up. 



The various steps in the planting operations are illustrated dia- 

 gram matically in Fig. 155. Furrows were opened deeply by means of 

 a double mold-board plow, piling the earth up in ridges between the 

 rows. The tubers were dropped in these furrows and the ridges were 

 spht, using the same implement and throwing the earth into ridges 

 over the rows; Fig. 156. By these operations the whole body of soil 

 was stirred nearly to the depth of the original plowing and as 

 effectively as the plow would do it. Before the potatoes were up the 

 land was leveled by harrowing. 



We desire to emphasize the fact that up to this ' point the soil 

 probably received, in the two plowings, the planting and the subse- 

 quent harrowings, double the amount of effective tillage that is ordi- 

 narily given to the potato crop in New York. It is this thorough 

 fitting of the soil which all the plats received, that made possible an 

 average minimum yield of 249.5 bu. (see table, p. 432) per acre dur- 

 ing four years 1895-98, on land that was not manured or fertilized 

 after the winter of 1893-4, as the after-treatment on these minimum 

 plats was only the commonest. The difference between this average 

 minimum yield of 249.5 bushels and the average maximum yield of 

 387 bushels, or 137.5 bushels, is attributable to the treatment given 

 the crop aftgr the plants were up, which is yet to be considered. 



Fertilization. ' The experiments imder discussion were not planned 

 to consider the question of fertilization of potatoes, bui lo demon- 

 strate the efficiency of thorough tillage. It seems wise, however, 

 in this connection' to refer briefly to the use of barn manure and 

 commercial fertilizers in potato growing. 



The potato crop requires an abundance of available plant-food in 

 order to make large yields. Sometimes thorough preparation and 

 tillage of the soil will render available all the crop can use. Usually 

 however, the crop responds well to dressings of manure or fertilizer, 

 and this is especially true in case only ordinary tillage is given. 

 Therefore, unless the soil is known to be in fertile condition it is good 

 policy to provide liberally for the requirements of the crop. The 

 potato usually brings a larger cash return per acre than most farm 

 crops and therefore warrants a relatively large expenditure for man- 

 ure or fertilizers. 



Stable Manure. Experience teaches that well rotted manure pro- 

 duces best results with potatoes. In fact, it is well if liberal applica- 

 tions have been made to the previous crop, so that the manure shall 

 have become thoroughly decomposed and mixed with the soil before 



