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Modes of planting — For garden cultivation, or small patches of 

 ground, drawing drills with the hoe, if the soil is well pulverised, 

 or digging trenches are probably the best methods. I have no 

 doubt that drawing the earth into hills, as is done for Sweet 

 Potatoes, and planting a set in each hill would be an excellent 

 plan. By this means each plant could be moulded with fine soil 

 when needed, and the hills being above the level of the ground 

 would ensure good drainage, and it should always be borne in 

 mind that two of the main things necessary to ensure success in 

 the cultivation of the Potato are good drainage, and a good body 

 of pulverised soil. In heavy wet ground a good plan is to throw 

 the soil up in ridges. These are really raised beds about 4j feet 

 wide, with trenches l8 inches wide between them ; the soil taken 

 from the trenches is thoroughly broken up, and used for covering 

 the sets, and for moulding the plants later on. The trenches act 

 as so many drains during heavy rains and keep the ridges com- 

 paratively dry. 



Some growers spread the manure on the ridges, or in the drills 

 or trenches just previous to planting and lay the sets on it; but 

 this is not considered a good plan, as later on the young tubers come 

 into direct contact with the manure which causes them to scab, 

 and as the manure is provided to afford nourishment to the fibrous 

 roots, not the tubers, it is a mistake to run the risk of spoiling the 

 appearance of a crop by adopting this method. For field cultiva- 

 tion I should recommend opening trenches or drills from end to 

 end of the ground, spread the manure evenly in the bottom 

 of the trenches, or on the tops of the ridges if that system 

 of cultivation is adopted, and cover it to the depth of a couple of 

 inches with fine soil, then lay the sets and cover up. If only a 

 garden, or small piece of ground is to be planted it will be better 

 if it is evenly manured and well dug over sometime previous to 

 planting, and when the season comes round the trenches can be 

 opened and the sets planted without any further manuring. 



Dibbling in the sets is a system followed in England to a con- 

 siderable extent, but unless the soil has been well cultivated 

 previously it is not a system to be recommended here. The sets 

 are likely to be placed at unequal depths, and the chances are that 

 the eyes will be turned down in the holes instead of being placed 

 uppermost, and in performing the work the ground gets trodden 

 unnecessarily, the consequence being that if dry weather follows, 

 the soil cakes and the buds are unable to push through it, whereas 

 if rain follows immediately after planting, it collects in the holes 

 and as likely as not causes the sets to rot. 



Distance apart. — The distance at which the sets should be placed 

 apart varies with the nature of the soil and vigour of the kind 

 grown ; in rich soils a greater distance should be allowed than in 

 poor soils. In general, the distances should be 2| to 3 feet 

 between the rows, and I2 to 15 inches between the sets in each 

 row, but as a rule, the greater the distances the better the yield. 



Depth. — The depth to which the sets should be covered also 



