SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 895- 



in the furrows, this will give them a cultivation and kill all weed seed 

 that have germinated. This may be done with a harrow by harrowing 

 first lenghtwise of the row, which will pulverize the soil nicely, then 

 harrow crosswise of the row. this leaving the ground in fine shape for 

 plowing the young plants. 



NEW VARIETIES AND HOW PROPAGATED FROM THE SEED BALLS. 



In a state of nautre most species of plants depend mainly upon seeds 

 for the production of their kind. As seeds are the main dependence of 

 plants in nature so are they man's chief reliance in agriculture. 



The seeds from the potato balls form at the tops of the plant where 

 the blossoms were, and resemble a cluster of small green tomatoes. 

 When the balls have matured the seeds are taken out and saved, as 

 you would a tomato seed. In the spring about the first of May they 

 are planted in drills in the open ground in good rich soil. The depth 

 of planting the seed should not be more than one inch. Scatter the 

 seed evenly in the drill, but not too thick, and cover with fine loose 

 soil, pressing down firmly, then place a stake down at each end of the 

 drill or trench; then nail on top of stakes a six inch board in order 

 to keep a crust from forming after a rain, for if it does the plants will 

 never get through the crust, and will perish. As soon as the plants 

 are two or three inches high they are lifted with a knife and trans- 

 planted as you would a tomato plant, in hills about twenty-four inches 

 apart in the row in good rich soil. As soon as the plants get nicely 

 started they may be cultivated with a table fork, by taking the small 

 plant between the thumb and two front fingers close down, and then, 

 with the fork begin about six inches back from the plant, and loosen 

 the soil nicely up to the plants. You must be very careful that you 

 do not loosen the plants, as they are rooted very shallow. Cultivate 

 once a week to keep the weeds down, and form a fine dust mulch. As 

 the plants grow larger you can use a larger tool for cultivating. When 

 the small tubers are matured in the fall get as many small berry boxes 

 as you have hills to dig. Number the boxes from one up to as many 

 hills as you have to dig. You should have a book that you may keep 

 a record of each hill as you dig them. When you dig the first hill place 

 the tubers in the berry box marked number one, then record the same 

 number in your book to correspond with the number on the box, at the 

 same time note the vine-growth, yield and how they grew in the hill, 

 if in a cluster or scattered, and so forth. In the spring as soon as the 

 ground is dry and warm enough prepare your ground in good shape. 

 You can scarcely have it too loose and mellow, then mark off your ground 

 and plant your small tubers one in each hill, and cover them 

 about two inches deep with fine loose soil. When box num- 

 ber one is planted then place down a stake, then plant number 

 two and so on until they are all planted, and when you dig them in 

 the fall note the vine-growth, yield and so forth, and make a record ot 

 each hill as before in your book for that purpose. The next spring 

 plant as before. The third year they will be developed then you will 

 know the vine-growth, yield, keeping and cooking qualities. It requires 



