EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES. 



197 



suits as sets from thoroughly matured, 

 medium sized potatoes. The continued use 

 of small potatoes is sure to reduce the crop. 



THE PLANTING. 



The soil being in good condition and the 

 seed cut, the next consideration is the plant- 

 ing. Except for very large areas where 

 planters are used, the best practice is to open 

 the furrows with a double mold board plow. 

 At Ottawa it has been found that rows two 

 and a half feet apart is an economical dis- 

 tance. Experiments Avere tried in planting 

 the sets 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 8 inches apart 

 in the rows, but the best distance was found 

 to be 12 to 14 inches apart. Experiments 

 have also been tried in planting the sets one 

 to eight inches deep, to find the best depth, 

 and it has been found that for six years the 

 potatoes planted in sandy loam soil one inch 

 deep have given the largest yield. It is 

 believed that the reason for this is that the 

 soil is warmer near the surface and the sets 

 sprout sooner, thus getting the plants grow- 

 ing thriftily while there is plenty of nioisture 

 in the ground. This shallow planting also 

 comes nearest the conditions of the potato 

 in the wild state. 



Although sets planted one inch deep have 

 given the largest yields, yet this is not the 

 most economical way to plant them, as it is 

 necessary to destroy the weeds in order to 

 ensure a large crop of potatoes. For this 

 purpose it is necessary to harrow the field 

 just before or as the plants are coming up. 



If the sets were only one inch deep they 

 would be dragged out, hence four to five 

 inches deep has been found to be the most 

 economical depth. 



The potatoes are covered with the double 

 mold board plow, and when the weed seeds. 

 have germinated the land is levelled with the 

 smoothing harrow, thus killing myriads of 

 weeds which would require hand hoeing if 

 left until the vines grew up. If the soil gets 

 two harrowings to kill weeds, so much the 

 better. 



As the conservation of moisture is very 

 important in obtaining a large crop of pota- 

 toes, the soil should be kept thoroughly cul- 

 tivated as soon as the potatoes are up 

 enough to show the ro'ws. The first one or 

 two cultivations should be deep in order to 

 loosen the soil, tut the last two or three 

 should be shallow lO avoid injuring the roots 

 and tubers. From four to five cultivations 

 should be given during the season. Prof. 

 Roberts, late director of the Experiment 

 Station of Cornell University, found that 

 the crop increased in proportion to the thor- 

 oughness and continuance of cultivation. 

 At the Central Experimental Farm the pota- 

 toes are grown according to the level culti- 

 vation, the plants not being hilled, and this 

 method has been found very satisfactory. 

 In soils which are not quite loose hilling up 

 may be preferable, but when the plants are 

 hilled up there is more exposure to wind and 

 the soil dries out sooner than with level cul- 

 ture. ,^ , ,■ AS 

 (io be continued ) 



Early Potatoes. — " There is no reason 

 why the market gardenei-s about Toronto 

 should not make money raising early pota- 

 toes," remarked Mr. Charles Topping to a 

 representative of The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist. " The freight on early potatoes 

 brought from a distance makes them come 

 high. California potatoes cost five dollars 

 a barrel, containing three bushels. /. e., $1.67 

 a bushel." 



Radishes will thrive in any good soil, but 

 to be crisp and tender must be grown 

 quickly. If a continuous supply is wanted 

 make sowings every ten days or two weeks. 



The advantages of sod mulching are : 

 I. To save washing on hilly ground. 2. To 

 save depletion of soil. 3. To make the soil 

 richer. 4. To conserve moisture by shad- 

 inof the soil. 



