192 THE POTATO. 



CHAPTEB XXII. 



POTATO IMPLEMENTS, ETC. 



BESIDES the ordinary farm implements used in preparing 

 and cultivating the soil, there are many of special con- 

 struction employed in connection with the potato crop. 

 In fact, considering how backward we are in inventing 

 and adopting agricultural implements in general, potato- 

 growers are very well provided with labour-saving machin- 

 ery. The latest efforts of inventors have been towards the 

 production of a machine capable^ of raising, sorting, and 

 packing the potatoes in consecutive movements; but, so 

 far, these attempts have not resulted in practical success, 

 though some of the implements produced are extremely 

 ingenious. The chief obstacle to success is that no 

 machine can separate potatoes and stones or hard clods, 

 which are graded and packed with the tubers. Should 

 this objection ever be overcome, such an implement would 

 be of the greatest use where large areas of potatoes are 

 grown; and it might well go on circuit, as threshing and 

 reaping machines do now, raising crops at a piece-work- 

 rate of payment. 



Potato Diggers. There are^numbers of excellent 

 potato diggers on the market, which raise the crop without 

 grading or bagging it. Many of these do the work very 

 well indeed, and, of course, far more quickly than can be 

 done by hand digging. The tubers are more liable to be 

 buried ; but this may be disregarded on account of the sav- 

 ing in labour and expense. The fault is, however, con- 

 stantly receiving the attention of implement makers, and 

 improvements are frequently effected ; so special attention 



