THE VEGETABLE GAKDEN 285 



of a thousand pounds per acre, will produce a better 

 quality of potatoes and increase the yield. 



Cutting. The so-called eyes on the outside of a potato 

 are buds from which the next year's growth comes. Cut 

 the tubers so that each piece will have at least two buds. 

 The stem end is sometimes rejected, as it starts more 

 slowly than the other parts. The size of the piece, rather 

 than the number of eyes, is important in giving the 

 new plant a good start. Potatoes which are about the size 

 of an egg should be planted whole. Cut potatoes just 

 before planting. If it is necessary to store them for any 

 length of time after cutting, place them in a box covered 

 with a damp cloth, to keep them from losing vitality. 

 The pieces will also retain their vitality if rolled in 

 plaster immediately after cutting. 



Time of planting. Potatoes are a cool-season crop. The 

 first planting should be made as soon as the frost is out 

 of the ground. Plant late potatoes in June ; they will 

 make much of their growth in September, when the 

 weather is cool. 



Planting. Spade the soil to a depth of at least six 

 inches. Break all large clods with the spade and rake 

 the surface fine. With a hoe make trenches thirty inches 

 apart and three inches deep ; in case a fertilizer is to be 

 used, make the trenches four inches deep. Scatter in 

 the required amount of fertilizer and cover it with an 

 inch of soil, so that the fertilizer will not touch the 

 pieces of potato. Place the pieces in the trench fourteen 

 inches apart. 



