102 AGRICULTURE 



some regions potatoes are planted in cross .rows like corn, 

 with three cuts of seed to the hill. 



The date for planting differs in various regions, but 

 the greater part of the crop in the northern states is planted 

 during the last half of May. From twelve to twenty bushels 

 of seed are required for an acre, depending on how the 

 tubers are cut for planting. Where crops of any consider- 

 able size are raised, the dropping is usually done with a 

 horse planter, some makes of which are arranged to dis- 

 tribute commercial fertilizer at the same time. 



Cultivating the crop. Potatoes demand good cultiva- 

 tion. Harrowing should be begun before the potatoes come 

 up. From one to two harrowings may be given after the 

 plants appear. Throughout the growing season a fine soil 

 mulch should at all times be maintained by means of fre- 

 quent cultivation. Especially after a rain should the soil 

 crust be broken. The cultivation should be rather shallow, 

 and potatoes should not be hilled up as is so often done. 



Harvesting the crop. When the vines have died the 

 potatoes have stopped growing and the crop is ready to 

 harvest. In the case of small fields, potatoes are often har- 

 vested by being plowed out with an ordinary plow, the 

 tubers being picked up by hand, and the field afterward 

 harrowed to uncover any that have been missed. 



In regions where potatoes are grown in large quanti- 

 ties the digging is done with machines, several kinds of 

 which are now on the market. The average machine will 

 turn out about three acres in a day, and will require from 

 five to ten pickers to keep up with it. 



Storing the crop. In order to keep well, potatoes 

 must be stored in a cool place. The house cellar is usu- 

 ally too warm for them, and they also give out an un- 

 pleasant odor that permeates the house. A common type 

 of vegetable cellar to be found on many farms is built 



