54 MARKET GARDENING 



The crowns should be set in furrows, six to twelve inches 

 deep, depending upon the depth of the top soil. It is not 

 advisable ever to make furrows so deep that the roots will 

 be in or very near the sub-soil. Eight to ten inches is the 

 average depth of planting. The reason for deep planting 

 is that, as the crowns renew themselves each year, they come 

 nearer the surface. Deep planting also places the crown 

 deep enough so that the plantation can be cultivated by a 

 disc harrow without injury to the crowns. Deep planting 

 thus insures a longer life for the plantation than shallow 

 planting. 



After the furrows are made, make sure that there is a 

 layer of good soil in the bottom of the furrow on which to 

 place the crowns. Spread the fleshy roots out so that their 

 position will be as nearly as possible that in which they 

 grew in the seed bed. Cover the crowns to a depth of two 

 or three inches, firming the soil well over the roots. The 

 crowns should not be covered any deeper until the shoots 

 come through the ground, when the furrows may be gradually 

 filled in by cultivation. The furrows can usually be leveled 

 by the cultivation practiced the first season, in any event 

 the ground should be leveled by fall. 



Distance to Plant. In good rich soil the rows may 

 be four feet apart and the plants set two to three feet apart 

 in the row. Planting distances vary in different localities 

 and states, but the average distance is two and one-half to 

 four feet. 



Cultivation. As early as the ground can be worked, 

 thoroughly cultivate the field with a disc harrow. The soil 

 should be kept well cultivated through the growing season 

 as long as horse-drawn tools can be used without much 

 injury to the tops. Hand hoeing may be necessary at times 

 but it is not generally practiced on large plantations. 



