82 THE POTATO 



the larger generally cut about four times. These 

 work well in the planter and contain sufficient re- 

 serve nourishment to give the plant a good start. 

 It is important that any plant to give the best 

 returns in yield should start strong and vigorous. 

 When potatoes are planted twelve inches apart in 

 the row with rows three feet apart, if a perfect 

 stand is secured and four ounce seed used, 3,630 

 pounds of seed per acre is required. With smaller 

 seed and an ordinary stand, which is far from per- 

 fect, about 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of seed is used. 

 The big seed starts a plant capable of making a 

 big root system. The size of the root system bears 

 a close relation to yield. With a large number of 

 roots in the feeding area the greatest possible 

 amount of food can be secured by the plant. 

 Extremely large yields are secured by close plant- 

 ing. 



Lawrence G. Dodge, in ** Bulletin 365" on 

 ** Farm Management in Northern Potato Growing 

 Sections," says: 



"The general methods of potato culture in use 

 have developed during the past fifteen years, or a 

 little more, and are followed with considerable uni- 

 formity throughout the section. The rotation is 

 a simple one, but is undoubtedly the foundation 

 of the success of the growers. Potatoes are grown 

 on any piece of land only one year as a rule and are 

 followed by one crop of oats or spring wheat, with 

 which are sown clover and timothy for hay. This 

 crop is cut for hay one year by many of the best 

 farmers and plowed in the fall for a new potato 

 crop. The furrow is usually turned to a depth of 

 seven or eight inches, and on most of the farms 

 this work is done with a reversible sulky plow, an 



