THE POTATO 339 



We attribute to drainage largely the gradual 

 increasing potato yields of sixty bushels in 1892 to 

 an average of 417 bushels per acre, or 7,510 bushels 

 on eighteen acres in 1906. No irrigation. 



"Crop rotation is a three-year one, growing 

 annually eighteen acres each of wheat, clover, and 

 potatoes. The last of September or early October, 

 after potatoes are harvested, the potato vines are 

 raked and burned to destroy lurking disease, the 

 ground twice disked, leveled with spring-tooth har- 

 row and sown to Klondike wheat. 



"The spring following from April 1st to 10th, 

 when certain conditions are present and favor- 

 able and the wheat ground is well checked up, 

 one half bushel of high grade medium red clover 

 and aKaKa seed, previously carefully mixed, is 

 sown per acre with a broadcaster, preferably dur- 

 ing afternoons, when the surface is dry. Experi- 

 ence only teaches when these conditions exist. 

 The next forenoon a three-section, lever-sets, spike- 

 tooth harrow, teeth set straight up and down, is 

 run over the field. Teeth should be sharp. Such 

 valuable seed should be covered as much as garden 

 seeds. 



"From 1907 to 1909 six and three fourths bush- 

 els clover and two and one fourth bushels alfalfa 

 were sown — a 75 and 25 per cent, mixture; 1910- 

 1912 four and one half bushels each, equal parts, 

 or 50 per cent, of each has been and will be used; 

 1913-1915 the mixture will be 25 and 75 respec- 

 tively, just the reverse of first three-year cycle; 

 1916 and following, alfalfa only will be grown. No 

 lime or inoculation has been used. The former is 

 dangerous in a short potato rotation. All things 

 being equal alfalfa gives us more hay the following 

 year at first cutting than clover. Second cutting 



