340 THE POTATO 



has decidedly more alfalfa, and third cutting is all 

 gain. Besides, the alfaKa is richer both as a feed 

 and soil enricher. Roots are larger and go deeper. 



" First crop of hay is cut June 15th to 25th, and 

 put up for feeding and sale purposes. Several times 

 the first crop was left on knolls and thin places. If 

 first crop was heavy and hay cheap the second crop 

 was cut August 1st and left on the ground for the fol- 

 lowing potato crop, and it pays as well as livestock 

 feeding, with little work connected thereto. Third 

 crop is cut middle of September and always left 

 on the land. 'Feed the land and the crop will feed 

 you.' Cutting is preferred, as stray weeds are de-i 

 stroyed. The next crop comes up through this 

 mass of organic matter and it decomposes sooner. 

 Next year as a moisture retainer it has valuable! 

 qualities. 



'* Manure from the stock, four horses and two 

 cows, is made in box stalls and drawn direct to the 

 field and spread on the thin places on the clover 

 and alfalfa. No straw is sold. The surplus is 

 spread and plowed under. 



"Potato ground is fall-plowed ten inches deep. 

 In springtime the field is prepared with a four- 

 horse, double-acting, cutaway harrow, which is run 

 over field four times, lengthwise, diagonally twice, 

 and crosswise lastly, and leveled with the spring- 

 tooth harrow. 



"For available fertility we rely mainly on drain- 

 age, preparation, tillage, clover and alfalfa and the 

 farm manure. 



"Commercial fertilizers were first used in 1901, 

 increasing from 400 to 1,500 pounds of 4, 8, and 12 

 per cent, in 1907, costing $32 per ton for home- 

 mixed goods, using nitrate of soda, blood, tankage, 

 bone, 14 percent, rock, and sulphate of potash. A 



