THE POTATO 415 



staked and selected hills that produce healthy 

 tops and satisfactory hills, then by planting whole 

 seed from such hills he expects to increase yields 

 rather than have them decrease. 



Seed is greened with sun and generally cut in 

 very small pieces, sometimes to one eye, about 600 

 pounds per acre being the average amount used. 

 Because of this the stand is often poor and all of the 

 plants do not always start as strong and vigorous 

 as they would if a larger seed piece furnished more 

 nourishment for the starting of the plant. Mr. 

 Shankhn beheves the yield can be increased 30 to 

 50 per cent, by seed selection and the use of larger 

 seed with the same good cultivation methods now 

 used. From one hill that volunteered from a whole 

 tuber he dug seventeen big potatoes. 



Lompoc potatoes are grown by the high ridging 

 system, the aim being to get as high and big a ridge 

 as possible. A heavy soil mulch is kept all over 

 this ridge and there are heavy dews and fogs almost 

 daily. This moist, open, well-aired ridge is an 

 ideal place for the perfect development of the 

 tubers. 



The ridging begins with the first cultivation 

 after planting. There are generally two culti- 

 vations and the final ridging. This is done with a 

 special ridger which is illustrated. 



Potatoes are harvested in November with horse- 

 power diggers, the Douden and O. K. Champion 

 being generally used. A long apron and low wheels 

 on the digger are good things in this very loose 

 soil. 



Potatoes are stored in long ricks in the field and 

 in big warehouses in Lompoc. The climate is such 

 that when piled loose in big ricks twelve feet wide 

 at the base, six feet high and often several hundred 



