■4Sf THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



Another system is to open out furrows with the plough at the required 

 distance, covering the sets with plough or harrows. The drills should be 

 covered as soon as possible to prevent drying out. 



Of recent years the use of planting machines has been on the increase. 

 Some of these machines are for use on multiple ploughs, being worked 

 by chain-drive from off the land wheel. Another class includes these of 

 American make, which are complete machines on their own wheels, and 

 fitted with fertiliser attachment. These machines open out the furrow, 

 plant the seed, and manure and cover in the one operation, and they tend, 

 too, toward hetter farming methods. The potatoes are planted in straight 

 rows, and the manure is placed in close proximity to the set.-, even on windy 

 days. Planting can be carried on in the hot weather with little loss of soil 

 moisture, as the necessity of ploughing at this time is dispensed with. For 

 these machines the land is prepared early in the year, being fallowed and 

 cultivated until planting time. Planting on these lines is the ideal method 

 if mechanical diggers are to be used for harvesting. 



Soon after planting, the field should be lightly harrowed to break do^vn 

 the furrow ridge, thereby reducing evaporation. Just as the young plants 

 are showing through, the field should be again harrowed, this being the last 

 opportunity of killing young weeds between the plants, as all future culti- 

 vation is between the rows. When the haulms have grown sufficiently to 

 distinguish the rows, the cultivator should be used to loosen the soil, keep 

 down weeds, and retain the earth mulch so essential in retaining moisture. 

 A cultivator of the Planet Jr. type is the most suitable, because when the 

 tops become at all large the width of the cultivator can be narrowed, so 

 that there is less damage to the haulms and the young roots in close 

 proximity to the stem. Cultivate frequently in the early stages of growth, 

 as the destruction of weeds at this time is easier, and means a clean crop 

 later on. Towards flowering time the rows should be slightly hilled to 

 protect the tubers from sun-scald, frosts, and potato moth. The hilling 

 can be effected by using the moulboard attachment during the last working 

 with the cultivator. 



Excessive hilling is not recommended, as it intensifies the injurious effects 

 of dry weather, and also results in damage to the roots between the rows. 

 The new tubers always develop over the old set, and as they become large 

 may even be half out of the ground, and unless the crop has been hilled 

 the newly-formed tubers become exposed. 



Hilling is also a preventive of rot during outbreaks of Irish blight, inas- 

 much as the greater thickness of earth over the tubers to a large extent 

 prevents the washing of the spores from off the foliage on to the tubers. 



Potatoes under Irrigation. 



Work the land well, and if it be dry, irrigate just before ploughing. 

 Plough deeply as soon as the land is dry enough, and plant immediately. 

 Keep the ground well harrowed until the young plants are well up. One 

 good irrigation (or at the most two) is all that is required for spring crops, 

 and these should be given before the young potatoes are any size, as later 

 watering will induce a second growth, which spoils the tubers. 



The secret in potato-growing is good cultivation, combined with as little 

 water as is necessary to keep the plants in good growing condition. 



