266 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



to the highest quality. Very near the coast well-cultivated, light 

 uplands receive atmospheric moisture enough to sustain the deep 

 verdure of the potato fields, while the pastures are sere and yellow. 

 Summer growth on interior plains and foothill slopes and mountain 

 plateaus is- sustained by less irrigation than many other crops re- 

 quire, and winter growth, whenever feasible, is best on light, free 

 soils. The sediment and peat of the river lands are also, in their 

 season, light and warm. But the potato insists upon adequate 

 moisture, though its claim is moderate. It cannot give satisfaction 

 unless its moisture requirements are met. 



Heavy soils in garden culture can be greatly improved as 

 described in Chapter IV. Early and deep working of the soil and 

 the plowing in of rotten straw and compost and thorough mixture 

 of these materials through the soil will have marked effect, but 

 heavy land potatoes seldom have the beauty and flavor of the 

 product of the light, rich loams. 



Culture. Deep working of the soil is essential in preparation 

 for potatoes as has already been urged for beets and other root 

 crops. The soil must be made mellow to a good depth and kept 

 mellow by subsequent cultivation. 



Unless the seed potatoes are old and show active eyes, they 

 should be exposed to sunlight for several weeks to advance germi- 

 nation. This is especially the case when the tubers of an early crop 

 are used for later planting the same season. 



All proposed methods of seed-cutting have been tried in Cali- 

 fornia, and each has its advocates. When the soil and season favor, 

 excellent crops are grown from small potatoes used as seed, but 

 generally the selected fair-sized, merchantable potatoes, cut into 

 quarters lengthwise, produce best results. Cutting should not be 

 done too long before planting, to guard against too great drying of 

 the seed. Distance between pieces in the furrow depends upon the 

 tendency of the potatoes to grow too large. This is often corrected 

 by dropping more, thickly. The range is from twelve to twenty 

 inches usually. 



In the field much planting is done with the plow by dropping 

 the "seed" in every third or fourth furrow so as to bring the roots 

 about three feet apart, and covering with the following furrow. 

 Depth of planting depends upon season and soil as described in 

 Chapter XI ; the same principles governing as in the planting of 

 seed. After the seed is plowed in to a depth of four to eight inches, 



