92 THE POTATO 



from has liberated sufficient plant food to mature 

 large crops. In addition to the plowing the land 

 has been frequently harrowed and cultivated and 

 the intensive culture which has been given has 

 liberated all the plant food that could be used by 

 the growing crops with the amount of moisture 

 that was present. 



"A fact clearly brought out by these experi- 

 ments is that ' success with potatoes depends 

 largely upon the preparation given the soil before 

 the potatoes are planted. Plowing should be deep, 

 and at the time of planting the soil should be 

 mellow and loose. ' 



"Only first-class marketable potatoes should be 

 used for seed. These should be cut into pieces 

 averaging two strong eyes. 'Seed should not be 

 cut for any considerable period before planting. 

 If it becomes necessary to delay planting for some 

 considerable time after potatoes are cut, the cut 

 pieces should be dusted with plaster and spread 

 out in a moderately moist, cool place. ' 



"Early planting has usually given best results, 

 but this necessitates careful spraying with Bor- 

 deaux mixture and Paris, green to protect the 

 plants from diseases and insects. Early and deep 

 planting and frequent and level tillage are espe- 

 cially important in soils like that used in these 

 experiments, which are likely to be seriously 

 affected by drought. 



"The methods of planting and cultivation used 

 at the Cornell station in 1898 were as follows: 

 'The pieces were dropped in the furrows directly 

 after the furrows had been opened, one piece being 

 put in a place and at distances fourteen inches apart 

 in the row. A furrow was opened (with a shovel 

 plow) in the middle of the space left when the first 



