40 



Planting on the Flat. 



On the Flat system it is necessary for the bed to be 

 prepared and brought to a fine tilthy condition, the 

 operations being controlled as much as possible to pre- 

 vent consolidation. When either dibbling or spading- 

 in is adopted, lines or marks to indicate the position of 

 the rows must then be made, and along these the 

 potatoes are planted. Where the plots are small a long 

 cord or gardener's line is sufficient to guide the planter; 

 this is stretched across the field, and is moved as 

 occasion arises for a fresh row to be started. Where 

 large fields are planted the rows should be marked out 

 by means of a drill, or a specially made implement 

 capable of accurate steering. The skeleton frame of a 

 Bedfordshire drill affords the best means for making 

 these marks, and it is useful for any other similar work, 

 such as for cabbage transplanting. Accurate marking- 

 out is very important, because all subsequent operations 

 effected by horse-labour are accomplished .so much more 

 effectively and conveniently ; especially in the work 

 of horse-hoeing and moulding up. The coulters make 

 sufficiently deep marks to indicate the rows, and of 

 course the coulters must be set at such a width from 

 each as is deemed best. As an average, 27 inches in 

 width is found a convenient distance for the rows of 

 potatoes to be grown. It is found that to mould up 

 potatoes with the ordinary moulding plough it is 

 necessary to have the rows as much as 27 inches apart, 

 though sometimes, where early and small cropping 

 varieties are grown, 2 feet from row to row is all that 



