POTATO CULTURE. 43 



the potatoes from as much ground as a hill would occupy. 

 And it would take about three movements of the fork to 

 throw out the hill, on account of the potatoes being more 

 scattered, and more of them. 



Having disposed of some of the objections, let us look at 

 some of the advantages of drill culture. To accomplish the 

 most in the least time, by saving the time wasted in turning 

 around, the farmer wants his fields long and rectangular. 

 He can mow, plow, cultivate, and plant more, decidedly, in 

 a day, than he can in a square or irregular shaped field. 

 Now, drill culture works all right in fields of this kind, as 

 the cultivating is all to be done one way the long way of 

 the lot. If you plant in hills both ways, think of the endless 

 job it will be to do the cross-cultivating, there will be so 

 much turning around. Again, with the planter or with per- 

 fect tools for marking, so the rows are straight, or very 

 nearly so, and of uniform distance apart, and with the best 

 cultivators and horse-hoes we have now, and the smoothing- 

 harrow and weeder, one can keep the crop as clean and well 

 worked by going once in a row where they are drilled as he 

 could 20 years ago by going twice in a row each way. In 

 fact, he can keep the crop as clean as any one can ask for, as 

 a rule, and as well worked, and in very much less time. My 

 best six-acre lots, or strips, are about 16 rods by 60, and it 

 would surprise a man who has been in the habit of cultivat- 

 ing a square six-acre lot both ways, to see how quickly we 

 can get over a lot of that shape, and do the work just as well 

 as he does. I can cultivate my six acres of drills nicely in 

 ten hours. If he cultivates his square lot both ways in three 

 days he will do well ; that is, if the rows are as close together 

 as mine are. Again, we get a rather better yield, all other 

 conditions being equal, by dropping one eye every foot than by 

 putting three eyes in every three feet, and the potatoes are 

 of more uniform size. After many years' experience in drill 

 planting I feel perfectly sure on this point perfectly sure 

 that we get more dollars to the acre. It is quite easy to 



