86 POTATO CULTUEE. 



I have hinted that the soil must be fine where little pieces 

 of seed are used. If it is fine it will, in the spring, nearly 

 always be moist ; then the little pieces will be safe just as 

 safe as whole tubers, if the soil is well enough drained, and 

 light enough so they will not rot. In extreme cases, where 

 ground was very dry, I have rolled right after planting, for 

 greater safety ; but I dislike to do it, as the packing of the 

 soil is bad. The harrow will not take hold as well afterward, 

 to kill weeds another bad matter. 



It is always safest to plant cut seed as fast as it is cut. I 

 should prefer to have it go into the ground without drying. 

 I never dry by rolling in land-plaster. That is no gain on 

 my land. I have known serious failures from cutting large 

 quantities beforehand. If we cut a few hours ahead, we put 

 the pieces in bushel-boxes (they are cool, of course, being 

 brought from the cellar or pile), and cover and set in a cool 

 place. Keep from all wind and sun. 



This matter of fine cutting may be carried much farther 

 than I do, but not practically for field culture. By splitting 

 the eyes into several pieces, and very fine culture, it is 

 claimed, and I do not doubt it, that 42| bushels of potatoes 

 were once grown from a pound of seed by H. C. Pearson, of 

 New York State, for which he received a prize of $300. I 

 have never gone as far as this ; but two years ago Mr. Wm. 

 Henry Maule sent me a barrel of Freemans (165 pounds), 

 which were then selling at $3.00 a pound, and asked me to 

 grow as many as I could from them for $1.00 a bushel. We 

 first cut the tubers into one-eye pieces. These were pretty 

 large, as the " Freeman has few eyes. Then most of these 

 one-eye pieces were cut in two, right through the center of 

 the eye. We planted on clover sod mostly, without any 

 other manure, dropping a piece every 32 inches each way. 

 We were not after yield per acre, but all that would come 

 from that seed, with all the room each piece could use. We 

 covered in this way If acres with the seed. They never 

 lacked for fine tillage, much of it with hand-hooks or prong- 



