164 POTATO CtTLTUBE. 



get some income, of course, and perhaps do as well as they 

 would at any thing else. There are towns where potatoes 

 are grown largely, where I know the average crop is not 

 larger than the one given above, although in some cases the 

 methods may be more advanced. The above is from the 

 original edition of this book, and I see no reason for chang- 

 ing it, only that the figures for labor are almost too low. 

 Digging, plowing, cultivating, etc., would probably cost 

 decidedly more on the farm named. 



Now let us figure a little on the cost of growing an acre on 

 the farm of a potato-specialist, or of one who grows the crop 

 in a large way, and does his level best all through. He 

 selects proper soil, drains where needed, puts the manure on 

 in the best way, follows a good rotation, getting all the bene- 

 fit he can from clover-growing, prepares the land in the best 

 way, plants the best of seed, properly cut, and, before they 

 have sprouted, owns a planter, or, better, machinery for 

 putting them in, and a smoothing-harrow and weeder, and 

 has bushel boxes and spring wagons ; in fact, he does every 

 thing from beginning to end in the best known way. Here 

 are the figures for planting on mellow clover sod : 



Plowing $2 00 



Harrowing with Thomas and three horses 33 



Boiling 25 



8 bushels seed at 50 cents, average '. . . 4 00 



Cutting to one eye 1 50 



Plan ting with planter 1 00 



Harrowing three times with Thomas 45 



Harrowing four times with weeder 80 



Cultivating, say eight times, once in a row 3 36 



Bugs 2 00 



Hand pulling or cutting weeds 75 



Digging with Hoover and four horses 2 50 



Picking up and storing 3 00 



Marketing, say three miles . . 6 00 



Manure, say same as before 5 00 



Interest on value of land 6 00 



$38 <U 



