170 POTATO CULTURE. 



clay. We did not loss one single hill on naturally drained 

 land ; but seed rotted right over tiles during the extreme 

 wet on clay soil. This rarely occurs ; but if making a busi- 

 ness of growing potatoes, I would buy suitable soil rather 

 than take a clay farm as a gift. I am more than ever certain 

 that it is wisest to use land to grow only the crops it is best 

 adapted to. 



DRAINING. 



Although the seed rotted on some of our heavy drained 

 land, causing us a loss of about $100, one drained low place 

 came to the front wonderfully. It is a depression, or hollow, 

 of about one-fourth of an acre, in a field of natural potato 

 soil, which hollow has no natural outlet. For many years 

 we endured the loss in this hole, as the cost of draining in 

 the ordinary way would be excessive. At last we drained it 

 by laying a main of four-inch tiles right into a gravel hill 

 about 100 feet, and having no outlet. Then we put in nu- 

 merous side drains to collect the water rapidly. It took $10 

 worth of tiles. We did the work ourselves. Friend Root 

 was here just before the potatoes came up, and feared the 

 seed had rotted ; but it did not ; and for the first time since 

 we came here, a quarter of a century ago, we had a full crop 

 of large potatoes through that hollow, probably 50 bushels. 

 This alone more than pays for the draining. Then it was so 

 enjoyable to think that we had forced a crop to grow through 

 that old eyesore. 



PLANTING. 



We put in our entire crop with our old marker, plowing 

 out the furrows and dropping the seed by hand. There is 

 no question but that it paid us. If you could have gone 

 through our field where the stand was not injured by the 

 seed rotting, and seen how perfect it was, and than examin- 

 ed the near-by fields where the planter caused not a few 

 misses, you would agree with me. The saving in seed, and 

 more perfect stand, will much more than pay for the hand- 

 dropping, if you have a faithful and expert man to do it. 



