POTATO CULTURE. 191 



There would be 264 furrows in the field, or 132 rounds ; 16 

 rods of going light per round on the average, for 132 rounds, 

 makes 2112 rods in all. This, divided l>y 320, the number in 

 a mile, gives something over 6| miles. If plowing myself, 

 and pushing things as I have most of my life, I would do 

 this 6i miles sliding at the ends in two hours' time. But say 

 my man is more easy, and takes three hours. That is slow 

 enough. I count the time of the man and team at $3.00 per 

 day, or 30 cents per hour. The going light at ends, then, as 

 we managed this year, cost 90 cents. 



Bight here let me stop to consider another point. Plowing 

 is about the first hard work in the spring. The horses are 

 not used to it, and ought not to be worked too steadily at 

 first. If plowing all the time, and not going light on the 

 ends, I certainly would stop and let the horses rest a minute 

 or two quite often. We are very careful of our horses. As 

 it is, they get a rest, comparatively, when sliding across the 

 ends, even quite fast, so they are ready for another 60-rod 

 pull. I take it this will cut down on that 90 cents consider- 

 ably ; but, say nothing about it. See if we can not balance 

 the 90 cents with cash. 



Now, friend Root, we will suppose the same field plowed in 

 two lands, to save some of the time that we go empty. The 

 average distance that we would go light in this case would 

 be just half what it was when the field was plowed in one 

 land; so in the end we should have wasted (V) in this case 

 but 45 cents' worth of time instead of 90; but 45 cents is 

 worth saving, friend Root, as sure as can be. But suppose 

 it costs you in another way several times 45 cents what 

 then ? 



With the two lands in the field, of course there would be a 

 dead furrow in the center of the field from end to end, prac- 

 tically; and with our plowing, from eight to nine inches 

 deep, such as we did this year in that lot, it would be a huge 

 dead-furrow too. This would be very apt to wash out and 

 cut down, on our rolling land, in some places, so a horse 



