No. 4.] POTATO GROWING. 359 



article to hint at more than a very few factors which enter into suc- 

 cessful potato growing. 



Among the most important are: the selection and the preparation 

 of the soil, including application of fertilizer; the seed and the care 

 of the crop during the growing season. 



The Soil. 



A soil to grow potatoes well must be in an excellent state of tilth, 

 sufficiently mellow to make a good seed bed and place for the tubers 

 to develop. Abundant plant food must be supplied, and the land 

 must be so situated that it will not suffer if rain should be excessive, 

 and must, on the other hand, be well adapted to stand drought. If 

 not naturally well drained, it must be underdrained. If it is not of 

 good water-holding capacity, this must be secured by increasing the 

 humus by green manuring or the use of liberal (luantities of stable 

 manure. 



Water a Necessity. 



There is no farm crop that is more easily, speedily and greatly 

 affected by the supply of moisture than is the potato. It has been 

 found by experiment that it takes about 425 tons of water to grow 

 a ton of dry matter of potatoes. A crop of 200 bushels per acre would 

 therefore require approximately 650 tons of water, — equivalent to 

 a rainfall of nearly 6 inches. Because of its need for large water sup- 

 ply, and its remarkable susceptibility to climatic conditions, it follows 

 that the average potato yield is affected more by water supply than 

 by lack of plant food. The selection of soil and methods of culture 

 must be with this fact in view, if success is to be had. The liberal 

 application of fertilizers or the presence of large amounts of readily 

 available plant food will prove of but little value if the moisture supply 

 is deficient. It is also true that too much water will check the growth 

 as quickly and effectually as too little. 



Too much attention to the fitting of the soil for the crop can hardly 

 be given, for no amount of after-tillage can overcome neglect in prepa- 

 ration. Deep and thorough plowing and harrowing, so as to make a 

 perfect seed bed, not only establishes an earth mulch, so as to prevent 

 the loss of moisture of the spring rains, but it so fines the soil that 

 the plant food contained in it becomes accessible to the growing plant. 

 The conservation of moisture by frequent tillage is not understood 

 or practised as it should be. The old notion that potatoes should be 

 hilled, and that tillage should cease as soon as the potato is in bloom, 

 is wrong for most situations. Hilling is frequently practised so as 

 to keep the tubers from becoming exposed to the sun; this is not 

 necessary if the soil was properly prepared. On hard, compact soil 

 the potato will, because of less resistance of the soil, push out of the 

 ground. This will not happen in deeply worked land. 



