PREPARING TO PLANT AND PLANTING 59 



erally depends upon the first rain to start his crop growing, 

 and he waits till then to work his soil. The potatoes are 

 dropped in the ground while dry, and when the rain comes 

 the surface of the soil is worked before the potatoes are up. 

 This soil must be of a mellow texture. The time for plant- 

 ing this crop is from November to the middle of December. 



When planting in wet soil that is, soil that is never 

 dry, such as the peat land always plow and work it thor- 

 oughly a month or so before planting. If the soil is very 

 wet at planting time, open up furrows with a large cultivat- 

 or plow, wing shovel plow in fact, any that will serve the 

 purpose of throwing the dirt both ways, leaving the furrow 

 from five to seven inches deep. If the soil is wet and cold, 

 these furrows should be left two or three days to dry before 

 planting. When the potatoes are planted, cover lightly, not 

 over two inches deep at first. After two weeks, harrow 

 crosswise. This finishes covering them and levels the soil. 

 When covering lightly the first time, use a harrow running 

 lengthwise, keeping the horses on the ridge so they will not 

 trample on the potatoes. In planting in March and April, 

 be careful that the potatoes are deep enough to be out of the 

 way of the tuber moth. 



In deeper planting, of about four to six inches, do not 

 cover up the pieces completely, if planted in cold weather; 

 but if planted in the warm season, cover completely. The 

 deeper planting is used in the lighter soils, and shallower 

 planting of about three to four inches in the heavy and re- 

 tentive soils. In early winter in Southern California, dur- 

 ing the months of November, December, January, and as 

 late as the middle of February, the seed is planted shallower, 

 as the ground is too cold and moist. They are planted about 

 three or four inches deep at this time. Deep planting is 

 generally considered the best, except in winter. If the tu- 



