Vegetable Growing 95 



the rows for the application of irrigation water. Potatoes grown 

 during the rainy season in places where there is liable to be too much 

 water, can often be hilled to advantage, but dry-season cultivation 

 of practically everything should be as flat as possible to retain moist- 

 ure near the surface for the development of shallow-rooting plants. 



Bad Conditions for Potatoes. 



Our potatoes zvere planted early and were frosted several times while 

 young. As we come to harvest them zve Und them with very large green 

 tops but the potatoes are about the size of a hen's egg and from that 

 they run dozvn to the size of a pea. The larger ones are beginning to 

 send out roots, four or live to a potato. The potatoes have not been 

 irrigated lately and the ground they are in is dry. 



The ugly behavior of your potatoes is doubtless due to irregu- 

 larities in temperature and moisture which have forced the plants 

 into abnormal or undesirable activity. Potatoes should have regular 

 conditions of moisture so that they shall proceed from start to finish 

 and not stop and start again, for this will usually make the crop 

 unsatisfactory and worthless. Excessive moisture is not desirable, 

 but the requisite amount in continuous supply is indispensable. 



Potatoes on Heavy Land. 



Will potatoes grow zuell in adobe land, or partly adobe, that has not 

 been used for seven years e.vcept for pasturing? 



Although potatoes enjoy best of all a light loam in which they 

 can readily expand, it is possible to get very good results on heavy 

 land which has been used for pasturage for some years, providing 

 the land is broken up early and deeply and harrowed well in advance 

 of planting and thorough cultivation maintained while the crop is 

 growing. The content of grass roots and manure which the land has 

 received during its period of grazing tends to make the soil lighter 

 and will also feed the plant well. For this reason better potatoes 

 are had on heavy land after pasturage than could be had on the same 

 land if continually used for grain or for some other crop which 

 tended to reduce the amount of humus and to make the land more 

 rebellious in cultivation. 



Storage of Seed Potatoes. 



We need potatoes for late planting and have found a good lot zvhich 

 is being held in cold storage at temperatures from 34 to 36 degrees F. 

 They have not been there long, however. Would that hurt them for seed, 

 and also how long could they be safely left there nozv before planting? 



Seed potatoes would not be injured in storage, providing the 

 temperature is not allowed to go below the freezing point. They 

 should not, however, be allowed to remain longer in storage, but 

 should be exposed to the sun for the development of the eyes, even 

 to the sprouting point being desirable before planting. The greening 



