vinal] AN OUTLINE FOR STUDYING THE POTATO 191 



Farmers' Bulletins 35, 91, 295, 324, 386, 407 and 410 and 

 Bureau of Plant Industry Circular No. 113 are especially valuable. 



Let pupils take home cards showing requirements for potato 

 club work. Obtain permission of parents for children to join 

 the club and so far as possible for land. The "landless" children 

 should be given opportunities in the school garden, in window- 

 box gardening, and in experimental work. 



B. Steps in Gardening. Select an open unshaded area. Rich 

 sandy loam is best. Drive a stake in four corners of proposed 

 garden and connect with string. Spade up garden for depth of 

 eight inches. Rake until surface is fine and level. Fertilize 

 with street sweepings or buy fertilizer from a seed store. Mix 

 well with soil. Select a well known variety that grows best in the 

 neighborhood. Throw out any diseased potatoes. Mix one- 

 half pint of formalin to 15 gallons of water. Put potatoes in 

 solution for two hours and then dry them. This prevents scab 

 disease. Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters, each piece 

 having two or three eyes. Plant four inches deep and about a 

 foot apart in rows. The rows should be a foot apart unless it is 

 possible to cultivate with a horse and harrow. Hoe once a week 

 to keep top soil fine and to prevent weeds. Keep this up until 

 the plants shade the whole ground. Spray with Paris green as 

 soon as the potato-beetle is seen. Add Bordeaux Mixture when 

 plants are eight inches high to prevent disease. Mix one-fourth 

 pound Paris green, one-half pound lime to 25 gallons of water. 

 Dig potatoes as soon as tops are dead. Keep potatoes from each 

 plant separate Do not allow them to be exposed to the light. 

 The best hills have a large number of potatoes which are uniform 

 in size. Select seed potatoes from these hills for the next season. 

 Separate the remaining potatoes into marketable potatoes and 

 culls. The culls include all small and injured potatoes. Sell or 

 store in a dark place. 



C. Suggestive Records for Booklet. 



Name Street and number 



Date Grade 



Size of garden feet by feet. 



Description of soil: 



Calendar: Prepared soil ; planted ; sprouts 



appeared above ground ; first flower ; matured 



(tops died) ; harvested 



