May, 1929] Potato Production Costs in New Hampshire 23 



Cutting Seed 



The practice of cutting seed by machine is rapidly gaining. 

 Onlv throe growers were found using cutters in 1926. In 1927 the 

 numbci- had increased to seven; and many other growers requested 

 information. In yield the few farms using cutters showed better 

 than average crops for the area in which they were located. Other 

 practices, however, such as more fertilizer, more seed, and larger 

 areas, had a greater influence. The greatest benefit came from the 

 saving in labor. In hand cutting a day's work is usually 15 to 18 

 bushels. With a machine cutter 40 to 60 bushels are cut. This 

 amounts to a saving of about six hours per acre. With no reduction 

 in yield because of the practice, labor and costs per bushel are re- 

 duced by 10 to 15 minutes and 1 to 3 cents per bushel, and a large 

 crew is unnecessary. 



Cheshire and Sullivan Counties reported the lowest labor 

 requirements for cutting seed since several of the growers used- 

 small uncut potatoes. 



Planting 



The majority of the old planters were of the two-man type. 

 The larger proportion of new machines encountered in the second 

 year of the survey were the picker type. The supposed greater 

 accuracy of the platform type, particularly with close planting, 

 and the expected higher yield from a more perfect stand, did not 

 materialize. 



The Geneva Station*"' has shown that the hills adjacent to a 

 missing hill have sufficient extra plant food and room to take care 

 of about half of the expected yield from a missing hill. With so 

 many other factors influencing yield it is difficult to assign a loss in 

 value to the skins resulting from a Dicker planter. Extra labor 

 amounting to a day's work for every two and one-half acres, the 

 most common rate of planting as found in the survey, is sufficient 

 to make the use of a two man planter a questionable economic 

 practice. 



Cultivation 



Cultivation may consist of several operations. The process of 

 recovering, which is very generally practiced, is usually the first. 

 Occasionally a smoothing harrow is used for the first cultivation 

 after Dlanting. It is a more efficient tool than the ridger or culti- 

 vator if used early enough to get the young weed seedlings. It is 

 then followed by the recoverer which may be followed or occasion- 

 ally preceded by the cultivator. Very little horse weeding was 

 practiced. Practically no hand hoeing was attempted, only big 

 weeds which might interfere with digging were cut out occa- 

 sionally. 



Where a ridger or horsehoe was used, hilling was accom- 

 plished with that tool. The hill is less pronounced than that made 

 vi^ith a shovel plow. The former practice is to be recommended as 



