THE HILL AND ROW SYSTEMS. 75 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

 THE HILL AND ROW SYSTEMS. 



Cultivators in different sections differ in their opin- 

 ions as to the merits of the hill and row systems. Good 

 results are obtained from both, and the general impres- 

 sion appears to be that larger roots are obtained by the 

 hill system, while cultivating in ridges produces the 

 greatest number of potatoes. Most cultivators now-a- 

 days mark off the ground and set the plants with a view 

 to cultivating the crop by horse-power. If the plants 

 are to be set in hills, three feet apart each way will be 

 found a convenient distance; if to be cultivated in 

 ridges, mark off the ground with the plow in rows 

 aboujt four feet apaxt. The ridges are conveniently 

 made by throwing two furrows together over the ma- 

 nure that has been spread in a furrow or marking for the 

 row ; then with a hand hoe the ridges are smoothed and 

 their tops patted down. When the time comes for set- 

 ting the plants, the dry tops of the ridges are removed 

 and the plants sot from sixteen to eighteen inches apart 

 in the row. In large fields the crowns of the ridges are 

 taken off with a liglit scraper, drawn by a horse, and 

 wide enough to do two rows at a time. 



When the hill system is practised these rows are usu- 

 ally made into small hills with light hoes. The points 

 of these hills are knocked off at the time of planting, so 

 that the plants may be set in fresh, moist earth. 



After the land is well prepared it is laid off into rows 

 about three or three and a half feet apart with a single- 

 horse turn-plow ; then a furrow is thrown up each 

 side of these rows each way, as in hilling for tobacco. 

 It is now light work to form hills with the weeding-hoe. 



