Care of the Growing Crop 161 



and has passed the time at which stirring will cause baking. 

 Stirring the soil at this time saves the maximum amount 

 of moisture for the use of the growing crop. Evaporation 

 is so rapid that a few hours' delay results in a great loss of 

 water. The air is usually cool and the soil stirs easily. 

 With fresh horses, a large area can be covered in a few 

 hours. Weed seeds which have been sprouted by the re- 

 cent rains are stirred about and the weeds killed. Grow- 

 ing weeds which have escaped previous cultivation are 

 torn out and left on top of the soil to be dried and killed 

 by the heat of the sun. The potato plants have just 

 received the stimulation of needed rain and the dissolved 

 plant-food which has been forming in the soil during dry 

 weather but not available on account of lack of moisture. 

 Under these conditions, the potatoes can stand root 

 injury which would be more dangerous at drier times. 



Wide tools can be used in tillage nearly up to the time 

 the sprouts break through the surface of the soil. The 

 common practice in the principal potato-growing states, 

 outside of Maine, of harrowing down the ridges, left by 

 the planter or by ridging tools after planting, is very 

 beneficial. Plank-floats or clod-crushers are often used, 

 but they are dangerous to the growing sprouts. The 

 ideal tool for this purpose would be a level which would 

 smooth down the ridges without crushing the soil around the 

 sprouts. A tool made of plank 2 X 10 inch standing on 

 edge and long enough to cover two rows, has been found 

 very useful. The driver stands on a horizontal plank 

 fastened to the rear of the plank which does the work. 

 According to the hardness of the soil, the vertical plank 

 is slanted slightly or dropped below the level of the hori- 

 zontal plank. Frequent adjustment is needed as the soil 

 changes texture rapidly after rains. The horse should be 



