124 AGRICULTURE 



up. From one to two harrowings may be given after the 

 plants appear. Throughout the growing season a fine soil 

 mulch should at all times be maintained by means of fre- 

 quent cultivation. Especially after a rain should the soil 

 crust be broken. The cultivation should be rather shallow, 

 and potatoes should not be hilled up as is so often done. 



Harvesting the crop. When the vines have died the 

 potatoes have stopped growing and the crop is ready to 

 harvest. In the case of small fields, potatoes are often har- 

 vested by being plowed out with an ordinary plow, the 

 tubers being picked up by hand, and the field afterward 

 harrowed to uncover any that have been missed. 



In regions where potatoes are grown in large quanti- 

 ties the digging is done with machines, several kinds of 

 which are now on the market. The average machine will 

 turn out about three acres in a day, and will require from 

 five to ten pickers to keep up with it. 



Storing the crop. In order to keep well, potatoes 

 must be stored in a cool place. The house cellar is usu- 

 ally too warm for them, and they also give out an un- 

 pleasant odor that permeates the house. A common type 

 of vegetable cellar to be found on many farms is built 

 with concrete or stone walls, the excavation being made on 

 a side hill. It is covered with a shingle roof, and has a 

 board floor on a level with the ground at the upper side, 

 thus making an excellent tool and machinery house over 

 the space used for vegetables. 



TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 



1. What is the acreage of potatoes raised on your 

 home farm this season? If you are not certain, go out and 

 measure the field carefully. Compare the acreage of each 

 of the farms represented in the school. 



2. What is the yield of your potatoes per acre? How 



