134 Southern Gardener^ s P^'actical Manual 



be done in several ways, as follows: (a) When the first 

 crop is dug, usually in June, plant the small tubers, 

 without cutting, at once on the same land, covering 

 them six inches deep. Why use the same plot from 

 which the spring crop has been harvested? Because 

 there will be left in the soil many tubers which will 

 "volunteer" in the early fall. These can be transplanted 

 to supplement a defective stand. Plant in rows three 

 feet wide, and plant a row of bunch snap beans in the 

 middle, between the rows of potatoes. The cultivation 

 of the beans will benefit the potatoes by keeping down 

 grass and weeds, by keeping a continual soil mulch on 

 the surface, and the shade of the bean vines will keep 

 the soil cool. My attention was drawn to this method by 

 observing the fact that the tubers left in the ground 

 when the crop was dug invariablj- came in advance of 

 those removed and planted in August, (h) When the 

 crop is harvested in June, prepare the land and plant as 

 just described, except that the rows need not be more 

 than two feet apart, and mulch heavily with straw or 

 leaves. The mulch will retain moisture and insure a 

 stand. Indeed, I have known potatoes grown on the 

 same land for twenty -five years by mulching heavily, a 

 foot deep, the spring crop. Take off the mulch in July, 

 harvest the crop, fertilize the land and replace the mulch 

 for the fall crop. Let the mulch remain during winter, 

 use the potatoes as needed until early spring; then, if 

 the mulch has been sufficiently rotted, plow it into the 

 soil with the small potatoes not used and apply fresh 

 mulch. This was continued by Hon. Samuel Barnett, of 

 Wilkes county, Georgia, for twenty -five years without 



