CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 333 



torn of berry baskets or dirt bands before filling with 

 soil. Six to eight seeds should be planted in each, and 

 the plants then thinned to the strongest two or four. It 

 is customary to leave only two plants, while a greater 

 field area may be covered by starting four together and 

 then spacing more liberally in the field than if there 

 were only two in each hill. 



The seeds should not be sown more than a month 

 before the time for hill planting, for if too far advanced 

 there will be danger of a check in growth when the plants 

 are transferred to the field. A night temperature of 60 

 degrees and a day temperature of 70 are suitable for 

 germination and the growth of the plants. The plants 

 should be hardened by moderate watering and by free 

 ventilation before setting in the field. 



437. Soil preparation. Early plowing and frequent 

 harrowing before planting are important. It is often 

 possible to grow a green manurial crop in the fall to plow 

 down in the spring. For the early crop some growers 

 prefer to throw up the land into slight ridges, thus secur- 

 ing better drainage and somewhat warmer soil conditions. 



438. Fertilizing. Large yields of high quality are 

 preptlv favored by a constant, unchecked growth, accom- 

 plished by providing proper physical as well as chemical 

 properties of the soil. The roots attain the best develop- 

 ment in soils abounding in vegetable matter. For this 

 reason, stable manures have been found particularly val- 

 uable. They should be well decayed, unless applied a 

 month or more in advance of planting. If the supply of 

 manure is abundant, it may be applied broadcast, but it 

 will go farther and produce better results in soils of 

 moderate fertility when applied in the hills or furrows. 

 A popular and successful practice in some trucking sec- 

 tions is to open the furrows about a month before it is time 

 to plant, distribute the manure, turn back the soil and 

 mix soil and manure thoroughly w r ith a convenient form 



