114 



this trusting' the grass to be grown on the land to pay the 

 remainder of the manure bill. 



The farmer has an advantage of* the market gardener in 

 growing cultivated crops. The farmer cultivates for the 

 purpose of putting his land in good condition to grow grass, 

 and can safely trust the grass crops to pay a large per 

 cent, of the cost of manure, and also of cultivation. The 

 gardener, if his land is in cultivated crops every year, 

 must charge the crops of each year with the cost of all the 

 labor and manure applied that year. 



I think it safer on dry land to plant two feet apart in 

 the row, than nearer. I think it safer to use good sized 

 seed, cut to ounce pieces, than to use whole seed of any 

 size ; there is but little danger on such land of growing 

 the tubers too big ; the danger is from too many small ones 

 which whole potatoes are sure to give, unless all the con- 

 ditions are very favorable. By covering each seed with a 

 single hoe full of soil, and leaving it in a mound, the rain 

 and air have a chance to warm the seed and give it a good 

 start ; the mounds were well tilled with roots before the 

 potatoes were up. I feel confident that it is better to do 

 all the filling up to be done before the plants make much 

 growth above ground ; it is much less labor to do it then, 

 and the branches which produce the crop begin to start 

 veiy soon after the potatoes are up. 



The most satisfactory idea I have found, while seeking 

 for more light on potato growing, is the idea that a large 

 part of the eggs laid by the bugs can be prevented from 

 hatching by an early and vigorous growth of vines. 



For several seasons I have planted a few early potatoes 

 in the garden, under conditions which made an early and 

 rapid growth of vines. The bugs came early, laid eggs 

 early — kept coming and kept laying — but not an egg 

 hatched before the vines were done growing, then in a 



