MARKET GARDENING 235 



rather moist loam, well underdrained, with a clover 

 sod turned under in the fall and shallow plowed 

 or thoroughly harrowed in the spring. About ten 

 bushels of seed per acre is planted, cut into pieces 

 of one or two eyes, and the earlier this is planted 

 after the ground will work up fine and mellow the 

 better, as there will be less trouble from insects, and 

 very early potatoes generally sell higher than the aver- 

 age of the main crop which comes on later. For large 

 areas the seed is planted and fertilizers distributed by 

 the planter, of which there are many kinds that do good 

 work. From one-half to one ton of high-grade potato 

 fertilizer is used per acre, sowing one half with the seed 

 and the balance when the plants are just breaking 

 through the ground, and at the first cultivating. At 

 this time a winged cultivator should be run between 

 the rows, covering the plants and smothering all small 

 weeds. In a day or two the weeder may be run and the 

 field smoothed down, and again in a few days or a week 

 the cultivator should be run followed by the weeder, 

 when another lot of small weeds will be destroyed. The 

 next cultivation should be done with the cultivator 

 with winged teeth, or a small double-mouldboard plow 

 or potato-hiller, throwing fine soil up close against the 

 plants. If the cultivator is run between the rows once 

 or twice after this to keep the soil fine and mellow, and 

 the hiller once more, this will take care of all the weeds 

 unless the land is very weedy. A large weed here and 

 there may have to be pulled to prevent stocking the 

 land with seed for the next season. 



When the potato-bugs appear the tops should be 

 sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, to 

 kill the bugs and prevent the blight. A second and 

 even a third spraying may be needed if the weather is 

 favorable for the growth of bugs and blight. 



