292 DRY LAND FARMING 



condition of tilth. The potatoes also grow more slowly 

 in such soils, and extra labor is involved in harvesting 

 the crop. 



Place in the rotation. Under dry conditions, the best 

 crops of potatoes may be obtained from sod or other 

 land managed on the summer-fallowing plan. But such 

 land can seldom be spared for potatoes. The best crops 

 may probably be obtained by breaking sod and man- 

 aging it as summer-fallow the season of breaking. On 

 this the crop is planted the following spring, in some 

 instances without further plowing, and in others after 

 it has been deeply plowed. On older land it is frequently 

 made to follow alfalfa which has occupied the ground 

 for a limited number of years. More commonly, how- 

 ever, the crop is grown on stubble land, manured or un- 

 manured. On new land two good crops may be grown 

 in succession, in the absence of disease, but ordinarily 

 the potato crop should be followed by a grain crop or by 

 a seeding to alfalfa, as when well cared for it leaves the 

 land in excellent condition for these. 



Preparing the soil. On new breaking, or even on 

 other sod land, reasonably good crops of potatoes have 

 been grown by simply breaking shallow and dropping 

 the sets in, say, every third furrow and following with 

 the roller and harrow, and without any cultivation sub- 

 sequently. One strong objection to this method is the 

 difficulty found in harvesting the crop. But the home- 

 steader who is beginning his work may find it to answer 

 his needs. The better plan is to plow the sod to a depth 

 of 6 inches or more, to make a good seed bed on it, and to 

 plant the crop in the same, so that suitable cultivation 

 may follow. It is important that the sods shall be well 

 buried so that they will not interfere with the subse- 

 quent cultivation. When grown on alfalfa land, it is 

 frequently broken in the spring after the alfalfa has be- 

 gun to grow. When grown on stubble land, the aim 



