THE POTATO 107 



Where Peas or similar crops have been grown on 

 heavily manured soils one year, then dressed with these 

 mineral and vegetable materials as advised, the result 

 is seen in very fine, clean crops of tubers. The 

 ground should be deeply worked in the winter, and 

 laid up roughly to sweeten under the influence of 

 frost and rain. Then in the spring with the diverse 

 materials advised strewn over the surface and well 

 forked in, the planting of the tubers taking place as 

 the forking proceeds, excellent crops should result. 

 Planting should never be done too early, as nothing 

 is gained by putting carefully stored and naturally 

 sprouting tubers that thus have a good start into cold 

 soil. Much better is it to plant two or three weeks 

 later when the ground has become warmer, as then 

 growth is rapid and unchecked. When a piece of 

 ground dressed with manures is to be forked over 

 and planted, a small trench should be thrown out at 

 one end with a fork, then a strip of ground eighteen 

 inches in width forked up, and a line strained along 

 immediately behind the furrow left by the fork. 

 Chop the soil down with a spade five inches in depth, 

 close to the line, place the seed tubers in carefully at 

 equal distances apart, and fork some loose soil over 

 them. Then fork up another space of ground, move 

 the line forward, chop down a fresh furrow, and plant 

 so that all the breadth is in time dealt with. By so 

 doing the work, the ground is planted without being 

 trodden on. There are quicker but no better 

 methods. 



