POTATOES. 133 



to the acre. They should be planted as early in the 

 spring as the ground can be worked. 



Mark out furrows six inches deep, thirty inches apart, 

 in which drop the seed one foot apart, and cover with a 

 hoe, or throw a light furrow over them with the plow, 

 and level with the back of the harrow. Fallow ground 

 is preferable to sward for early potatoes, but when sward 

 land is to be used for this crop, the seed may be put in as 

 the land is plowed, planting every third furrow, in the 

 manner that, farmers usually pursue, covering only three 

 or four inches, or the land may be more deeply plowed 

 and furrows made as above, but this can not be so readily 

 done on sward as 011 fallow ground. It is for preferable, 

 if possible, to plow the land during August of the preced- 

 ing year ; harrow well, and, if you please, sow flat turnips 

 broadcast, giving at the same time a dressing of five 

 hundred pounds of bone-flour to the acre. After the crop 

 is taken off, plow again, arid harrow thoroughly late in the 

 fall, which will leave the land in excellent condition for 

 the crop of the foil owing year. Where manure is scarce, 

 the furrows may be marked out as first mentioned, and 

 the manure, which must be well-rotted, spread in the fur- 

 rows, a good shovelful to about six feet of row, or bone- 

 flour or guano may be applied lightly in the same manner. 

 In regard to the various methods of planting, my obser- 

 vations have led me to the following conclusions. In wet 

 seasons those manured in the row do the best, and in dry 

 seasons those manured broadcast and plowed in give the 

 best results, and in order to get between these two ex- 

 tremes, spread the manure broadcast, plow the' ground, 

 and furrow out, as first mentioned, which I believe to be 

 the very best method of planting early potatoes. The 

 seed should not be covered deeply, but may be slightly 

 ridged, just before they come in blossom. The ground 

 may be lightly harrowed over just as the first sprouts ap- 

 pear which will destroy the first crop of weeds. The 



