428 FIELD CROPS 



Fall plowing is to be preferred, though equally good results 

 can usually be obtained if spring-plowed land is thoroughly 

 prepared. If the land is plowed in the fall it becomes dis- 

 integrated and packed by settling and from the action of the 

 weather, and when the upper surface is cultivated and put 

 in good condition in the spring, a better seed bed is secured 

 than is commonly the case with spring plowing. 



ft land is plowed in the fall it is important that it be har- 

 rowed early in the spring to aid in warming up the soil and 

 to conserve moisture. Fall-plowed land which is left 

 hard and compact for several weeks after it thaws out in the 

 spring will probably be in poorer condition than well-cared- 

 for spring-plowed land. The potato crop is capable of bring- 

 ing comparatively large returns to the acre, and it is usually 

 better to expend more labor and fertilizer in getting the soil 

 in first-class condition than is practical with grain and corn 

 crops, which do not give as large returns. 



In some places where potatoes are grown in an intensive 

 way and where large yields are very important, the land is 

 plowed in the fall and again in the spring. The fall plowing, 

 which is comparatively shallow, aids in saving moisture, 

 destroys many weeds and insects, and leaves the land open 

 to the action of the elements during the winter. If manure 

 is to be used it is applied during the winter or in early spring, 

 on top of the fall plowing, and thoroughly disked into the 

 upper 3 to 5 inches of the soil. The land is then plowed in 

 the spring 2 or 3 inches deeper than it was in the fall, and 

 the plowing followed by thorough disking and harrowing. 

 While this practice is not at all general, it is advisable in very 

 many instances. 



561. Seed. Much profit is lost, under the common 

 methods of growing potatoes, from the planting of poor seed. 

 There is some tendency for potatoes to "run out" if grown 



