PLANTING POTATOES 431 



an acre with that quantity of seed, the pieces must be cut to 

 about an ounce in size, if planted at the usual distances. 

 One eye is sufficient for each piece. If one-ounce pieces ar( 

 used there will usually be more than one eye on each piece, 

 but as a rule only one will grow to any extent, and so the 

 additional eyes are not objectionable. When potatoes are 

 grown on a large scale, they are cut with a machine with 

 stationary knives so arranged that a potato laid on top of 

 the knives and pushed down over them will be cut in pieces 

 of about the right size. Occasionally pieces without eyes 

 may be cut by this method, but it happens so seldom that 

 machine cutting is entirely satisfactory. When potatoes are 

 grown on a small scale, they are usually cut by hand with a 

 knife. 



564. Planting. The most common method of planting 

 potatoes is in drills from 3 feet to 3)^ feet apart, with one 

 seed piece dropped at. intervals of fro.m 14 to 20 inches. 

 Planting in this way requires about 10 to 12 bushels of seed 

 to the acre. 



The time of planting naturally varies with the location. 

 In the Northern states, potatoes for early market are planted 

 as soon as the ground can be put in good condition in the 

 spring. The later crop is planted at any time in May, and 

 sometimes as late as June 15. Farther south, the planting 

 may be done at any time from January to the first of April. 

 Where two crops a year are grown, one is usually planted 

 in January or February, and the second in July or August. 



The depth of planting will vary with the soil and kind of 

 cultivation to be given. On the lighter soils, potatoes are 

 commonly planted from 4 to 5 inches deep and given level 

 cultivation. On heavier soils, especially where the land is 

 a little too wet, they are planted more shallow and are hilled. 



