THE POTATO IN ISurnsn COLIMBIA. 27 



to 173.9 bushels for 2-oz. seed. Subtracting the amount of seed used 1 , the former 

 gave 46.2 bushels and the latter 132.7 bushels. 



The system of cutting out the eyes of the potato to plant is not good practice, 

 since there is not enough plant-food present to support the young shoot till it develops 

 a root system. 



The Number of Eyes to a Set. Two eyes to a set is usually conceded to give 

 better results than even one or three eyes. Where a larger number of eyes are 

 present the percentage of marketable tubers is greatly reduced 1 ; this is especially 

 true when the seed-end of the potato is planted, although the potatoes from the 

 seed!-end will be earlier. 



Whole vs. Cut sV(v/. In districts where the land is w-t or poorly drained 

 whole potatoes are preferable to cut seed, since these rot less easily. Again, whole 

 potatoes are less subject to internal infectious disease than are cut seed. Also, 

 whole seed will sprout earlier and give larger yields. On the other hand, the per- 

 centage of marketable potatoes will be smaller when whole seed is planted than 

 with cut seed 1 . 



Small whole potatoes are often used for seed because they are much cheaper, 

 although they are only the culls from the marketable potatoes. This practice is 

 not a desirable one, since it is unknown whether these small potatoes came from 

 healthy or unhealthy hills. 



Amount of Seed required per Acre. From what has gone before it will be 

 readily understood that it is impossible to give a definite statement regarding the 

 amount of seed to use per acre. This will vary according to the size of the piece 

 planted, distance between rows, and whether seed' is large whole, medium whole, 

 small whole, or cut seed. From GOO to 1,200 Ib. is usually required to plant an acre 

 of potatoes when rows are 3 feet apart. 



PLANTING. 



Potatoes may be planted by the hill or row method and by machine or by hand. 

 The various methods will be described here. 



Hill and Roiv Method. Fields of potatoes may be planted in hills or drills, and 

 they may be planted by hand or by a machine-planter. The hill system of planting 

 is usually practised in gardens and the drill system in fields. In the hill system 

 two or three sets may be used to the hill and the rows are about 30 to 36 inches 

 each way. The advantage of this system is that it allows cultivation of the crop 

 both ways, thereby lessening the weeds. This method is better adapted to soils 

 which are lacking in plant-food. The disadvantage of this method is that the yield 

 is smaller. 



In drill-planting the rows are from 30 to 38 inches apart; 36 inches is usually 

 allowed. The distance between the Mils in. the row varies from 12 to 18 inches 

 apart; 16 inches is probably the most satisfactory. The distance between seed-pieces, 

 depends on the size of the sets, the supply of moisture, and fertility of the soil. In 

 irrigated districts the rows should be farther apart, but seed-pieces may be closer 

 in the row. 



Machine and U<in<l riuntiin/. Fields planted with a horse-planter have given as 

 good yields as those planted l>y li;iml. where lari:o areas have been compared. A 

 machine -planter I l-'i^. 11 h should In- used wherever practicable, as it opens furrows. 

 drops seed piece, and rovers up without exposing bottom of furrow to dry air for very 

 long. The ridge left by the planter affords a .miide for the first cultivation. Where 

 the soil has been well prepared 1h<> planter will do excellent work. There are vari- 

 ous makes of planters on the market, ai:<l there are two distinct types: (1) The 

 picker (Fig. 20); (LM the two-man niaehine < Fijr. 21 i. 



The pirker -machine is operated ly one man. The pieces are picked up on steel 

 points, from which they are dropl^l in the furrow. The platform type of machine 

 is operated by two men. and a full planting can l>o obtained if the man who fills the 

 sections in the feeding-plat form is thorough in his work. For all planters it is 

 better to have seed-pieces of uniform shape and size. 



