THE POTATO IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



29 



Where potatoes are planted by hand it Is customary to make the furrows with 

 a single or double mould-board plough, to drop the potatoes by hand immediately to 

 prevent drying-out, and then close the furrow with the plough. In gardens holes 

 can be made to the required depth with the hoe; sets are immediately dropped by 

 hand and then covered with soil. 



Where potatoes are dropped by hand the rows should be marked off first. In 

 doing this it is necessary that the rows be made as straight as possible. Crooked 

 rows result in damage to the potato-plants by the cultivator-teeth later in the season. 



Hand-planting is to be preferred to machine-planting: (1) Where labour is 

 cheap; (2) in stony land; (3) where the area to be planted is not large. 



Fig. 21. A two-man type of planter. 



Machine-planting is to be preferred to hand-planting, because: (1) Seed does 

 not have the chance to become dried t>ut before covering; (2) seed is planted to a 

 more uniform depth; (3) seed is dropped in straight rows, which means closer cul- 

 tivation; (4) work is accomplished quicker, and therefore of great benefit to the 

 grower of large acreages. 



Plnnt'uitj Potatoes under Sod. Sometimes potatoes are planted in freshly 

 ploughed sod and excellent results obtained. While the ploughing is being done the 

 sets are dropped every third furn>\v by a second party and then covered with the 

 plough when the next furrow is made. After planting the land is disk-harrowed 

 and rolled if necessary. 



Time to Plant. This varies greatly with different districts. It depends on the 

 market for which the crop is grown, also soil and climatic conditions. In some 

 sections it pays to get the crop in just as soon as the land is warm enough, in 

 order that it may be possible to get the potatoes on the market early and receive 

 the higher price. (Each grower can best judge for himself the proper date for plant- 

 ing in his district.) Where the season is short, late varieties should be planted 1 in 



