144 POTATOES 



3. Fertilizing potatoes with different kinds and amounts of commercial 

 fertilizer is a good feature in a project of growing sweet potatoes or Irish pota- 

 toes. Vary the proportions of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. 



4. Storage of Potatoes. — Find what methods of storing Irish potatoes for 

 the winter are in use in the region. Compare these as to results, expense, and 

 labor. 



5. Calculate the losses during storage by the best methods and determine 

 the profits resulting from storage of potatoes for home use and for winter or 

 spring market. , , T . , 



6. The storage of sweet potatoes may also be studied as suggested for Irish 

 potatoes in 4 and 5. 



7. Seed potatoes. — Compare these two plans for your region: (1) Saving 

 Irish potatoes for seed or (2) purchasing those shipped from another region at 

 planting time. Which of these methods do you find in more common practice? 



8. Growing Sweet Potato Plants. — Make a comparative study of the 

 methods practiced in your region, of growing sweet potato plants. Include 

 time and method of bedding, heating, sterilizing, watering, etc. 



9. Planting. — If a machine planter for Irish potatoes is in use in the neigh- 

 borhood, study the rate of planting, saving, cost, and profit as compared with 

 the hand methods. How large would the field need to be to warrant the use 

 of a machine planter? 



10. Make a similar study regarding the use of a transplanting machine for 

 sweet potatoes. 



11. Methods of Cultivation. — Compare the level culture with slightly 

 ridged and highly ridged rows for (1) Irish potatoes, (2) sweet potatoes. These 

 may be home projects. 



12. Compare shallow cultivation with deep cultivation for either sweet or 

 Irish potatoes. Cultivate a number of rows by each method. Have the plots 

 alike in other respects. 



13. Treating for Scab. — Plant some seed potatoes infested with scab with- 

 out treating them to prevent the disease. Near these put others that have been 

 treated as directed. Compare results in the crop. 



14. The dusting and spraying methods of fighting potato beetles should 

 be compared in the same garden. Note the difference if any in control of the 

 beetles, cost, labor, effect on plants, etc. 



15. The value of spraying with Bordeaux mixture against late blight may 

 be carefully tried by thoroughly spraying one plot with this mixture (combined 

 with poison for beetles) and leaving another plot untreated with Bordeaux 

 mixture. In other matters the two plots must be treated alike. The number of 

 sprayings with Bordeauximixture necessary to control the blight disease may 

 be tested at the same time. 



16. Debates or Discussions. — Resolved, that a storage house for sweet 

 potatoes is necessary for the most profitable marketing of sweet potatoes. 



Resolved, that growing sweet potatoes is more profitable than growing 

 Irish potatoes where soils and climate are favorable. 



Resolved, that fighting diseases and insects is more expensive for the 

 Irish potato crop than either planting, cultivation, or harvest. 



Would) it pay to organize and maintain a potato marketing association 

 for the region? Give arguments on both sides. 



17. Potato Survey. — Let each pupil report for his own neighborhood 

 on the following points: acrearages of sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes, varie- 

 ties of each for each farm, treatment, rates of planting, methods of cultivation, 

 spraying, times of harvesting, yields, marketing, methods of storing. 



18. Variety Contests. — Let several lots or 'plates' of each of the local varie- 



