178 The Sweet Potato 



when potatoes cannot be dug at the first frost or at con- 

 venience, it is advisable to rake loose dirt over the rows 

 and thus afford them protection from the cold. 



The greater part of the farmers who raise only a small 

 patch of potatoes for home consumption use various 

 hand and horse-driven implements for digging. In 

 fact, many tools from the ordinary hay-fork to the one; 

 horse turning-plow are employed. When the fork is 

 resorted to, the work will be easier and more satisfac- 

 tory if a broad, flat, short-handled fork is used, one 

 with eight to fourteen tines somewhat similar to the seed- 

 fork. 



When potatoes are dug by a turning-plow, it will be 

 advisable to go twice through each row, turning the soil 

 to both sides. By removing the mold-board and putting 

 in several rods, either of wood or metal, the earth will 

 sift through and leave the potatoes on the surface. In 

 the larger fields it is advisable to use the regular potato- 

 diggers manufactured for the purpose. These are usu- 

 ally the two- or three-horse plows; they have extension 

 rods or fingers ; while plowing up the row the soil sifts 

 through and leaves the potatoes on top, where they may 

 be easily picked up and put in the basket. In either 

 the one- or two-horse plow, it is advisable to use the 

 rolling cutting-colter, which cuts the vines and makes 

 the plowing much easier. If the one-wing plow is em- 

 ployed, one colter is sufficient ; if a double-winged plow, 

 a double roller-colter is used to cut the vines from 

 both sides of the row at once. 



It is desirable that the soil should be comparatively 

 dry at harvesting time in order that the potatoes may 

 be drier and smoother and more satisfactorily handled- 

 Af ter^the potatoes are plowed out, they should be allowed 



