POTATOES. 203 



strikes a straight furrow and returns with a back fur- 

 row. On the second time around, the droppers follow 

 the plough, placing the Potatoes from fifteen to eigh- 

 teen inches apart in the loose ground just turned 

 over, and in a position so that the next furrow-slice 

 will co^er the seed about four inches deep. The fur- 

 row-slices will average from ten to twelve inches in 

 width, and the seed is planted in every third fiuTOw 

 on either side of the starting-point ; this will leave 

 the rows of Potatoes about three feet apart. This is 

 wide enough to admit a horse-hoe for cultivating 

 during the early stages of growth. By the system 

 of back-furrowing there is no time wasted, either by 

 the persons dropping or the man with the plough. We 

 employ two German women, who drop as fast as the 

 two horses will plough tlie ground and cover the Pota- 

 toes. On loose, mellow soil, this force will plant, on 

 an average, two acres a day, working ten hours. In 

 this way, the soil is left in better condition to facili- 

 tate the growth of the young Potatoes than by any of 

 the methods in general use, that I have heretofore 

 practised in growing Potatoes for market. The seed 

 is placed in the side of tlie furrow-slice, and is not 

 displaced by the horse that walks in tlie furrow. Oc- 

 casionally the plough is thrown out by the point strik- 

 ing a stone, and one or two of the seed left without 

 covering, bixt in the next time around, this can be re- 

 paired and the seed properly covered. 



With a very little practice, the ploughman will run 

 each furrow as straight as a " bee-line." I never 

 have had rows of Potatoes come up more evenly than 

 for the past three years, when planted in this way. 



