THE 
GARDEN YARD 222 
oughly tilled and filled with humus as to be 
quite moist without being wet, and so richly 
fertilized as to contain a very large quantity of 
plant food. 
Starting on the left side of your acre, with a 
narrow plow, turn a furrow to the left the whole 
away across; then turn and go back, turning a 
furrow to the left as you go, far enough from the 
first to leave a ridge about four to six inches 
across between them; then go round the whole 
thing once more, inclining the plow to the left 
all the way, and guiding it so as to leave the 
ridge. This will use up the three feet allowed 
to each row. Continue across the field after 
the same fashion, seeing that each row is three 
feet from each other row, and that the unplowed 
ridges or “balks,” as they are called, are also 
three feet apart. 
Mark the places for the hills on the top of 
those ridges, placing each hill 18 inches from 
each other hill. The plowed earth between the 
ridges is what is turned back to cover seed, to 
make the hills and to cultivate with after- 
wards, while the wide ridge affords a good sur- 
face for depositing the seed and for the expan- 
sion and growth of the tubers. 
Two or three days before you intend to plant, 
harden off your potato sprouts by putting out 
