130 Teuck Geowing in the South. 



small piece of the tuber will produce a straight spindling 

 plant which will not make many potatoes. These potatoes 

 should be cut a few at the time, just enough to plant imme- 

 diately behind the freshly opened furrows. A handful 

 of air-slack lime should be sifted over each bucket of out 

 tubers. This will heal th'e cut and keep it from bleeding 

 and losing its strength. They should be dropped from 

 fourteen to sixteen inches apart with the eye down, step- 

 ping lightly on each tuber to press it next to the moist 

 dirt. This will enable the tuber to start germination at 

 once, as it unites with the moisture. If turned with the 

 eye up it will not germinate until a sufficient rain has 

 packed the dirt closely around the eye. Summer or fall 

 planted potatoes should be turned with the eye down next 

 to the cool moist dirt, but a spring planted potato should 

 be turned with the eye up so as to get the warmth — just 

 opposite from the late summer and fall planted potatoes. 

 After dropping the potatoes they should be covered up im- 

 mediately with four to six inches of dirt. If the weather 

 is very dry and hot it is a good idea to run a roller or drag 

 over the land to hold the moisture in the soil. Examine 

 the potatoes every few days and if you find they are germ- 

 inating promptly run a weeder or harrow over them twice 

 by the time they begin to come through the ground, and 

 as soon as they are large enough give them a good plough- 

 ing with a Planet Junior Cultivator, using three-quarter 

 or one-inch feet on same or a very small scooter on any or- 

 dinary Hayman Stock with Fender, and run it next to the 

 potato, close up. Thoroughly hoe them with a potato fork 

 immediately after this ploughing. Then take your guano 

 distributor and put at least one thousand pounds of sixteen 



