1921.] 



Potato Gkowing in Essex. 



37 



About a week after the planting the ridges should be harrowed 

 down with light harrows, care being taken not to harrow the 

 baulks too flat, otherwise the tubers may be disturbed. After 

 the harrowing they should be horse-hoed (with two horses) to 

 a depth of six or seven inches between the rows, and then 

 moulded up with a moulding plough. About ten days or a 

 fortnight later a shim should be run under the potatoes, taking 

 one baulk at a time, and shimming to a depth of four inches 

 below the seed tuber. An implement, commonly known as a 

 potato shim, is used for this operation. This will put the whole 

 of the land into a proper mould or mulch. In some cases the 

 results are very beneficial, but in others when the weather is 

 very dry, and the ground very rough, shimming would result in a 

 loss of moisture, and the farmer must therefore use his own 

 discretion. In a case such as is mentioned above the ridges 

 ought to be harrowed down again with saddle -back harrows, and 

 horse-hoed again. The land should then be left until the 

 potatoes are three or four inches through the ground, when they 

 should be hand-hoed, all the top soil being moved, whether there 

 are weeds or not. This should be followed by another horse- 

 hoeing, and when the potatoes are high enough they should be 

 well moulded up. This should finish all cultivations. 



Manuring. — This is a matter on which there is considerable 

 difference of opinion, but after many years of practical 

 experience the WTiter has no hesitation in recommending the 

 following methods. 



As soon as possible after harvest, 15 tons of good, well- 

 rotted farmyard manure should be applied to the stubbles and 

 ploughed in. In the spring, just before planting, there should 

 be applied a mixture of : — 



1^ cwt. Sulphate of Ammonia 



5 cwt. 30 per cent. Superphosphate >per acre. 



1 cwt. Sulphate of Potash. J 



If farmyard manure is not available for the potato crop, a 

 liberal dressing of organic manure should be given, which 

 will to a certain extent take the place of farmyard maniu'e. 

 This organic manure should be either bone and meat meal, 

 hoof and horn manure, or fish guano, and should be applied 

 at the rate of about 8 cwt. per acre, while a mixture of IJ cwt. 

 sulphate of ammonia and IJ cwt. sulphate of potash per acre 

 should also be applied. The application of sulphate of potash 

 to light land will be specially beneficial. 



Planting. — Planting is an operation which requires more 



