20 BULLETIN 917, XT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The older types of bean drills have no ridging attachment, but the 
new types have ridging tools. This method of planting and culti- 
vating potatoes and beans eliminates much of the hand labor of 
hoeing. It also eliminates the danger of loss of stand from the for- 
mation of a crust on the soil. (Figs. 13 and 14.) 
Approximately 1 hour of man labor is required to plant an acre 
of grain, beans, beets, or cucumbers for seed, 6.8 hours for potatoes, 
and 4.9 hours for cantaloupes. Sugar beets, beans, cantaloupes, and 
cucumbers require approximately 2 hours of horse labor per acre. 
Grains average slightly more than 3 horse-hours per acre to plant, 
while potatoes require the greatest amount of horse labor in planting, 
7.5 hours. 
In all three sections there is little variation in the method of plant- 
ing beets or grain. The grain is drilled in rows 8 inches apart, the 
Fig. 14. — Harrowing potatoes. When the tubers are planted a deep covering is put on the seed. By 
harrowing, this covering is removed, leaving the ground free from small weeds when the potato 
sprouts come through the surface. This practice is followed in bean planting and saves much hand 
labor in hoeing. 
beets in rows usually 20 inches apart, although at Rocky Ford some 
farmers planted beets 18 inches apart and some men at Fort Morgan 
and Greeley alternated 16-inch and 24-inch rows. Potatoes are 
planted in rows 36 to 40 inches apart. Beans are planted in rows 28 
to 32 inches apart. Alfalfa is scattered broadcast with a seeder or 
drilled in rows. Cucumbers are planted in rows 36 to 40 inches 
apart. Cantaloupes are planted in check-rows or hills 5 to 7 feet 
apart with four or five plants to the hill. Cucumbers are thinned 
to approximately 18 inches between plants in the row, beets 10 to 14 
inches, beans 2 to 6 inches, and potatoes 18 to 24 inches. 
The depth of planting for beet seed is from 1J to 2 inches; for 
grains, about 2 inches; cantaloupes and cucumbers, about 2 inches; 
beans, 2 to 3^ inches; and potatoes, approximately 6 inches. 
