22 BULLETIN 1304, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The highest production of potatoes has been found to come in a 
rotation following some crop grown in rows, such as corn or beans. 
Potato land as preparation for other crops should be equal to corn 
ground or slightly superior. Potatoes may be planted the last of 
March or the first of April for an early crop, in which case they are 
likely to mature and be subject to second growth under favorable 
rains of August if not harvested. Potatoes may be seeded as late 
as May 1. 
FALLOW 
The object of the fallow is to accumulate and conserve water in 
the soil during a season, in order that a crop may start with a reserve 
supply. The two most important considerations are to have the 
surface coarse and open, to facilitate the penetration of water and 
prevent run-off and to keep the surface free from vegetation. The 
most important is to prevent the growth of vegetation. Fallowing 
as a preparation for succeeding crops loses its effectiveness in direct 
proportion as these two requirements are not met. To prevent 
weed growth the land must be cultivated, and this cultivation must 
be of such a character that it does not pulverize the soil too much. 
A surface that is too fine probably will puddle in hard rains and the 
water run off, and the soil will bake and be subject to blowing. 
Experiments in methods of fallowing have shown that the least 
cultivation that will keep the ground bare during the active growing 
season is not only the cheapest but the most effective. Just as spring 
plowing for immediate cropping is as good as fall plowing, so nothing 
is gained by beginning the cultivation for fallow in the fall. The 
first treatment may be either disking or plowing. Disking in the 
spring holds the weeds in check, so the plowing can be somewhat 
later than otherwise would be most effective. Delaying the plowing 
reduces the number of cultivations that must be given after it is done. 
Even if it has been disked, the ground should be plowed not later 
than about June 1. 
- The implement most commonly used for cultivating the fallow has 
been the disk harrow. With the disk, the repeated diskings that are 
necessary make too fine and smooth a surface and thus encourage 
blowing and run-off. Shovel cultivators are much to be preferred to 
the disk harrow. 
A lister may be used instead of a plow in fallowing. The cultiva- 
tion to prevent weed growth during the summer levels the furrows 
and prepares the ground for seeding. This method has not been 
under trial at the Akron station, but at other stations it has given 
results at least as good as plowing. On a farm having listers and 
lister cultivators this method of fallow may fit into the farming 
system better than any other. 
In considering the several crops it has been shown that the out- 
standing value of fallow in this section is as a preparation for winter 
wheat. However, in case of prolonged drought in late summer, 
fallow will not insure a stand of winter wheat unless there is sufficient 
rainfall at or near seeding time to connect the surface moisture with 
the stored moisture below. 
