58 
Garden Work 
the soil you must necessarily make the soil solid all 
round and beneath the hole where the tuber is planted. 
Now this will tend to exclude the air, and will prevent 
the roots from penetrating easily into the surrounding 
soil. 
The best method of planting potatoes is with the 
hoe. When the ground has been dug and manured, 
measure out the required distances and mark each row. 
Two feet for dwarf- growing varieties (i.e. many of the 
early ones) and from 2 \ to 3 ft. for the stronger-grow- 
ing should be allowed. Then set the line to keep the 
rows perfectly straight, and draw drills about 4 in. deep 
with the corner of the hoe, planting the tubers from 10 in. 
to 1 ft. apart, and cover over by drawing the soil up 
on either side with a three-pronged hoe or with a rake, 
leaving the ground loose and in ridges. This enables 
the maximum amount of air to penetrate to the roots of 
the plants. Care must be taken to draw the same 
amount of soil from each side, and the first half must 
be drawn to the centre of the drill; otherwise the plants 
will come up through the side of the drill. When they 
have grown up, and before they get too high, run through 
the drills with the hoe, killing the weeds and breaking 
up the surface soil. On the following day, or soon after, 
the plants can be earthed up again. This may require 
to be done twice in a season, before the haulms get too 
large. 
When digging potatoes, great care must be exercised 
so as not to injure the tubers with the fork, especially 
if they are to be stored for future use, or required for 
replanting. The best way is to put the fork in at the 
