782 
THE TROPlOl^t. AtSWIOtILTUmST. 
[April i, 1892. 
ward stroke exteudin^ to the centre and base of the 
tuber. Turn tuber sUghtly to bring other eyes to- 
ward the operator, and repeat the operation. Tlie 
eyes of a potato ai'o arranged more or less regularly 
around a spirally ascending axis and by turning the 
potato slightly after each operation they can be cut 
away in compact pieces so as to give each one a 
neatly equal proportion of the tuber. Tliis, of course, 
cannot be done at the seed end, and W'hon the 
operator has removed the eyes as close as practic- 
able to the seed-end, a good practice is to cut it 
down through the centre. 
This method of rotating the tuber and cutting the 
eyes away successively is fairly well shown in the 
cut Fig. 1. There, liowover, the illustration shows 
the pieces cut to ono eye. This, as stated elsewhere, 
wo do not advise except under certain conditions, 
but the system of cutting works equally well witli 
the two-eye cuttings, and for ordinary seed we ad- 
vise about that size. U’he importance of properly 
out seed is little appreciated among many growers, 
hence we fool justified in giving considerable space 
to this matter. 
Armed with a good knife, a smart hand should 
cut 8 to 10 bushels of seed per day. Wo do no 
advise cutting seed iu advance of planting, but if 
it is done to save time in the rush of work, the 
pieces should bo ttioroughly dusted with plaster to 
prevent evaporation. 
(4) PI.ANTINO IN TiiKNcnp.H on uroN the suheack. 
This is another point in potato culture that has 
been much discussed, hut the best growers now quite 
uniformly follow the trench system. However, to 
many there may be some new points about the pro- 
ces — hence we give it some discussion, with an 
illustration. The trench system is alluded to under 
tlie discussion of planting the varieties. We have 
nse^ this system for about ten years, and consider it 
much superior to surface-planting. 
Our reasons are. — 
lat. That it is the easiest method of planting, as 
it permila the covering to be rapidly and easily per- 
formed by horsu-iKJWer. 
2nd. It places the plants down in the soil, where 
they are more secure from effect of drought. 
3r<J. It obviates the necessity of hilling up, and 
enables ono to give the crop level culture, which 
experience has shown to bo the beat ; and, 
4th. As a resu'.t of the foregoing conditions, tha 
crop will usually bo larger and of better quality for 
being so planted. 
It is our exporionce that deep culture of the crop, 
hi ling up, hand-hoeing, etc., if given after the vines 
begin to lop over, injures the crop, especially in that 
those practices tend to produce smsll tubers. 
The illustration hero given, figures 2, shows the 
impioment we use in furxowing and nlonting. The 
furrowing attachment is apart of a combined tool used 
for cultivating and various other garden operations. 
The furrower is a wide, two-winged shovel attached 
to rear central standard, and the market gauge is 
a graduated wooden bar attachorl to the forward part 
of the cultivator frame. On this bar there is a 
tran 9 vei*B« fliit bar iron so fastened tliat it can 
easily and quiokiy be adjusted to the desired width 
of the row. The gauge-bar has also attached to it 
a lever-rod within roach of the operator, with which 
he can rotate it from side to side. 
With this instrument furrows can be accurately 
ganged atwl rapidly laid off any desired widtli from 
2 to 4 feet 'ixte ground sliould be wcll-prepared, 
or the work of opening the furrows and coverfng l)y 
horse cannot be satisfactoriU’ performed. „ , 
Our custom is to lay off file furrows 2} feet 
apart and 5 inches deep. Tliis leaves tlie ground m 
a continuous succoBsioii of ridges and depressions, 
the latter representing the rows. 
Afier tlie seed is dropped the same tool, with 
gauge-bar removed, is used to do the povering. Ihis 
18 done by driving the horse up on the ridge of 
earth between tlie furrows of each row, and bolding 
the plow dee)) enough to turn back ratlier more 
earth than was turned out of the furrow. I he re- 
inUt U tbdt ftltei egmiug'. in tbhi inftnner, the ground 
still represents a continuous serration of ridges and 
sliglit depressions. Left in this manner, the soil 
warms up more quiokiy than if fiat; and another 
point is tliat tho ridges can easily be broken down 
later by a harrow, thus giving the ground a thorough 
cultivation. Tliis latter operation sliould bo per- 
formed just when the plants begin to break through 
the soil. 
Drive tho liarrow across tho ridges, and do tlie 
work tlioroiiglily ; no harm will result to the plant. 
A common spike-tooth harrow is best suited for 
this work. 
(6) APFI.ICATION or FEKTII.IZEIIS. 
This question is ever new. It recurs on every 
change of soil, and systems of rotation and cultiva- 
tion nave a bearing upon it. 
Of the cultural problems it is tho only one receiv- 
ing any considerable attention at this Station, and 
it IS hoped to carry on tests concerning this question 
at various points iu tlie State. 
When and how fertilizers should be applied de- 
pends upon what is to be used. If barn-yard 
manure, it sliould bo well rotted and applied in the 
fall or early winter, and worked thoroughly into tho 
soil before planting. Barn-yard manure s'hould not 
be applied so as to coino directly in contact with 
the tubers. It should not be applied in such condi- 
tion that it will undergo active fermentation in the 
soil. In case of its coming in contact with tho 
tubers or causing active fermentation, it is thought 
to predispose the tubers to tlie disease known 
as “ scab.” 
The manure is not the direct cause of the disease, 
as lias been sometimes supposed ; but under tho 
conditions montioned, it niai act upon the skin in 
such a manner as to render tho tuber more liable to 
attack. 
If chemical fertilizers are used, it is best to make 
the application of them after tho ground is fully 
fitted for planting. There lias been much discussion 
as to whether concentrated manures should bo placed 
above or below tho seed. On this point no definite 
conclusion has lieen reached, hut it is our opinion 
from tests of this character that if the fertilizer 
be sown across the fm-rows before dropping the seed, 
about tlie host results will he reached. This places 
a portion of tlie fertilizer in tho furrow, and the 
reniainder, lieing scattered over the adjacent soil, is 
fairly well incorporated with it, and tunied mostly 
upon tlie row in tlie act of covering with the farrowing 
mentioned under previons head. Potato roots are 
thouglit to feed within a moderate area; yet we 
do not believe it is best to apply tho fertilizer in 
too close proximity to the seed. 
I'EHTIl.lZER nUALS CONDUCTKI) HKHK. 
Considering that this question is of real im- 
portance in the cultural problem, we have lieen 
endeavoring to so conduct a scries of tost plots as 
to tlirow light on the matter. The results thus far 
are practically valueless, hut a brief discussion is 
given. 
The test is planned on tho basis of tho chemical 
analysis of tlie potatoe, wliich sliows that a crop of 
ilOO iHishels of tubers contains. — * 
• ,\hont .'i4.0 lb. of nitrogen (N). 
1(14.4 ill. of potash (K 20). 
28.8 lb. of phosphoric acid (P 2.0.5). 
Working from this data, a complete fertilizer would 
contain of the high irrade chemicals used in mixing 
fertilizers as follows : 
Nitrate of soda (Na N O.S, flH per cent.), 3;44.5 lb. 
Muriate of potash (KCl 85 per cent), 18().2 11). 
Dissolved hone black (P, O, 1!) per cent.), 151.15 lb- 
The above formula givoa, accordiug to oiir data, a 
complete manure for a crop of .300 bushola of potatoes. 
But the question of what results may he expected 
from its use upon the soil can only be answered by 
experimeutntion. Theoretical conditions can only bo 
ootained in the laiioratory, and ail plot experimenta- 
tion must contend with so many conditions, the value 
and potency w hich cannot lie know n, that result s 
» Landorp'n Kal., 1830. 
