The Home Vegetable Garden 
25 
along it to the depth of 4 to 4^4 inches, depending upon the char¬ 
acter of the soil. On heavy land, the potatoes should not be plant¬ 
ed more than 4 inches deep, while on lighter land they may be 
planted as much as 5 inches deep. The seed should be placed 12 
to 14 inches apart in the trench, and the trenches may be from 30 
to 36 inches apart, depending upon the available space, 36 inches 
being about right for irrigation. The trenches are then filled up, 
and the ground left level. 
Seed 
For garden purposes, early varieties are most satisfactory; 
varieties like the Rose Seedling, Early Ohio, Triumph, and the 
Cobbler. Whenever possible, whole seed should be planted. The 
size should vary from one to three or four ounces in weight. When 
cut seed is used, each piece should have not less than one eye, and 
not more than two, and each piece should weigh from an ounce and 
a half to two or even three ounces. 
Cultivation 
Cultivation should begin soon after the crop is planted and 
before the plants are up, the object being to keep the soil aerated, 
to conserve the moisture, and to kill the weeds. After the plants 
are up, cultivation should be continued between the rows. If the 
ground has a tendency to bake, the first few cultivations after the 
potatoes are up should be rather deep, to loosen up the soil below. 
Irrigation 
Potatoes should never be irrigated by sprinkling. Furrows 
should be made between the rows to the depth of 6 or 8 inches, and 
the water led into these furrows slowly, and long enough to wet 
through the rows between the furrows. It is better to apply small 
quantities of water and keep it on for a longer period, than a large 
amount for a short period. As soon as the land is dry enough to 
permit handling, the surface of the soil should be cultivated to 
break the crust and prevent evaporation. When the vines cover 
the rows, the water may be applied in every other furrow. While 
the soil should be kept moist during the growing season, too much 
water is harmful. 
In dry seasons, it will be necessary to apply water to get the 
plants up. When this is the case, the water should be run in a 
furrow a few inches from the row and allowed to soak through 
to the soil around the seed. After that, it will probably not be 
necessary to irrigate again until the potatoes commence to form. 
As soon as the surface soil is dry enough, after each irrigation, it 
should be cultivated in order to check evaporation. 
PARSNIPS 
The soil for parsnips should be rich and deeply prepared. Be- 
