Show r BEST SOIL FOR GROWING TUBERS Sandy or Grav Gravelly lly Loams Are Best Adapted for Success With Potatoes I. I i PLANT FOOD IS IMPORTANT t Never Advisable to Turn Up More Than One Inch of Raw Subsoil atOne at atOne atOne One Plowing Land Land Should Be Pulverized Prepared by the United States Department Depart Depart- ment of Agriculture The types of soil In which the potato potato po po- tato plant thrives s best are those Dated as sandy or gravelly loam soils It may be grown with a fair degree of success on any type of soil soU except loose sand and a heavy sticky clay soil soU provided the land Jand Is well drained and contains the necessary plant food Successful potato production Is dependent dependent de tle pendent to a large extent on the thoroughness thor thoro with which the land Is prepared prepared prepared pre pre- 4 pared before planting the crop Where a horse can be used the land Jand should be plowed from 8 to to- 10 Inches deep provided the surface soil is of a suf suf- o. o depth to permit It It Is never advisable to turn up more than ont ono Inch of raw subsoil at any anyone one plowIng plow- plow Jug Ing so If previous have ha not been over o 0 Inches the maximum depth at which It should be plowed Is 7 Inches Thoroughly Pulverized Whether the land Jand Is pl plowed wed or spaded It should be thoroughly pulverized pulverized pul pul- Immediately ely afterwards It Isa Is Isa Isn a n bad practice to allow the freshly turned soil soli to bake In the sun and wind and thereby become cloddy I Where horse lorse labor can be used the theland theland land after plowing should be thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- disked first then thea spring spring- toothed and finally finished with Ith a smoothing harrow Where land must be be prepared by hand hand It It Is g good Od practice practice pru tice to pulverize the soil solI as much as w possible when spading it it- up jitter after which it can cnn be put in a n fine flae condition of mellowness with a steel garden rake mke The Importance of thoroughly fining the soil soli cannot he be ov r A Good Example of Digging Potatoes In Old Way for it Increases the water water- capacity of the soli renders more plane and reduces the number of weeds When to Plant Potatoes The date of ot planting n necessarily must be governed by climatic condi condl- In attempting to produce as arly a crop as possible some risk must always be Incurred of the plants being Injured by late spring frosts As a general proposition It is best to plant potatoes as soon as there Is littie little lit lit- tle tie likelihood of killing kUlIng frosts after the plants are up an an ani anthe j the ground Is in condition to to work Depth to Plant 1 plant lant the small eye cutt cuttings ng from from 1 14 to 3 Inches deep Depending upon the character of ot the soil the soil the lighter the soil solI the greater the depth of at plant plant- Ing lag Larger sets may be planted 4 inches deep Spacing If an early variety Is planted and I Ithe the work is to be done by hand the rows may be spaced as close as 20 26 Inches whereas If cultivation Is to belone be bedone bedone done lone with a horse 30 to 34 34 Inches usually is allowed In order to gin the gardener some idea of ot the number num ber ber of sets required to plant l a plot of ot ground 50 O by feet at different the following table Is submitted sub sub- roUted If a late variety Is planted the spacIng spacIng spacing ing should be greater say 34 to 36 30 Inches between the rows and 12 to 13 Inches between the plants In the row To Plant a Plot 50 by Feet Fee Space be between Space in row Sets rows between plants required 26 28 Inches Inches- 10 Inches 2761 2768 26 Inches 12 Inches 28 23 inches 10 Inches 2671 28 25 inches 12 Inches 2231 30 Inches 10 Inches 30 20 inches 12 inches 32 Inches 12 32 Inches 18 15 34 3 inches 12 Inches 17 |