XII

PETER, POTATOES, AND PROFIT


Peter had a mile to go to his garden, which was on his grandfather's
farm. This farm land, you will remember, was especially good.

The ploughing, fertilizing and harrowing were done for Peter. The soil
was just the sort potatoes thrive on, a sandy loam. After the furrows
had been made about six inches deep and two feet apart, Peter put a
sprinkling of chemical fertilizer into the bottom of each furrow. This
was sprinkled on as one puts salt on potato before eating it. Over this
he placed some dirt so the fertilizer would not burn the potato.

Early the morning of planting Peter cut his seed potatoes. The date was
the 1st of April, not a bit too soon to get in early potatoes.

The seed potatoes chosen were fair, smooth specimens of good size. These
he cut so that only one eye was left to a piece of potato the size of a
hen's egg. These pieces were dropped into the furrows at distances of
fifteen inches apart and four inches deep. After covering, the man went
over the potato patch with a harrow. A boy might use a rake for this
work, but as Peter's patch was a small part of his grandfather's field
the harrowing of the whole was done by the man.

When the little potato plants were well up Peter sprayed them with Paris
green. This was wise because he thus got ahead of the potato bug. Some