176h “IRISH POTATO ENTERPRISE 
PRR 
9. Cultivating, pp. 50, 182, 213; Farm Crops, 276, 277; Bulletins, 1064, 
1190, 1205. Local inquiry.— (a) Ask growers how often they 
harrow the field after potatoes are planted before they are too 
large to harrow. (b) Get their opinions regarding this practice. 
(c) What types of harrows are used? (d) How often are they 
used? (e) What types of cultivators are used between the rows? 
(f) Get farmers to compare ridging with level cultivation. (g) If 
potatoes are irrigated, describe methods used. 
10. Controlling insects and diseases, 183-185; Farm Crops, 279-284; 
Bulletins, 940, 1349, 1367, 1462. Local inquiry.— (a) Describe 
the hest local methods of fighting blight and potato beetles 
together. (b) Ask farmers regarding the cost of controlling 
potato enemies. (c) Compare costs of dusting and of spraying. 
(d) Make a list of the potato insects and diseases found in your 
region. 
11. Harvesting and grading, pp. 184-187, 188; Farm Crops, 277; Bulle- 
tins, 153, 1050. Local inquiry.— (a) Compare the different local 
methods of digging potatoes with the areas being considered. 
(b) Compare grading the potatoes in the field at picking time 
with grading afterwards. (c¢) Ask commercial grower into how 
many grades the potatoes are sorted. (d) See if varieties vary 
in this. 
12. Storing potatoes, pp. 187, 188; Farm Crops, 278, 279; Bulletin, 847. 
Local inquiry— (a) Get growers to give their arguments in 
favor of storing; also against storing. (b) Study local methods 
of storing and compare them. (c) Find what percentages of loss 
occur during storage. (d) Compare the cost of storage, the losses 
with the gains due to storage. 
13. Marketing the crop, p. 187; Bulletins, 753, 1050, 1091, 1144, 1316, 
1317, 1332. Local inquiry— (a) How do potato sellers find their 
best markets? (b) When are potatoes usually sold? (c¢) What 
have been the best prices each year recently? (d) Give their 
arguments pro and con regarding codperative marketing. 
14. Summarizing cost records, pp. 18-19; Bulletins, 511,°572, 782,.1182. 
Local inquiry— (a) Talk with farmers and calculate the cost 
of the chief operations such as fertilizing, plowing soil, planting, 
cultivating, harvesting and storing. (0) Compare cost of each 
of these operations on different farms. (¢) Compare the total 
cost of production with returns from crop.