EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. . 207 



TESTS OF VARIETIES. 



The number of varieties grown was seventy-five, the list including many 

 of the standard kinds and a 1-arge number of new sorts whose merits have 

 not been fully determined. 



A row twenty-five feet long was given to each variety, and one pound of 

 seed of each sort was taken, except in a few cases as noted. The tubers 

 used were of about an average size for the different varieties, and were cut 

 so as to make twenty-five pieces. This gave, as a rule, two strong eyes to 

 each, and an average weight of about two thirds of an ounce. 



The sections were planted on the sixth and seventh of May, the pieces 

 being dropped in the bottom of the trench, one foot apart, and covered 

 about two inches. 



Of Howe's Premium only eight ounces of seed were used; this was made 

 into twelve pieces. A single tuber of Alaska was cut into nine pieces, alto- 

 gether weighing six ounces. Single tubers of Timpe's Nos. 8 and 9, of 

 four ounces weight each, were cut into ten pieces and planted on the ninth 

 of May. 



Gardner's Early and President Lincoln were not received until the 

 fourteenth of May; eight ounces of each variety in twelve pieces were 

 planted. 



Many of the varieties were grown last year by this department or were 

 obtained from the farm department; nineteen varieties were received from 

 C. W. Minott, Horticulturist of the Vermont Experiment Station; Alaska 

 was sent for trial by O. H. Alexander of Charlotte, Vt. ; the Premium by 

 G. D. Howe of North Hadley, Mass. ; Alligator was obtained from W. W. 

 Rawson & Co., Boston, Mass.; 1889 from I. V. Faust, Philadelphia, Pa.; 



Gardner's Early and President Lincoln from Gardner of Dimon- 



dale, Mich. ; and Timpe's Nos. 8 and 9, from J. T. Timpe, Grand Ledge, 

 Mich. 



Of the varieties grown here last year, Superior (Coy's No. 88) was 

 received from W. Atlee Burpee, Philadelphia; Rural New Yorker No. 2, 

 from J. M. Thorburn & Co., New York City; New Queen and Early 

 Oxford from J. J. H. Gregory of Marblehead, Mass. ; June Eating and Extra 

 Keeper from A. Crane, Fort Atkinson, Wis,; Timpe's 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 

 from J. T. Timpe, Grand Ledge; West's Nos. 1, 2, and 3 from W. E. 

 West, North Lansing; Fort Collins Seedlings from Prof. James Cassiday, 

 Colorado Agricultural College; Copper Mine and Bannock from D. B. 

 Harrington, Wisconsin; Summit came from E. E. Stine, Cuyahoga Falls, 

 Ohio. 



The following table, showing the time of ripening, yield, etc., of the differ- 

 ent varieties, needs no explanation, and careful attention is invited to the 

 results obtained. 



The last part of the season was quite dry and as a consequence the qual- 

 ity was quite good, except in case of several seedlings and of a number of 

 varieties which made an unsatisfactory growth, or on account of their 

 coarseness are put down as of no value. 



