Tillage Experiments with Potatoes. 199 



notwithstanding the drought, those on the fall plowed land living a 

 few days longer than on the rest of the Held. 



The yield from the fall and spring plowed land was 261.7 bushels of 

 merchantable potatoes per acre and from the spring- plowed land 250. 1 

 bushels, a difference of 11.6 bushels per acre in favor of the former. 



This difference is not large enough to be very significant, but the 

 whole experiment is instructive as showing that thorough tillage 

 may secure a fine crop even in a drought- stricken season. The fol- 

 lowing remarks by Mr. Beadle will be interesting as illustrating the 

 influence of these cooperative experiments among farmers. 



" Of the many experiments that I have tried with corn and 

 potatoes this one has been watched most closely by my friends. 

 Many of them were here to-day to see the tubers dug and weighed 

 (we had several experiments on with potatoes this season). The fall 

 vs. spring plowing "was most closely watched, though we could not 

 see any difference while digging. The season has been so abnor- 

 mally dry that the results are not satisfactory. I must try that again. 



" I believe that the best results of my experiments have been that 

 many of the farmers are following the advice of the Experiment 

 Station. They give the credit to me, but it belongs to the men at 

 Cornell, who keep drumming at the class that I belong to." 



Early vs. late sjyring plowing. — 



Erom report of Geo. W. Pierce, Ontario Co. Soil a dark loam. 

 Part was plowed the first days of May, 10 inches deep — harrowed 

 frequently till June 12th. Another part was plowed June 1st and 

 also planted June 12th. Aside from the time of plowing the treat 

 ment was the same throughout the season. 



The early plowed land yielded at the rate of 105.87 bushels per acre, 

 while the late plowed yielded 62.31 bushels, a difference of 43.56 bush- 

 els per acre in favor of the early plowing. 



At first glance it may seem improbable that the difference in 

 time of plowing could affect the yield to such an extent, but when 

 we recall that the season w^as abnormally dry, that the chief strug- 

 gle of the crop was for moisture — ^that to produce 100 bushels of 

 potatoes requires the transpiration and evaporation of about 300 

 tons of water — that an acre of unplowed land may lose in one week 

 nearly 200 tons of water over and above what would be lost from an 



