Third Report on Potato Culture. i8i 



which should have a capacity of 45 to 50 gallons, and fill the 

 barrel with water. If there is no agitator in connection with the 

 pump, the mixture should be frequently stirred while being 

 applied. 



The directions given above were followed during the past 3'ear 

 with good results. While the check plat, No. 30, which was not 

 sprayed does not show much falling off in 3'ield over plat. No. 

 29, 3'et we believe that as a matter of polic}^ spraying should be 

 practiced. When the blight does appear it comes so suddenly 

 and usualh' with such virulence that nothing can then be done 

 to prevent its ravages. As a preventive measure spraying with 

 Bordeaux mixture should become the general practice instead of 

 the exception. 



The July drought. — During July there prevailed a most severe 

 drought. The amount of moisture on some of the plats was 

 reduced to four per cent as determined by samples taken one 

 foot deep. This condition threatened to seriously injure the crop 

 and no doubt did effect it to some extent. 



The soil having been thoroughly prepared and the potatoes 

 covered deeply, and the surface kept loose, the plants were able 

 to survive and produce a very satisfactory crop. We learn that 

 some farmers who followed the directions given in the previous 

 bulletins met with failure of the potato crop owing to the July 

 drought. The potatoes were planted at such a time that the new 

 tubers were just setting at the time of the drought, with the 

 result that they failed to set fully. Had they been planted earlier 

 or later the probabilit}' is that a better crop would have resulted. 



The frequency of droughts enforces the importance of having 

 a soil well supplied with humus, early plowing, deep planting of 

 the potatoes, especiall}^ on porous, leachy soils, and frequent 

 tillage. 



LEvSsons Drawn from the Experimental Potato Plats 



IN 1898. 



A study of the table giving 3'ield of plats from 21 to 29 inclu- 

 sive will show that there is not a wide range in 3'ield from those 

 plats but that all are w^ell above the average. The extra tillage 



