EXPERIMENTS IN POTATO CULTURE. 123 



The next experiment I will call 3'our attention to is one tried to 

 settle the disputed point as to which end of the potato is best for 

 planting. The potatoes were cut in two parts so as to leave the e3'es 

 in what we call the seed end in one part, and the large or stem end 

 in the other part ; and before planting all but two eyes in each piece 

 were destro3'ed. Ten hills of each were planted, ever}- other hill 

 being planted with the potatoes from the seed end, and every other 

 hill with potatoes from the stem end, two pieces being planted in 

 each hill and the hills placed about forty inches apart. At harvest 

 time the product of the seed and the stem end were kept separate, 

 assorted, and weighed, and a record made. Then potatoes for the 

 next year were selected from each and kept separate, so that pota- 

 toes from the seed end of one year should furnish potatoes from the 

 seed end the next 3'ear. This experiment has been under trial six 

 3'ears, with the following result : 



The seed end produced of large potatoes 166 J pounds, of small, 

 47 J, total, 213 J. The stem end produced 14 If pounds of large 

 potatoes, and 47J of small, the seed end producing 25 pounds 

 more large potatoes than the stem end, and one-eighth of a pound 

 more of small ones. It is very evident from this test the seed end 

 is the best. The young plant from the seed end alwaj's starts first 

 and keeps in advance until full grown. This indicates that there is 

 more vital force in the seed end than in the stem end. 



An experiment has been made to test the difference between po- 

 tatoes with long sprouts on them, carefully planted so as not to 

 injure them, by the side of those that have the long sprouts all taken 

 off. This experiment, with one exception, has shown that the pota- 

 toes with the sprouts all rubbed off* will not produce half as large a 

 crop as if carefully planted with them left on, thus proving that the 

 crop depends, in ordinary soil, largely on the condition of the potato 

 at the time of planting. 



To test the loss of vitality in a potato by cutting it and planting 

 it with nothing to protect the interior portion of the potato from the 

 action of the soil, two potatoes were taken and cut lengthwise, as 

 nearly in the centre as possible. One-half of each potato was imme- 

 diately covered with plaster, the other half of each potato was left 

 uncovered, and in a few hours those covered with plaster were planted 

 in one hill, and the uncovered ones in a hill by the side of them. 

 The potatoes covered with plaster started first, kept in advance of 

 the others, and when dug it was found that the covered pieces pro- 

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