CHEMISTRY OF THE POTATO. 141 



From the tables it is seen that the loss in weight depends, first, on 

 temperature and, second, on moisture of the surrounding atmosphere. 



It was found on examination of the potatoes at the end of the ex- 

 periment, that there was present 



87.8 per cent of the original starch. 



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There are several practical lessons to be learned from a study of 

 the results of this experiment. 



First — There is a considerable loss in the weight of potatoes dur- 

 ing six months when kept under the most favorable conditions. 



Second — The loss in weight is least when the potatoes are kept in 

 a cool, moist place. 



Third — The loss in dry matter is least when the tubers are kept in 

 a cool, dr}' place. 



Those who store potatoes for future use or for the market should 

 take the above facts into consideration, and remember that fifty 

 cents per bushel in the spring does not represent as mueh money 

 for the crop as fifty cents per bushel before the potatoes were stored 

 in the fall. 



Although there has been a large number of experiments carried 

 out with a view of determining the effect of different fertilizing ma- 

 terial with potatoes both on the quantity and quality of the crop, 

 the results have been unsatisfactory so far as furnishing data for 

 formulating rules for practice. The same may also be said with re- 

 gard to experiments in cultivation. There are so many things that 

 come in to vitiate the work done in these directions, such as condi- 

 tion of soil, climate, and season, that it is extremely difficult to obtain 

 results that are in any way comparable. 



One of the great difficulties to be met with in some parts of the 

 country in the cultivation of the potato is the potato rot. This dis- 

 ease has been described, its cause pointed out and suggestions offered 

 for its prevention, in the Report of the Board of Agriculture for the 

 year 1882, by Prof. C. H. Fernald, who has made a careful study of 

 the disease. 



