156 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



FACTS ABOUT POTATOES. 



From Country Gentleman. 



By President W. I. Chamberlain, Iowa Agricultural College. 



A few notes on some of the eighty-four varieties of potatoes 

 planted last year on the College farm may be of value to your read- 

 ers. On about fift\' varieties we have notes running back two or 

 three years. Of eight varieties classed as "extra early," the Beauty 

 of Hebron. Pearl of Savoy and F^arly Ohio rank highest in good 

 qualities. Beauty of Hebron averaged for two years 117J bushels 

 per acre, Pearl of Savoy 136, and Early Ohio 111. The first of the 

 two years was very wet, and potatoes rotted badly. Only the sound 

 ones were measured. Last year was unprecedented 1}^ dry, and yet 

 Early Ohio yielded 158 bushels per acre in rows 32 inches apart, 

 Pearl of Savoy 152, and Beautv of Hebron 123. The average of 

 five years past gives Beauty of Hebron 164 bushels per acre, and 

 Early Ohio 135. Until last year rows were 41 inches apart. Pearl 

 of .Savoy is of high cooking quality, and promises to outdo Beauty 

 of Hebron in yield, and equal it in flavor. Early Ohio takes third 

 rank among the extra earl}* varieties, because it is, under average 

 conditions, comparatively a light yielder. This 3'ear, with heavy and 

 equal manuring, of all it was our earliest potato of 84 varieties, and 

 our heaviest yielder, too. It was nearly mature before the drouth 

 became severe, and hence suffered less than later varieties. 



Of 24 varieties of ''medium early," the best three are here given 

 with their two years' average, the first under rot and the second, 

 drouth : Lee's Favorite, 134 ; Early Howard, 112 ; Boston Market, 

 103. Of 27 varieties of "medium late," the two best are Queen of 

 the Roses, 125, and Hamburg, 124. Of 29 late kinds, the best are : 

 Chief 142 ; White Elephant, 137 ; State of Maine, 135. This year 

 the late and medium late varieties gave very light yields. 



The eleven varieties named I can recommend for qualit}* on the 

 whole, and for quantity, considering the adverse circumstances. 



A FEVr EXPERIMENTS. 



To illustrate the value of having considerable bulk of potato with 

 the eye or eyes used as seed, the following tests were made : Small 

 chips, an inch across and about one-quarter inch thick, and contain- 

 ing one eye, were cut from medium tubers. They were planted like 

 the rest, which were cut to about two eyes. Nearly all came, but 



