546 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 



[Aug. 2, 1920. 



2 oz. or thereabouts in weight, is a size that can be recommended. Many 

 farmers sow sets altogether too small, even dividing a li oz. tuber. 

 Economising unreasonabl3' with seed is unsound policy. 



The use of small whole tubers can only be encouraged where they have 

 been properly selected, otherwise they may be gathered from the " heap," 

 and would, in all probability, contain a very large percentage of tubers from 

 unproductive, weak, and perhaps diseased plants. 



The larger seed tubers made best growth throughout, but there seems 

 little to be gained by sowing too large a set. 



An experiment was carried out with cut and uncut seed, with results as 

 follows : — 



The whole sets gave the greater yield. They germinated better and more 

 evenly, and the plants, especially during the young stages, appeared to 

 grow more rapidly. Farmers generally sow cut seed. In most cases 

 this is unavoidable owing to the uneven seed purchased from the various 



agents. 



With a cut set a certain percentage rot — due to either too moist or cold 

 conditions shortly after planting, or else they become infected with diy rot. 

 A cut surface is more susceptible to disease infection than an uncut tuber. 

 An uncut tuber has a greater food supply to keep the young growth going 

 whilst roots are forming than a " section " of a tuber. 



With a whole tuber there is a probability of too many shoots coming, 

 conse(juently a greater number of smaller tubers. More seed is required 

 when sown whole and there is always the risk, when using smallish whole 

 tubers, of sowing seed from unproductive hills. 



