122 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



9-10 EDWARD VII., A. 1910 

 POTATOES — COMPARISON OP SPROUTED, CELLAR-STORED AND COLD STORAGE POTATOES. 



It has been tbe practice of many market gardeners to sprout their seed potatoes, 

 as they have found that by sprouting them they will have new potatoes sooner. The 

 sprouting of potatoes is a well known practice also in Great Britain and Europe, both 

 early and late varieties being found to benefit by it, both in earliness and productive- 

 ness. A comparison was made in 1908 with an early and medium late variety at the 

 Experimental Farm, the varieties used being Rochester Rose, early; and Carman No. 

 1, medium late. Part of the tubers were spread out in a light room from April 1 

 until May 16 before planting. At the time of planting there were short, stout green 

 sprouts on the tubers. Part of the tubers were kept in the potato cellar, where the 

 temperature rose to between 50 and 60 degrees F. before planting time, by which time 

 the sprouts were beginning to grow. The remainder of the tubers were kept in cold 

 storage at a temperature of 40, and were quite dormant when planted. The tubers 

 were planted whole in rows two and one-half feet apart and one foot apart in the rows 

 on May 16. They were kept thoroughly cultivated throughout the season, the rows 

 being but slightly ridged. 



- In the following table the results are given, which show an advantage in yield in 

 favour of the sprouted seed. A still greater advantage was shown in the greater earli- 

 ness of the crop from the sprouted seed. The extremely dry season caused all the 

 yields to be very small. 



TOMATOES. 



CHANGES MADE BY SELECTION. 



In the year 1901 seed was saved of the earliest ripe fruit of the Sparks Earliana 

 tomato, grown at the Central Experimental Farm. Selection from the earliest tomato 

 was continued each year until 1904, when several selections were made from the plants 

 of that year. One selection was a single tomato from the plant giving the largest 

 crop of early and most uniform fruit in 1904; another selection of a single tomato 

 was made from the plant giving the largest and most uniform crop, regardless of 

 earliness, in 1904; and a third selection was made of the earliest fruit from the plants 

 in the experiment in 1904, regardless of which plant it came from. A similar selec- 

 tion has been kept up each year since, the seed being taken from the first good tomato 

 produced on the individual plants giving the crop most like that desired, and the other 

 selection of the earliest ripe fruit from the plot or field of plants under experiment. 

 The results have become so marked that it is thought desirable to publish them to show 

 what can be accomplished by the market gardener, seedsman or plant breeder in the 

 selection of tomatoes. The experiment is being continued with the object of learning 

 whether after several years' selection certain strains from the diflferent selections will 

 remain more constant than others. 



In the following tables the records are given of twenty-five plants from each selec- 

 tion, taken as they came in the plantation. 



