DITISION OF HORTICULTURE 361 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



weight of potatoes from .54 acre of these mixed varieties yielded 370.17 bushels, 

 which works out at the rate of 685-5 bushels per acre. 



Varip+v Bush, per Acre. 



Vaiiety - 1912. 1911. 



Morgan Seedling 848 475 



Dreer's Standard ^° ?28 



Everett 824 497 



Money Maker 822 514 



Rochester Rose 807 453 



Ashleaf Kidney 804 479 



Dalmeny Beauty 744 448 



Late Puritan 699 431 



Reeves' Rose 659 484 



Vick's Extra Early 625 431 



Empire State 590 5 Q 5 



Irish Cobbler 573 365 



Carman No. 1 536 356 



Hard to Beat 536 356 



American Wonder 349 264 



Factor 316 193 



Of those varieties that have been tried for the two years the Irish Cobbler is the 

 outstanding potato for quality, but this is the only desirable characteristic it has. 

 It is a comparatively low yielder both years, is round and has very deep eyes. The 

 following four new varieties have not been tried : — 



Purple Nuts 856 bushels. 



Up-to-date 778 



Wee MacGregor 774 



Table Talk 659 



The above were under test in 1912 for the first time. 



As well as the test of varieties, considerable was done this year by way of cul- 

 tural work. Four plots of six rows each planted on similar ground at different depths; 

 at depths of 2 inches, 4 inches, 6 inches, and one plot to a depth of 4 inches, but the 

 plough was followed by a subsoil attachment which loosened the ground to a still 

 further depth of 4 inches, that is to say, the plot which was subsoiled was planted 4 inches 

 deep but the earth was made loose to a depth of 8 inches. The evidence from this 

 year's experiment goes to show the importance of deep planting. The yield of 565 

 bushels per acre for that planted at 2 inches deep does not represent the whole yield 

 because, in every case, the sunburned or frozen potatoes have not been harvested and 

 there were many such left on the ground. 



4 inches deep, 4 inches subsoil '. 789 bushels per acre. 



6 inches deep 775 



4 inches deep 659 



2 inches deep 465 



A similar experiment was carried on to determine the value of hilling potatoes. 

 The two plots were given the same cultivation until July, when one plot was ridged. 

 A similar experiment conducted in 1909 showed a difference of 50 bushels per acre in 

 favour of level cultivation. This result is quite in accord with similar experiments 

 conducted in Ontario and England. In Ontario it is found that the hilled potatoes 

 give a larger yield than the unhilled in a wet season, but the reverse is the case in a 

 dry season. In England, where the climate is moist, the yield is in favour of the 

 hilled potatoes. 



Unhilled 6(5 bushels per acre. 



Hilled 620 



An experiment was conducted to determine the distance apart to plant potatoes. 

 One plot was planted with the potatoes 12 inches apart in the row and 30 inches 

 between rows, another plot with the potatoes 14 inches apart in the row and 33 inches 



