FARM DEPARTMENT. 147 



Third, That for net marketable yield (marketable less amount 

 of seed) of 30 experiments, 23 are in favor of the half potato 

 and 7 are in favor of the two eyes; 



Fourth, That for net value of crop (value of crop less value of 

 seed), of 3(» experiments, 22 are in favor of the half iiotato and 

 8 in favor of two eyes. 



WHOLE POTATO VM. HALF POTATO.* 



A comparison of the whole potato with the half potato shows: 



First, That for the total yield (large and small) of 54 experi- 

 ments, 46 were in favor of the whole potato and 8 in favor of 

 the half potato; 



Second, Thjit for the marketable potato, of 42 experiments, 36 

 were in favor of the whole potato, and 6 in favor of the half 

 potato; 



Third, That, for the net marketable above seed, of 13 experi- 

 ments, 7 are in favor of the whole potato, and 6 in favor of the 

 half potato. 



That for the net value of crop (value of marketable less value 

 of seed planted), of 12 experiments, 7 are in favor of the whole 

 potato and 5 in favor of the half potato. 



INTRODUCTION. 



A glance at a table of statistics shows us that the value of the wheat 

 crop in Michigan is $15,000,000; of the potato crop, $12,000,000; of the 

 corn crop, $10,000,000; of the oat crop, $9,000,000. As the potato crop is 

 of such great value to the farmers of Michigan we have carefully com- 

 piled the results of a large number of experiments at our own and other 

 stations, hoping that such comjailation might throw some light upon the 

 question of amounts of seed, which has been so much experimented 

 upon. 



No amount of experimenting will make it possible to lay down any 

 fixed rule, since there are so many varying conditions of soil, of season, 

 and of varieties. But so far as*it is possible, or ever will be possible to lay 

 down any fixed rule as to the amount of seed best to plant, it would seem 

 that the question is settled by the remarkable agreement of results 

 obtained under the varying conditions found in Massachusetts, New York 

 and Maryland in the east, Utah and Nevada in the west, Wisconsin, 

 ■Indiana and Ohio in the north, Georgia and Louisiana in the south, 

 and Tennessee and Kentucky in the central part of the United States. 

 In many of these states, as in New York, Maryland and Ohio, the 

 results have been reached after a series of experiments running through 

 a number of years, and in some cases with a large number of varieties, 

 both early and late. 



The results of many of the experiments are misleading, since only the 



* See table LVI, p. 49, Whole potato vs. half potato. 



