FARM DEPARTMENT. 173 



19.5 ounces, while that from half tubers was 16.4 ounces, or an increase 

 per hill of 8.4 per cent, by using whole tubers for seed. 



"((?). The size of the potatoes grown with half seed is somewhat larger 

 than those trom the whole seed." 



SUMMARY OF ABOVE EXPERIMENTS. 



"(1). The larger the potato planted, the larger the plant produced, and 

 the more abundant the harvest in tubers. 



"(2). Other things being equal, the fewer the number of eyes in a piece 

 of seed potato, or the smaller that piece of seed, the smaller the crop that 

 will be produced. 



"(3). The larger the quantity of whole tuber planted in a hill, the 

 greater the cost per acre of planting and the smaller the profit on the crop. 



"(4). Large and whole tubers produced smaller and poorer merchantable 

 ones, than did half or quarter tubers, or singles eyes. 



"(5). Large and whole tubers yielded appreciably more small, unmer- 

 chantable potatoes, than did parts of medium tubers or single eyes. 



"(6). Given two potatoes of equal size, one planted whole will not yield 

 so large nor so good a crop as will the other tubers cut into halves and each 

 part planted in a separate hill. 



"(7). Referring to the point. Ill (b) on page 9, the investigation, as 

 carried out, suggests that, in view of the fact that the whole tuber pro- 

 duced comparatively more small, inferior potatoes than did the halves 

 planted, the source of these inferior tubers may be from those eyes located 

 on the outer side of the whole potato planted. This because the eyes 

 and shoots thus located are repressed in growth to a certain extent, owing 

 to the pressure upon them and reversal of position. 



"It is to be remembered that the above conclusions are the result of the 

 investigations recorded and are based on nothing else. Neither in farm 

 practice nor experimental work do we consider that they will always find 

 endorsement. Yet as the result of much experimental work with seed 

 potatoes, it is confidently believed that these conclusions will generally be 

 fairly accurate." 



EXPERIMENT WITH 74 VARIETIES. 



We insert details of an experiment primarily intended as a variety test, 

 which was reported in the same bulletin. We copy it entire because such 

 a large number (74) of varieties were used in the test. The hills were 

 planted much closer together than is customary in Michigan, hence the 

 results are less favorable for the whole potatoes than they would otherwise 

 be. 



"Seventy-five varieties of potatoes were tested, the yields from whole 

 tubers, halves, quarters and single eyes being recorded. The varieties 

 were all planted under equal conditions, excepting in size of seed. As the 

 samples were received from various seedsmen, some were larger than others, 

 though as a rule the potatoes were of a medium size. The ground they 

 were planted in was a clay loam that had received no fertilizer. Each 

 variety was placed one foot apart in a row, and the length of the row 

 depended upon the number of hills planted. The figures given in the fol- 

 lowing table are all average ones. That is, if, for example, 15 single-eye 

 hills produced 150 ounces of potatoes, one hill averaged 10 ounces." 



