MICHIGAN EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



135 



p. and W. Victory, 281 bushels, Lazell's Seedling, 228.7 bushels, Perfection, 

 213.4 bushels, and Supplanter, 206 2 bushels. 



The best late sorts were Empire State,* 273 bushels; Halo of Dakota, 

 261.2 bushels; Ideal,* 258 bushels: White Elephant,** 209.7 bushels; Crown 

 Jewel, 20S.3 bushels; and Rural Blush,** 206.4 bushels. 



The above lists were made out from the behavior of the varieties the 

 past season, but it so happens that of the varieties which were also grown 

 in 1890, every one was on the selected list for that year (with the exception 

 of West's No. 3, which is too coarse to be valuable), and quite a number 

 which have been grown for three or four years were highly commended in 

 1888 and 1889. The stars after the names of the varieties indicate, accord- 

 ing to the number, that they have been found valuable for one or two 

 years. 



SHALL WE PLANT THE SEED END? 



For three years now we have made experiments to learn whether or not 

 the practice of many farmers of throwing away the "seed" end of the pota- 

 toes is a wise one. The past year the test was made in duplicate with 

 Clark's No. 1 and Beauty of Hebron, each variety being tried with two rods 

 of row with seed from the middle and from the stem and seed ends of 

 thirty-three potatoes, using four pounds of seed, or in all for the test 

 twenty-four pounds. 



The following table shows the result with each variety, the average of 

 both, and the average for three years. It will be noted that the yield of 

 market tubers has been found largest from the seed end, both as the aver- 

 age for 1892, and for the three years, with the next largest yield from the 

 stem end. Contrary to the usual opinion the yield of small tubers has 

 without exception been smallest from the seed end. 



Table II. — Comparative yield of stem, middle and seed ends. 



Stem end of potatoes, 4 lbs.. 



Middle of potatoes, 4 lbs 



Seed end of potatoes, 4 lbs. . . 



a) 



a 



SQ 



41.6 



46.8 

 25.5 



