130 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SHOULD SMALL POTATOES BE USED AS SEED? 



In the above experiments whole large potatoes or various- size pieces of 

 large tubers were used as seed, and it was found that the best net results 

 were secured with halves of large potatoes and the question arises, if 

 whole potatoes of half the weight of the large whole ones were used, would 

 they not have produced as good results? 



If such be the case it would admit of the use for seed, of potatoes that 

 are just under market size, and which are therefore of little value except 

 for stock feeding. 



Table VII. — Halves against whole tubers. 



Halves, each weighing 4 oz 



Whole potatoes, weighing 4 oz. 



Halves, each weighing 2 ox. 



Whole potatoes, weighing 2 oz 



Halves, each weighing loz. 



Whole potatoes, each weighing 1 oz. 

 Halves, each weighing '/2 oz... 



a 



76.5 



110 

 82.2 



100.3 

 51.6 

 33.3 

 64.9 



Halves, weighing 4oz.. 

 Wholes, weighing 4 oz. 

 Halves, weighing 2 oz.. 

 Wholes, weighing 2 oz. 

 Halves, weighing 1 oz.. 

 Wholes, weighing 1 oz. 

 Halves, weighing i 4 oz, 



S o 



O a> 

 4:> 0< 



55 

 55 



27% 

 27% 

 13.8 

 13.8 

 6.8 



Av. market 

 yield per acre. 



1891. 



2 years, 



137.3 

 174.8 

 133.7 

 110.7 

 123.5 

 144.8 

 134.9 



Net gain, bn.; 

 yield over seed. 



1891. 



107.4 



125.9 



115.5 



102.3 



111 



110.4 



107.2 



82.8 

 119.8 

 106.2 



83.2 

 109.7 

 131 

 128 



2 years. 



52.4 

 70.9 

 88 

 74.8 

 97.2 

 96.6 

 100.2 



As grown in 1890, halves of any weight gave a larger market yield than 

 whole tubers of twice the size, and the largest net yield was found from 

 halves of two ounce potatoes or at the rate of 13.7 bushels per acre. 



This year the results are more irregular and owing to the unfavorable 

 season, and it may be to some irregularity of the soil that was not apparent 

 to the eye, it is difficult to draw definite conclusions from them. The larg- 

 est net yield for two years has been secured from halves planted at the 

 rate of 6.8 bushels per acre, and the next best yield from halves at the rate 

 of 13.8 bushels per acre. They were all planted one foot apart, and from 

 the experiments to learn the distance apart for planting it would seem that 

 even better results could be obtained by the use of the same amount of 

 seed per acre planted 2 feet apart. 



Regarding the use of small potatoes for seeding it would seem that at 



