EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 307 



this report. The number of demands for lecture meetings ranks first, 

 \then follows the field meetings and demonstrations and last, the field 

 meetings, auto tours, etc., visiting demonstrations and many orchards 

 which showed the results of practices as applied by the grower, as well 

 as visits to the experiment station which showed the progress of interest- 

 ing experiments. 



The writer attended 45 field and demonstration meetings, visiting 

 415 farms with an attendance of 1,780', and 93 lecture meetings 

 with an attendance of 1,140. All the difi'erent types of meetings are 

 important in their season and the demand for them is greatly increasing. 



Briefly, Michigan, as a fruit state, occupies first place in its acreage 

 of cherries and small fruits, and it is well up in the front row in tree 

 and other kinds of fruits which are rapidly increasing. This expansion 

 of acreage in fruits, together with the problems previously mentioned 

 in this report, clearly indicates the necessity for a program of extension 

 activities, backed by a strong research program which required a num- 

 ber of trained men to give even a part of the service required to keep 

 pace with the problems. 



REPORT OF EXTENSION WORK IN POTATO IMPROVEMENT 



BY J. W. WESTON 



The object of the potato project is to increase net profits from potato 

 growing by elimination of waste in production and by securing the ad- 

 vantages of marketing a standardized quality table stock and certified 

 seed stock product. 



The 1921 reports show, that of 42 counties reporting, 3,732 farmers 

 treated seed potatoes for disease control, involving 13,720 acres; that 

 1,902 farmers sprayed potatoes on a total of 10,073 acres and that cultural 

 methods were changed on 1,648 other farms including 7,332 acres. 



The 1922 reports show that 56 counties reporting 4,924 farms, treated 

 seed potatoes for disease control involving 22,170 acres, an increase of 

 64% over that of 1921 ; that 2,201 farmers sprayed potatoes on a total 

 of 10,731 acres, and that cultural methods were changed on 2,304 other 

 farms including 12,443 acres; covering (1) hill selection, (2) fertiliza- 

 tion, (3) correct spacing, (4) correct planting dates, (5) farm manage- 

 ment practices. This means that only 6% of the acreage of potatoes was 

 planted with treated seed and less than 3% of the acreage was sprayed 

 with Bordeaux Mixture. 



USB OP IMPROVED SEED 



1,585 farms introduced Michigan Potato Producers' Association cer- 

 tified seed to the extent of 64,168 bushels. 1,893 acres planted with 

 certified seed gave an average increase of 41 bushels to the acre as 



