EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



441 



the several shapes or colors, the whole bein.s; a medley collection of all shapes 

 ranging from round to oblong and of all colors shading from pure white to dark 

 red. It is evident that varieties advertised under such "catchy" names are apt 

 to produce not only "admirals" but almost anything usually found upon a flagship. 

 The following table shows that Sir Walter Raleigh is still the leading variety, 

 with Million Dollar as a promising sort. 



CONTIXUATION OF POTATO EXPERIMENTS. 



The potato experiments were continued on the same ground upon which the 

 experiments were carried on in 1901-1902, the ground being simply harrowed 

 after the potatoes had been harvested in 1902. As during the previous season, 

 the object of the experiments consisted in testing the value of fall planting as 

 compared with spring planting, level cultivation and spraying against blight as 

 compared with hill culture and spraying for potato bugs only. The fall planting 

 was done November 1, whole potatoes being used and planted about four inches 

 deep and 18 inches apart, the rows being 4 rods long and 4 feet apart. Four addi- 

 tional rows were planted with the Sir Walter Raleigh variety, the potatoes being 

 cut in halves and rolled in air slaked lime. Two rows of these were planted 5 

 inches deep and the other two rows 2 inches deep. The cut potatoes were a failure, 

 the few hills which came up in spring producing only a few small potatoes. No 

 appreciable difference could be observed between the deep and the shallow planted 

 rows. In both the cut seed was found mostly dried up, most of the buds being 

 still fresh but small and weak. Notwithstanding the fact that the ground was 

 frozen 5 inches deep when permanent snow fell on December 3, all of the whole 

 potatoes came up, and neither the appearance of the vines nor the subsequent yield 

 indicated that the seed had been damaged. In fact, many potatoes missed when 

 harvesting other plots and plowed up during spring, showed no sign of damage 

 from frost, and being cooked, were found as .good if not better than fall dug 

 potatoes. It would seem evident therefore that neither the quality nor the 

 vitality of potatoes is affected by moderate frosts as long as the potatoes remain 

 undug and undisturbed until after the ground is thawed out. though it is more 

 than likely that the potatoes would be damaged should alternate freezing and 

 thawing of the ground take place. 



In order to make more accurate comparisons between fall and spring planting, 

 whole potatoes were used for spring planting. The cellar in which the seed pota- 

 toes are kept over is much poorer than the average, and at planting time more 

 than ordinary care was taken to save the sprouts which had developed. While,. 



56 



