EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



529 



over the potatoes from the time they are planted until they are well 

 through the ground. Only a few plants are killed and at present it is 

 the most satisfactory practice of early cultivation, although some loss 

 of plants is experienced. 



TABLE 25 DATA FROM A THREE-YEAR PERIOD SHOWING THE VALUE OF THE 



DIFFERENT METHODS OF CULTIVATING POTATOES. 



Methods of cultivation 



3 year 

 av. yield 

 per acre 



Deep to shallow 



Shallow to deep 



Cultivated before plants are up 

 Cultivated after plants are up. . 



Hilling 



Flat culture 



274 

 242 

 285 

 295 

 258 

 285 



The methods followed were such as would show the advantage or 

 disadvantage of the different methods of cultivation used in the Upper 

 Peninsula. The deep to shallow method was to start the early culti- 

 vation deep and close to the plants when they are small, and work to 

 a very shallow or mulch cultivation as the plants developed to full 

 size. 



In the shallow to deep method of cultivation a shovel plow is used 

 at the last cultivation, usually when plants are in blossom. At this time 

 the earth is winged up around the plants in ridges, supposedly to keep 

 the potatoes from sunburniug. Where there is soil deep enough to place 

 the seed piece three or four inches below. the surface of the ground, 

 there is no need to hill unless the soil is heavy and drainage is desired 

 in order to keep tubers from rotting. Potatoes sunburn usually be- 

 cause of diseased condition that prevent the tubers from developing 

 normally. 



The hilling and flat culture methods are used in different sections. 

 One objection to the hilling method is that in dry years the ridge has 

 a tendency to dry out much more quickly and produce a smaller crop, 

 where the potatoes are extremely ridged from early in the season. 



SEED TREATMENT. 



The seed treatment experiments would indicate that the corrosive 

 sublimate treatment gives the most satisfactory results of all treatment 

 so far used. The comparisions have been made for three years with 

 corrosive sublimate, formaldehyde and no treatment. 



