766 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 



it was not possible to get the laud in condition for a potato planter, so it was ploughed 

 again and harrowed. On June 19, Empire State, Green Mountain, and Irish Cobbler 

 potatoes, cut to three eyes to the set, were planted, and at the same time 400 pounds 

 of commercial fertilizer was applied through the planter. This fertilizer was made 

 up of 50 pounds sulphate of ammonia, 50 pounds nitrate of soda, 250 pounds acid 

 phosphate, 50 pounds muriate of potash (approximately a 4-9-6 mixture). The crop 

 was cultivated five times and hilled up three times. It was sprayed with poisoned 

 Bordeaux mixture six times. Check rows were left unsprayed and figures of the gain 

 from spraying are given below. The crop was harvested on October 15. The yield 

 was reduced somewhat by early and late blight, rhizoctonia, mosaic, and other diseases. 

 The cost of production was made up as follows: — 



Seed, 21 bushels at 60 cents per bushel $12 60 



Cutting seed at 10 cents per bushel 2 10 



Ploughingvland twice at 32 cents per hour 3 20 



Harrowing twice 64 



Harrowing in manure with disc harrow 128 



Manure, 16 tons at $1 16 00 



Applying manure with spreader 2 72 



Fertilizer, 400 pounds applied in row when planting 6 37 



Planting, man, boy and team, 3 hours 1 41 



Cultivating, 5 times, 7 J hours at 25 cents 1 87 



Horse hoeing (hilling), 3 times, 4| hours at 32 cents 1 44 



Hand hoeing (partially), 15 hours at 18 cents 2 70 



Weeding (partially), 2 hours at 18 cents ; 36 



Spraying, six times at $1.25 7 50 



Digging, man and team, 4 hours 1 28 



Picking up potatoes, 5 men, 5 hours each at 18 cents 4 50 



Delivering from field, man and team, 3 hours. ... 96 



Total $66 93 



The total yield from the acre wa» 239-25 bushels, of which 220 bushels (80 

 barrels) were sold out of the field at $1.75 per barrel for table stock and the balance 

 (7 barrels) of small and bruised tubers were sold for poultry feeding at 50 cents per 

 barrel. The sale value of the crop was thus $143.50, which after deducting the cost 

 of production left a profit balance of $76.57 for the acre. 



The results of spraying the three varieties on the above acre were as per the 

 following table: — 



Fkederictox. 



