5 Sept.. 1907.] Potato Exferimcutal Fields. 551 



In the above calculation the 5I tons of market tubers are put down 

 at the same price as the selected, viz., 50s. per ton, but there was fully 

 7s. 6d. per ton difference in value; again the rejects of the selected are 

 put down at 30s. the same as ordinary, but they were quite los. per 

 ton above them. With this alteration in prices, it raises the gain of the 

 selected from j[^\ los. to ^4 14s. 3d. per acre in favour of selected 

 seed. It should be stated that the crop from which this parcel of seed 

 was selected was at the time of selection bringing the top price in 

 ^lelbourne. 



Another instance ma\- lie quoted. The parcel of seed used in this 

 test was selected from a field of the following standard — 70 per cent, 

 rejected as wild or bad colour. The following letter, dated nth July, 

 1907. which I have received will testify to the improivement by selection: — 



" From selected seed (that is, selected as you showed me in 1906) I got 

 •91 bags. I measured the ground, and it worked out at 5 tons per acre. They 

 tut beautifully, and you will see by the photograph that they are all market- 

 able potatoes. From the same measurement on either side of this block I 

 •sowed potatoes carefully selected from pit, and I got 72 bags on one side and 

 73 on the other. The potatoes fi'om these two were not half the quality, and 

 also in the 72 bags there were nearly six of them small, and in the 73 there 

 were six bags small, and a great quantity of seed size. The photograph shows 

 the potatoes as they are in the pit, just as dug, big and small together; there 

 are very few small, as you w^ill see. ' ' 



The illustration shows the condition of the crop from selected seed 

 as it appears in the pit, and the market value of the crop will be seen 

 in the following statement. The other illustrations will make the matter 

 perfectly clear. The produce of the ordinary seed is shown in the two 

 bags a and h, and the selected in c and d, each lot weighing 79 lbs. : — 



Selected Seed. 

 C, Market, 71 lbs. 1)., Small, 8 ll.s. = 79 'bs. 



Ordiiiarv Seed. 

 A., ^Nfarkft, .H7 lbs. B., Small, 42 ll)s. = 79 lbs. 



The yield and mavket value per acre of tlio two parcels are as follow : — 



Selected Seed. £ s. d. 



Market, 4 tons 8 owt., at 50s. per ton 

 Small, 12 cwt., at 20s. per ton 



Total 



Ordinary Seed. 

 Market, 1 ton IS cwt., at 50s. per ton 

 Small, 2 tons 1 cwt., at 20s. per ton 



Total 



In the above calculation a is given the full benefit of top market .price 

 but could not be considered worth within 5s. to 7s. 6d. per ton of c 



The photographs and calculations should be sufficient proof of the 

 advantages to be gained by adopting a proper method of selecting 

 seed potatoes. While it may be more advantageous to buy a good strain 

 of seed than lose a couple of seasons working up a grower's own stuff, 

 it must be borne in mind that a method which will raise a crop from 

 30 per cent, of good plants to 90 per cent, in one season will if applied 

 keep the standard up to a high level. It may not be practicable and 



