48 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICOLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAP%DENER. 



[ J.inaary 16, 1868. 



After deiJucting the weight of the sets, the nett balances of 

 produce per acre stand thus : — 



Tona. cwts. qrs. lbs. ozs. 



loz. sets 9 16 or 13.21 per set. 



2oz. sets 13 10 21 or 16.45 



4oz. sets 14 13 4 or 17.99 „ 



The average produce of a number of varieties planted at 

 intervals of inches in the row also exhibited similar advan- 

 tages in favour of the larger sets, viz. : — 



GROSS AVERAGE P.ETCnKS OF DliFERENT VARIETIES PER ACRE. 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. oza. 



loz. sets 13 4 1 20 or 10.85 per set. 



Soz.sets 15 19 12 or 13.15 „ 



4oz. sets: 22 2 S or 18.11 „ 



After deducting the weight of the sets, the nett balances of 

 produce per acre stand thus : — 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. ozs. 



1 oz. sets 12 18i or 9.H5 per set. 



2oz. sets 13 10 1 27 or 11.15 „ 



4oz. sets 17 S 1 5 or 14.11 „ 



Every step in each of these three series of experiments gives, 

 without an exception, unequivocal evidence that each increase 

 in the weight of the set produces more than a corresponding 

 increase in the weight of the crop. The following statement 

 will, however, show that the advantage in the employment of 

 large sets is mnch less striking in the early than in the late 

 varieties ; out of the examples before given, the average pro- 

 duce of the early varieties, planted 1 foot apart in the row, 

 exhibit the following result : — 



Gross Crop. Nett. 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



1 oz. sets 9 3 3 26 .... H 11 3 S-J 



2oz.scta 10 14 2 17 .... 9 10 1 lU-i 



4oz. seta IB 19 7*.... U 10 1 221 



6 0Z. sets 15 C 22 .... 11 18 1 2J 



8oz. sets 7 17 21 .... 2 19 3 23 



Although there is throughout an inciease over an(J above 

 the extra weight of the sets, the advance between the larger 

 sizes is not very marked, and is much below that wherein the 

 early and late sets ai-e averaged together. There is even a 

 falling-off in the produce of the S oz. sets, in comparison with 

 those weighing C ozs. ; but this is partly from accidental cir- 

 cumstances, the S oz. sets being much sprouted before plant- 

 ing ; indeed all the larger sets of the early varieties were much 

 more advanced than those of smaller size. After separating 

 the early sorts from the general average results of early and 

 late, the average produce of the late varieties, taken separately, 

 will stand as follows : — 



Gross Crop. Nett. 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



I oz. sets 12 15 .... 11 7 3 26 



2oz. sets 15 8 1 19 .... 13 19 13 



4oz.setB 17 IC 24 .... 15 7 2 11 



6oz. sets 30 6 2 11 .... 26 13 2 19 



8 oz. sets 31 3 3 24 26 6 2 26 



To establish the influence on the crop of the distance at 

 which the sets are planted, I shall compare, separately, each 

 series o€ experiments on Potatoes of the same weight, planted 

 at different distances : — 



AVERAGES OF 1 OZ. SETS. 



Bistance Gross. Nett. 



Varieties, apart. Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons; cwts. qrs. lbs. 



13 1 toot .... 10 9 3 17 . . 9 17 8 



II 9 in 10 12 ' 23 .. 9 16 



11 6 in 13 4 1 20 . . 12 13 



AVEEAGE3>F 2 OZ. SETS. 



18 1 toot .... 12 15 2 4 .. 11 11 1 7 



12 9 in 15 15 2 11 . . 13 10 21 



10 Gin 15 19 12 .. 13 10 1 27 



AVERAGES OF 4 OZ. SETS. 



12 Ifoot .... 15 17 2 15i .. 13 9 2} 



6 9 in 17 17 3 12 . . 14 13 4 



3 6 in 22 2 3 . . 17 3 1 5 



AVERAGES OF 4 OZ. SETS (SlUHuUt VARIETIES). 



3 1 toot .... 15 8 8 24 . . 13 1 11 



8 9in 15 19 2 14 .. 12 14 S 6 



3 6 in 22 2 3 .. 17 3 1 5 



These comparisons all show an advantage in planting the 

 smaller gets at intervals closer than 12 inches in the rows ; but 

 the results are not very decided, and in one or two cases the 

 gain in the gross crop does not make up for the extra weight of 

 the sets planted. 



The following comparisons refer to the eiiect of planting the 

 sets more than a foot apart in the rows : — 



Three experiments averaged together — viz.. Eight-ounce 

 Flukes, six-ounce Flukes, and four-ounce Late Red, gave a gross 

 crop of 23 tons IG cwts. 1 qr. 8 lbs., and a nett average of 



20 tons 3 cwts. 1 qr. 17 lbs. The same sizes and varieties, 

 planted at intervals in the rows of 1 foot 3 inches, produced a 

 gross crop of 18 tons 13 cwts. 1 qr. 2 lbs., and a nett crop of 

 15 tons 14 cwts. 3 qrs. 20 lbs. — a falling-off of 4 tons 8 cwts. 

 1 qr. 25 lbs. per acre. Indeed, the produce of each set was 

 as nearly as possible the same, whether planted a foot apart or 

 15 inches, so that the additional distance was so much loss to 

 the crop. The average produce of six-ounce and eight-ounce 

 Flukes shows a similar falling-off when planted more than a 

 foot apart in the rows. The nett average produce per acre 

 was : — 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



Flukes, at 1 foot 17 10 1 25 



„ at 1 loot 3 in 15 8 2 61 



,, at Ifoot 6 in 12 16 5 



This diminution of the crop, through reducing the number of 

 the sets per acre, is remarkably uniform, and as nearly as 

 possible proportionate to the distance at which the sets are 

 planted. 



The general tenor of these experiments points to an interval 

 of 10 or 12 inches in the rows as being the most profitable 

 distance at which to plant large, full-sized Potatoes, of from 

 4 to 8 ozs. in weight. A moderate increase in the nett crop 

 may be expected from still further diminishing the distance 

 when the sets are below 4 ozs. in weight. 



The general bearing of the results obtained is : — 



Firstly, Every increase in the size of the set, from 1 oz. up 

 to 8 ozs. in weight, produces an increase in the crop much 

 greater than the additional weight of the .set planted. The nett 

 profit, over and above the extra weight of the sets, in planting 

 four-ounce sets in lien of one-ounce sets, amounted, on the 

 whole series of experiments, to between 3 and 4 tons per acre ; 

 and the further profit, on the increase of the size of the set 

 from 4 ozs. to 8 ozs., averaged about 5 tons an acre ; all the 

 intermediate steps partaking proportionately of the increase. 



Secondly, The advantages in favour of the large sets is more 

 marked in the late than in the early varieties. 



Thirdly, In the use of small sets, of from 1 oz. to 3 ozs. in 

 weight, a larger balance over and above the weight of the sets 

 was obtained by planting from 6 to 9 inches apart in the rows 

 than at wider intervals. 



Fourthly, Increasing the intervals at which sets are planted, 

 even of the largest size, in the rows, to more than 12 inches, 

 diminishes the crop ; and the wider intervals induce no increase 

 in the weight of the produce of the individual sets. 



Fifthly, It may be broadly stated that the weight of the crop 

 is proportionate to the weight per acre of the sets, and that 

 small sets will produce the same crop as an equal weight per 

 acre of large sets. The fact is, however, of limited application, 

 as a weight of very small sets equal to a weight of full-sized 

 Potatoes could not be got into the ground, except by planting 

 them so closely as to be prejudicial to the crop. The advan- 

 tage, therefore, of large sets remains practically unimpaired. 



Sixthly, Weight for weight, cut sets produce, as nearly as 

 possible, the same weight per acre as whole Potatoes ; but for 

 the reasons given above, the weight of the sets should not ba 

 reduced by subdivision. 



Seventhly, Smaller sets give a larger produce, in proportion 

 to their weight, than the larger sets. 



Eighthly, When the intervals between the sets in the rows 

 are diminished to less than a foot, the produce of each indi- 

 vidual set is proportionately diminished. Though this is not 

 necessarily accompanied by a diminution of the weight of the 

 crop, no increase in the produce of each individual set is 

 caused by placing the sets at intervals wider than a foot. 



Ninthly, With reference to the relative produce of different 

 varieties, a late red sort takes the precedence throughout the 

 expei'iments ; and of the several varieties of Fluke, Spencer's 

 King of Flukes and The Queen of Flukes are much more 

 prolific than the ordinary variety. — (Joimml of lioyal Agricul- 

 tural. SocirtlJ.) 



FRUIT-GROWING IN THE FAR NORTH. 



A.-i we are now in the midst of our planting season, with the 

 time for propagating or grafting fast approaching, it may be 

 interesting to your readers to learn what sorts of fruits succeed 

 so far north as the shores of the Moray Firth, in Scotland. 



Although our climate is so dry and sunny as to make Wheat 

 our staple crop, yet varieties of fruits that succeed here must 

 be endowed with a certain degree of hardiness. We have had 

 a rather extensive collection here for the last thirty years, and 



