654 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 Nov.. 1919. 



conditions than auotlier is that tlic i)arff'l in-odiicing greater yields has 

 superior virility. 



Virility of seed depends entirely on the treatment meted out to it 

 in selection and storage. Selection and storage, then, are the vital points 

 to Avhich the grower should direct his attention. 



When growers pay i-easoiiable attention to selection of suitable seed 

 and its storage, the superstitious beliefs in the efficacy of " change of 

 seed " Avill be laid. 



Supporting the contention that selection of seed is superior to 

 merely changing, the following actual experience may be again recorded. 

 One of the competitors in a Victorian Agricultural Society's field crop 

 competition for potatoes went to the trouble of selecting seed for 1 acre 

 specially for the competition. Unfortunately for him, the quantity 

 he secured for this purpose was sufficient to plant only three-fourths of 

 an acre, and his entry, owing to the conditions of the competition, was 

 disqualified. At his request, the rate per acre produced on an adjoining 

 field planted with the same seed without selection, was compared with 

 crop on the area planted with selected seed. 



The soil, manuring, and cultivation in each case was identical, the 



only difference being that one block was planted with selected seed, 



while the other was planted wath the ordinary run of seed from the 



previous season's crop. The results ohtained were as here given : — 



Produce from selected seed . . 9 tons 9 cwt. per acre. 



Produce from unselected seed . . 5 tons 18 cwt. per acre. 



Increased yield due to selection . . 3 tons 11 cwt. per acre. 



This illustration shows an increase of over 60 per cent, in favour of 

 selected seed, which should impress, even if it dee? not convince sceptics. 



Another case worthy of note is that of Mr. Kenny, manager of the 

 Orphanage, Ballarat. Fully twenty years ago, Mr. Kenny secured a 

 ]>arcel of seed. Since then he has used no other. By selecting from 

 his best plants each year, he has not only maintained the productiveness 

 of this strain, but has improved it. 



Further proof of the lack of necessity for changing seed is afforded 

 in the following report on a test between home-grown and imported 

 seed conducted by the Department of Technical Instruction in Agricul- 

 ture for Ireland, copied from their official Journal, Volume XIX., 

 part II., page 186. The report states: — 



*' The opinion is widely held that it is necessary to introduce a ciiange 

 of seed potatoes more or less frequently if the best results are to be 

 obtained. This belief was known to be well founded in England. No 

 data, however, regarding this matter were available for this country, and 

 the Department decided that nsefnl information might be collected if 

 experiments were conducted on a uniform basis in every county in 

 Ireland. Such tests were instituted in 1914 and repeated on exactly 

 the same lines in 1915 and 1916. 



" The experiment was designed to ascertain : — 



(a) "Whether any advantage is to be gained in Ireland by intro- 

 ducing a change of seed potatoes, and 

 (/)) If so, whether the seed potatoes should be procured from 

 Clreat Britain or from another ])art of Ireland. 



