10 Aug., 1916.] h.xperiment.'^ in the C ultivafion of Fotafoes. 467 



Section 2. — Vaeiety Tests. 



In this case five varieties were tested with the following results for 

 the area planted : — 



tons cwt. lbs. 

 Adirondak . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 56 



Factors 

 Carman I. 

 Cook's Favorite 

 Manistee 



6 17 



5 3 



4 18 56 



4 17 



Section 3. — Normal Seed v. Weak Seed. 



When the Carman po-tatoes were being cut for planting it was de- 

 cided to make a test between sets showing weak shoots and those with 

 normally strong buds. The two classes of seed were planted side by 

 side. From the time they came through the ground there was visible 

 evidence that the sets with weak shoots were handicapped, and when the 

 crop was dug this was supported by the weights recorded ; these being : — 



tons cwt. lbs. 

 Normal Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 12 77 



Weak Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 12 98 



This makes practically a 2-ton to the acre difference in favour of the 

 portion planted with sets showing fair strength in their shoots, and 

 emphasises the advisability of discarding at planting time sets or 

 tubers which show any evidence of lack of vigour. 



Section 4. — Immature i\ Ripe Seed. 



The Factor variety from Leongatha was used in this test at 

 Koo-wee-rup. Ripe and immature seed of this variety were planted 

 side by side with the following result: — 



tons cwt. lbs. 

 Immature Seed . . . . . . . . . . 7 1 7 56 



Ripe Seed . . . . . . . . . . ..6170 



Increase, due to Immature Seed . . . . . . 1 56 



PORTLAND. 



On the heath country at Cashmore-Portland experiments were carried 

 out on two classes of soil, viz., " Hill " land, which takes its name from 

 the fact that it is characteristic of the soil found on the higher parts of 

 the undulations of the heath, and "Flat" land, so called because it 

 is tvpical of the class of soil prevailing on the lower levels. Of the two 

 soils the " Hill " land appears, to ocular observation of the uninitiated, 

 to be the richer of the two, but, chemical analysis shows it to be but 

 little different to the "Flat" land, in its content of plant food. Its 

 cropping power up to the present has proved a dead loss, on account 

 of the fact that no treatment of it has yet been found effective in 

 making it produce any crqp adequate to the expenditure involved in 

 its ))roduction. No reason can be given here for this phenomenon. It 



