60 THE POTATO, 



more profitably utilised for stock or poultry feeding. We 

 now come to the relative advantages of medium-sized and 

 large tubers. In practice, we always found the former to 

 yield the most satisfactory results. The same opinion, 

 too, is shared by other growers. Tubers that average be- 

 tween 1| and 2in. in width, and weigh 2 to 3oz. each, are 

 undoubtedly the best for " sets." These contain suffi- 

 ciently strong eyes to give birth to vigorous shoots, and 



MAXIMUM-SIZED KIDNEY SEED TUBER. 



Width 2 ins. ; Weight 2* oz. 



the tuber contains an ample supply of reserve food to sup- 

 port the shoot till it is able to forage for itself. As to 

 larger tubers we regard it as a waste of valuable food to 

 use them as " sets." A large tuber will not give a pro- 

 portionately larger yield of tubers than a medium-sized 

 one. It must be remembered also, that in using large 

 tubers a greater quantity will be required to plant a given 

 area of land than of the medium-sized " sets." It is more 

 profitable to use the large tubers for food or to dispose of 



