108 



HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION 



[Jan. 



The crop for this 3'ear was potatoes, which therefore 

 follow a leguminous crop, — the soy bean. After the beans 

 were harvested r3'e was sown as a cover crop, but the season 

 of sowing was so late that it had made but little growth 

 Avhen the land was ploughed for potatoes this spring. The 

 variety of potatoes grown was Beauty of Hebron. The 

 seed stock used was grown in northern Maine. On April 

 10 it was treated in the customary way in solution of cor- 

 rosive sublimate for prevention of scab. The seed was then 

 spread in a single layer in a sunn}^ room, where it remained 

 until May 5. The seed stock was of excellent quality, the 

 tubers in general smooth and of good size. Before planting 

 they were cut to pieces of two good eyes each. They were 

 planted in rows 3 feet apart and 1 foot apart in the rows. 

 It is a matter of regret that the stock of seed reserved for 

 this field proved- not Cjuite sufficient. Plots to 2 and a 

 part of o were planted with seed also grown in INIaine, of 

 the AVhite IMaine variety. This also was treated with cor- 

 rosive sublimate solution, and before planting cut to pieces 

 of two eyes. It was not, however, budded before planting. 

 Growth throughout the early part of the season was normal 

 and good. The crop was spraj^ed four times with Bowker's 

 Boxal, which, as in other experiments, proved eflective in 

 destroying bugs, but did not entirely prevent blight. The 

 dates of spraying were June 19 and 28, and Jul}^ 11 and 26. 

 Much care was taken in spraying, and it is believed that 

 the fact that blight was not entirelv prevented was due to 

 the use of nozzles which tlirew the spray onl}^ on the upper 

 surfaces of the leaves. Blight was quite general, although 

 onh' just beginning, on August 12. By August 27 the tops 

 "Nvere nearly all dead, except that a few scattering plants 

 were still green at the tips on plots 0, 1, 2 and 3, and that 

 the top lea\'es of the plants were generall}'^ green on plots 

 5, fi and 8. The last three plots are those, as will be seen 



