112 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



been planted several years with hoed crops of various kinds, 

 and had been well manured, so the soil might be said to be 

 in fair condition. Early in May the land was ploughed 

 about seven inches deep ; no manure was spread broadcast, 

 because it was thought the test would not be as correct as 

 it would be to measure out an exact amount of fertilizer and 

 apply it to each hill. The fertilizer used was made of ground 

 bone and sulphuric acid, with enough well decomposed leaf- 

 mould mixed with the bone and acid while hot, so that one 

 quart could be applied to each hill at a. cost of one-half cent, 

 or twenty dollars an acre. The fertilizer was well mixed 

 with the soil over a space eighteen inches in diameter. 



The first experiment which I shall call your attention to 

 shows the results of a test of the value of small whole pota- 

 toes as compared with large cut anes, the small potatoes 

 being about one inch in diameter, and the pieces were cut 

 from potatoes weighing about one-half a pound each, and cut 

 of a size to weigh exactly the same as the whole small pota- 

 toes, each whole potato and each piece having the eyes 

 reduced to two before planting. May 19 the seed was 

 planted. The first view was taken June 28, and shows the 

 plants when well up. Four hills were taken instead of two, 

 there being twenty hills in this experiment. It will be seen 

 that No. 1, from the small whole seed, shows the largest. 

 July 21 another field view was taken. You will observe 

 that No. 1 is still in advance of No. 2. This has always 

 been the case every year of the seven years which this ex- 

 periment has been under trial, the whole seed being from a 

 week to ten days earlier than the cut seed. The potatoes in 

 each hill were dug, assorted, and weighed and photographed. 

 The next view shows the potatoes dug from each hill. No. 1 

 from the small potatoes, and No. 2 from the large cut pota- 

 toes. The result this year does not exactly compare with 

 the six preceding years, owing probably to the fact that 

 when No. 1 was making the most rapid growth of tubers the 

 weather for several days was excessively hot and dry, but 

 changed before No. 2 had reached a stage of growth to be so 

 seriously affected. The weight of No. 1 was, of large pota- 

 toes, 5 pounds 14 ounces ; small, 2 pounds ; total, 7 pounds 

 14 ounces. No. 2 produced, of large potatoes, 7 pounds ; 



