EXPERIMENTS IN POTATO CULTlTRE. 115 



Two potatoes, each weighing about one-half a pound were 

 selected, and from each, one of the strongest eyes were cut 

 out with a small piece of potato attached. The two eyes 

 were planted in one hill, and the two whole potatoes, less 

 one eye each, were planted in the next. The next view 

 shows how much quicker the whole potatoes started up a 

 luxuriant top than the single eyes. In the numerous trials 

 which have been made in years past, this has always l>een 

 the result, — the whole potatoes outstripping the single eyes 

 by more than one-half. The next view, showing the plants 

 at full growth, gives unmistakal>le evidence that a tuber has 

 the power to feed the young plant, and force it to a degree 

 that is far beyond what the plant food in the common soil 

 can do. The next view shows the result, which is very much 

 in favor of the whole seed. E 1, the single eyes, produced 

 2 1 pounds of large, and 10 ounces of small potatoes ; total, 

 2| pounds. E 2, the whole potatoes, produced 8 pounds 

 6 ounces of large and 1 pound 10 ounces of small potatoes ; 

 total, 10 pounds, the product from the whole potatoes being 

 more than three times that from single eyes. The seed for 

 this experiment was the variety called the White Star. The 

 same experiment was repeated with seed of the early Ply- 

 mouth County, which is the variety used for all of the other 

 experiments tried. This experiment shows very nearly the 

 same results as the one just given. F 1, the single eyes 

 produced 1 pound 14 ounces of large and 6 ounces of small 

 potatoes; total, 2^ pounds. F 2 produced 4 pounds, 10 

 ounces of large, and 2 pounds, 4 ounces of small potatoes ; 

 total, 6| pounds, or a trifle over three times more than the 

 single eyes produced. 



The next experiment was tried to show the difference, if 

 any, between seed that is scabby, and seed free from scab. 

 G 1 is a very scabby potato, and G 2 perfectly free from 

 scab. For some reason these potatoes did not appear above 

 ground in time to be photographed June 28, and so no view 

 was taken until July 21, when, as you will observe, the 

 growth of each was very near alike and the potatoes, though 

 a very small crop, were very near alike ; and all the potatoes 

 in both hills were entirely free from scab. This experiment 

 has been under trial three years with the same results. I 



