1908.] 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE POTATO. 

 TABLE 23. Low PROTEIN SELECTIONS. 1903 



445 



There was a noticeable difference this year in the contents of 

 dry matter of the two selections. The tubers planted in the high 

 protein plot average 2.42 percent higher than those planted in the 

 low protein plot. This reduces the average difference in content of 

 nitrogenous matter between the tubers of the two classes, but 

 there is still a difference of 4.69 percent, when calculated to the 

 water free basis. This matter is of interest because it definitely 

 shows that in mature tubers, a high percentage of nitrogenous mat- 

 ter is not correlated with a low dry matter content. This is addi- 

 tional evidence that potatoes of good quality, other things being 

 equal, may be high in nitrogen. The average weight of the selec- 

 tions for the low protein plot was nine grams higher than those for 

 the high protein plot. 



The tubers were quartered and were planted in the same man- 

 ner as in the year before, but on slightly better soil. The planting 

 was done May 18, 1903, and the potatoes were up June, second. 

 Every cutting grew, but the growth was not luxuriant. It is 

 thought that the seed may have been injured by the formalin treat- 

 ment for scab. The plots were given ordinary farm cultivation, 

 and were sprayed three times with Paris green and once with Bor- 

 deaux mixture. 



The plants in both plots succumbed to tip burn and Paris green 

 injury about the same time. The crop was larger than that of the 

 year before, but not nearly all of the tubers were of marketable 

 size. The potatoes were of different degrees of immaturity, but were 

 sufficiently mature to make a fair comparison. Seventy-five per- 

 cent by weight of the crop from the high protein plot averaged 75 



