248 SCIENCE AND FRUIT GROWING 



seed (98 : 100), and the proportion of diseased tubers being 

 actually greater (116 : 100). The proportion of diseased tubers 

 was, however, diminished to 83 per cent, where stronger solu- 

 tions were used (5 per cent, for 5 minutes, and 10 per cent, for 

 2 minutes), but the crop was materially reduced, especially where 

 a 10 per cent, solution was used, the yield, then being only 

 62 per cent, of that in the plots with unsteeped seed. 1 The 

 other point was, the effect produced on the crop by cutting off 

 the haulms as soon as the disease made its appearance, a practice 

 which is often recommended. In two series where the haulms 

 were cut off ten days after the disease appeared, the disease in 

 the tubers was practically eliminated, being reduced to only 

 7 per cent, of that in the uncut sections; but the results were 

 otherwise unsatisfactory, for the total crops were so reduced 

 that the yield of sound tubers was 4 per cent, less than in the 

 uncut sections, and there was a reduction of 8 per cent, in their 

 average size. Similar results had previously been obtained by 

 other observers. 2 



1 Similar results were obtained by Pethybridge, Journ. of Board of Agric. 

 and Technology, Ireland, 13, 450. 



2 Journ. R. Hort. Sac., 1847, 331.1849, 65; 1850, 105; Trans. Highland 

 and Agric. Soc., 1845-7, 436; Vermont Agric. Expt. Station. 1901-2, 209. 



