58 



THE POTATO 



Part of the crop was harvested July 29, the yield being 

 decidedly in favor of the sprouted seed, which lead was 

 maintained (see Table). 



TABLE IV 



yieIyD per acre from seed tubers sprouted and not 

 sprouted 



Sprouted 



Not sprouted. 



Sprouted 



Not sprouted . . 



Date 

 Harvested 



July 29. . . 

 July 29... 



Aug. 20. . 

 Aug. 20. . 



YIELD PER ACRE 



Large 

 Tubers 



Small 

 Tubers 



Bushels Bushels 



97.96 53.23 

 76.10 42.78 



135-47 

 94-45 



55-51 

 41.90 



Total 



I5'-I9 

 118.88 



190.98 

 136-35 



Gain by 

 Sprouting 



Busliels 

 32-31 



54-63 



Increase 



from 

 Further 

 Growth 



Bushels 



33-79 

 17-47 



In trials made at Cornell Station by the writer dur- 

 ing 1904, with the varieties Sir Walter Raleigh and 

 Carman No. 3, increased jdelds of from 0.9 percent, 

 to 73.7 per cent, resulted from sprouting potatoes in 

 the light for 36 days previous to planting, when com- 

 pared with holding them in a root-cellar to the time of 

 planting. The sprouts on the tubers held in the cellar 

 were up to three inches long; those held in the light 

 were but one-half to three-quarters of an inch long. 

 No misses occurred, except from those sets held in the 

 cellar. It seems probable that each variety may have 

 its own optimum temperature, as conditions were uni- 

 form for both varieties. Eighteen hills were used in a 

 plat, and Table V., on page 59, .shows the results. 



Another great advantage in sprouting is that it 

 gives an opportunity to note variation and "rogue" 

 the variety. Almost every variety shows a difference 

 in the sprout, either in color or habit of growth; one 



