Proceedings of the Farmers^ Club. 



899 



potatoes can be cut for planting without intelligent judgment. It 

 is now beyond doubt that potato planting machines can be con- 

 structed to cut the tubers into pieces suitable for planting, without 

 diminishing their germinative power more than when done so by- 

 human hands. This leads us to the question, which is the best mode 

 of planthig potatoes f For several years I have tried, by experi- 

 ments, to solve this question, and I will give you the result of my 

 last year's experience, which very nearly corresponds with my 

 former observations. When the potato is planted whole, all the 

 germinative power will concentrate in the terminal eye — out of one 

 hundred hills only two will develop side shoots. Do we cut the 

 seed eud off, however, two, three or four eyes nearest the cut sur- 

 face will start and divide the nutriment in the potato between them. 

 The same is the case in a young branch. If we leave a last year's 

 shoot of a tree uupruned, the sap will concentrate in the terminal 

 bud, and a few or no branches will grow. In pruning, we cut off 

 this bud, and two, three or four side shoots will be the result. The 

 only difference between the branch and the potato being that the 

 first receives its nourishment or sap from the tree it is connected 

 with, while in the latter there is enough food deposited to support 

 the germinating process. 



Mode op Preparing Seed for 

 Experiments — 1867. 





m 



a . 



e^ 



O 4> 



One large, -vrhole potato 



Two large half potatoes, cut lengthwise 



One seed-end of large potato 



One large half potato, cut lengthwise. . . 

 One large potato, seed-end cut off. . . . . 



One stem-end of large potato 



Two small whole potatoes 



Two pieces, with one eye each 



One piece, with four eyes 



One piece, with three eyes 



One whole, medium-sized potato 



One piece, with two eyes 



One-half, medium-sized potato 



One whole, small potato 



One piece, with one eye 



One-half, small potato 



Field crop 



114 



106 



106 



101 



100 



99 



87 



71 



70 



70 



67 



64 



60 



53 



45 



33 



95 



79 

 73 

 75 

 67 

 67 

 60 

 47 

 50 

 50 

 47 

 47 

 43 

 33 

 33 

 19 

 64 



27 

 27 

 33 

 26 

 33 

 32 

 27 

 24 

 20 

 20 

 20 

 17 

 17 

 20 

 12 

 14 

 31 



76i 



74h 



69 



74 



67 



671 



69 



66 



7U 



7U 



70 



73 



7H 



62 



73 



58 



67i 



2U 



25 k 



31 



26 



33 



32i 



31 



34 



28 h 



28 i 



30 



27 



28i 



38 



27 



42 



32i 



