794 7'RA^'■SACTI0^'^s of the Americax Ixstitutk. 



use, and the smallest for planting. I cut the potato into two pieces 

 and plant them in a hill about two inches apart, and I may say I 

 always have a good yield. I tried the experiment of the whole 

 potato, and cannot say that it had any advantage over my system. 

 I separate the two pieces in the hill so as not to have the vines too 

 close together, as well as giving more soil for nourishment. 



Dr. J. V. C. Smith. — I do not agree with what I have heard said. 

 It is my notion that the vine thrives best with a whole seed, as the 

 starch, &c., of the potato seed in its decay will serve to feed the plant. 

 Hence, I approve of the whole seed. Since the question had been 

 agitated by the Club, I have been told that some farmers find that 

 the apple tree grows best if planted in the pumice from the cider 

 press, or in the whole apple. Nature, in all her w^orks, had decreed 

 when the young life came into existence, that there should come with 

 it a sustenance peculiarly fit for its nurture. 



Mr. Horace Greeley. — The analogy was not perfect. The beau 

 and the apple seed were strictly seeds. The potato was a combina- 

 tion of seeds, every sprout was a seed, and the seed only was to have 

 . a sprout, be the piece that sprout was on large or small. The potato 

 might be said to carry its seed on its surface. The bulk of evidence 

 on this matter determines that a piece of potato weighing one ounce 

 was as good as a half a pound if it have the sprout on it. 



Dr. K. T. Halleck. — I once planted parallel rows. One contain- 

 ing small potatoes whole, the next cut potatoes, the next large whole 

 potatoes. When I dug them I coukl see no diiference in crop of cut 

 and large whole ones, while there was a sensible diminution in the row 

 of small. I am inclined to think there may be some advantage from 

 the distribution of the potato over the greater soil surface, but per- 

 haps counterbalanced by greater amount of vines. I ean see no 

 advantage in cutting three or four days before planting. 



Mr. J. W. Gregory. — In 1865, I tried an experiment with one 

 potato. I cut ^t into fourteen pieces. I put each piece into a hot 

 bed. After one month most of them had sprouted. I drew them 

 out, took off the sprout, and transplanted them, and then put the 

 potato back. After a time repeated the operation. In this way I 

 got thirty-eight plants. They yielded a half bushel and over half a 

 peck for this one small potato. Mr, Greeley was correct ; the potato 

 was a tuber and not a seed ; the plant was a continuation from a 

 tuber, and might be renewed as long as the tuber lasted. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller.— There is no donl)t that in the last vear tlier« 



