32 MAINS AGRICUIvTURAIv EXPERIMENT STATION. I9II. 



While July was rather dry for the high ridge culture, the 

 potatoes did not appear to suffer much from the drought. 

 Abundant rains early in August insured the crop. The yields 

 were as follows : 



Yield Merchantable Potatoes ipo8. 



Full ridge check plot* 314 bushels. 



Modified ridge, 3 acres .902 



Full ridge check plot .268 



Average for check plots 291 



Average modified culture plots 301 



EXPERIMENT IN 1909. 



This year about three acres were selected for the experiment 

 of fairly uniform land which was in grass the preceding year. 

 Other than part of the field carried a good deal of witch grass 

 it proved to be a good piece for the purpose. Two acres of 

 the middle section of the piece were taken for the low ridge cul- 

 ture and a half acre on each side were planted to check plots and 

 given the high ridge culture. 



The spring proved to be cold and wet and the field was not 

 planted until May 31. The whole season had abundant rainfall 

 even too abundant for the high ridge culture during the sea- 

 son. Because of the continued cold and wet the potatoes did 

 not break through the ground until June 18. The potatoes were 

 so late planted and so slow to come up that the vines were still 

 very green and tender when the first frost came early in Sep- 

 tember. On this account .the yields were very materially re- 

 duced. They were as follows : 



Yield of Merchantable Potatoes ipop. 



Full ridge per acre, average two plots 204 bushels. 



Modified ridge, per acre 216 " 



The average for the three years was 



Low ridge culture 273 bushels per acre. 



Modified ridge culture 283 bushels per acre. 



In these three years there were, therefore, practically noth- 

 ing to choose between the two methods so far as the yield was 

 concerned in Aroostook County. 



*The plots were strictly comparable as to area but were a little less 

 than an acre each. 



