90 Maine; agricultural lxplriment station. 1909. 



covered about 3 inches. Five days later, the level culture plots 

 were again gone over lengthwise with the weeder and June 10 

 the weeder was run lengthwise over them. In the meantime it 

 had been found necessary to run the cultivator between the rows. 

 June 10 the potatoes were just appearing above the surface of 

 the ground and on account of abundant rains they grew very 

 rapidly and the tops were so tender that it was not deemed wise 

 to again run the weeder through them and cultivation was 

 restricted to hand hoes and cultivation between the rows. Two 

 hand hoeings were deemed necessary for these plots. When the 

 tops were about 4 inches high the horse hoe was run over them 

 throwing up a ridge wider and flatter than the ordinary ridge 

 used and not more than half as high. Otherwise than the cul- 

 tivation the plots were treated the same as the check plots and 

 harvesting was begun September 30 with the results shown 

 below. 



The yield on plot 2 is much below the others but this was 

 apparently not due to the method of culture but to the soil. 

 There was a strip of several rods on the upper part of this lot 

 where the tubers were very scabby and only a light yield was 

 obtained. This condition extended slightly into plot 3 reducing 

 the yield of that plot somewhat but not nearly to such an extent 

 as on plot 2. For this reason in a comparison plot 2 should be 

 omitted. 



Yield Per Acre for Bach Plot. igoj. 



' No. I No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 



Full ridge Modified Full ridge Modified Full ridge Modified 



ridge ridge ridge 



133.0 bbls. 85.9 bbls. loSbbls. ii2bbls. ii3.3bbls. I29bbls. 



Average for full ridge culture 118 barrels 



Average for modified ridge culture, all 3 plots. . . . 109 barrels 

 Average for modified ridge culture, plots 4 and 6. . 121 barrels 



EXPERIMENT IN 1908. 

 For the modified culture experiment this year 90 rows, nearly 

 three acres, were planted on new land on the northwest part of 

 Mr. John Watson's farm in Houlton. The plan of planting in a 

 solid piece instead of in strips as in 1907 was adopted for con- 

 venience in cultivating eaHy in the season when it is desirable 

 to run the weeder and smoothing harrow crosswise to keep down 



