;c6 



Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen. 



Influence of Change of Seed on the Yield of 

 Potatoes. 



The Yorkshire College, Leeds, in a " Report on Tests of 

 Varieties of Potatoes in 1902 and 1903 " (Bulletin No. 35), draw 

 attention to the influence of change of seed upon the yield. It 

 has generally been recognised that the introduction of seed from 

 another district gives a better crop than seed of the same 

 variety grown on the same farm for a few years. An instance 

 of this was noted at Garforth last year, where the yield from 

 seed of certain varieties originally obtained three years 

 previously from another locality, was compared with seed 

 obtained from the same grower in the spring of 1903. The 

 resulting crops showed a marked increase in favour of the new 

 seed in each case : — 



Total Yield of Potatoes per acre. 



Variety. 



Old Seed. 



New Seed. 



. 



British Queen 

 Challenge ... 

 Conquest ... 



Eighty fold 



Tons. Cwt. Qrs. 

 II 16 0 

 903 

 8 19 0 

 700 



Tons. Cwt. Qrs. 

 13 12 2 

 13 10 0 

 11 17 2 

 11 12 2 



It should also be pointed out that the old seed had the 



advantage of having been selected in the previous autumn, 



and that when planted the sprouts were longer than those of 

 the new seed. 



There was no disease among the tubers from the new seed, 

 whereas disease was present in all those from the old seed, in 

 amount varying from 14 to 33 per cent, of the crop. 



Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen by Chemical 



Agency. 



It has long been anticipated that a means would, sooner or 

 later, be devised whereby the free nitrogen of the atmosphere 

 would be brought into some form of chemical combination 

 that would make it available as manure. This is actually 

 accomplished by natural agencies through the action of the 

 bacteria associated with the roots of the Leguminosae, but such 

 fixation of nitrogen, important as it is in the economy of the 



