36 Experiments with Potatoes. [april, 



Variety. 



Seed 



" boxed " 

 in 



Autumn. 



Seed 

 "boxed" 

 in 

 Spring. 



Seed 

 planted 

 direct 

 from 

 "Pie." 



Advantage 

 of Autumn- 

 prepared 

 Seed over 

 Seed planted 



from T*!^ ■ 



Jl v 111 X It. 



Advantage 

 of Spring- 

 prepared 

 Seed over 

 Seed planted 



from T^i£* 

 11 U III L lc, 



British Queen ... 

 Empress Queen 

 Evergood 

 Up-to-Date ... 

 Up-to-DateNo. 2 



1 



Ton cwt. qr. Ton cwt. qr. 



12 16 2 13 7 I 



13 5 1 13 9 3 



14 10 2 14 15 3 

 14 8 3 | 13 7 2 

 12 8 1 12 16 2 



Ton cwt. qr. 



12 0 0 



9 3 3 



13 2 2 



13 1 1 

 12 2 2 



Ton cwt. qr. 



0 l6 2 

 4 I 2 



1 8 O 



i 7 2 

 053 



Ton cvt. qr. 



1 7 1 



460 

 1 13 1 

 061 

 0 14 0 j 



Although the average advantage from five varieties in 1904 is 

 somewhat less than that from the single variety (Up-to-Date) in 

 1903, it should be noted that the seed for the test in 1903 was 

 taken from a " pie " containing several tons of potatoes, whereas 

 the "pies" for the 1904 test were of necessity small, containing 

 indeed only 500 tubers each. In these circumstances, heating 

 or sweating could not take place to any great extent, and the 

 cool condition of the " pies " discouraged sprouting. Moreover, 

 the potatoes were planted some ten days earlier than in 1903, so 

 that, all things considered, it was only to be expected that the 

 difference would be less marked in 1904. 



The balance of the evidence, therefore, seems to point to a 

 distinct advantage from the preparing of seed. The results from 

 Empress Queen may be looked upon as exceptional, but even if 

 these be disregarded the advantage, on the average, from 

 autumn- and spring-prepared seed over seed planted direct from 

 the " pie " is still practically 20 cwt. per acre. 



Another point which was investigated was the use of whole 

 sets or cut sets for planting. When large potatoes were cut for 

 seed, quite as good results were obtained from the cut sets as 

 from seed-sized potatoes planted whole ; when, however, tubers 

 of only seed-size, or little more, were cut, the resulting crop was 

 considerably less than from the cut sets. Cut sets should be 

 planted as soon as possible after cutting, but if there is an 

 interval between cutting and planting, dipping the newly-cut set 

 into finely-powdered lime was found to be of distinct advantage. 



Previous experiments have indicated that the same stock of 

 seed should not be used on the same farm for more than three 

 years, and preferably for only two. This was borne out in a 



