I9i i.] 



Experiments in Potato Growing. 



903 



The following figures give the average yield for three 

 years, 1905, 1906, 1907, of the most important types. From 

 these results we may gauge the relative yields of the various 

 groups. 



Total 







crop 





Ware. 



Diseased. 



Group. 



Variety. 



Tons. 



Cwt. 



Tons. 



Cwt. 



Cwt. 





fUp-to-Date 



14 



18 



II 



2 



I I 



I. - 



Table Talk 



15 



4 



12 



O 



II 





[Factor 



14 



4 



II 



2 



18 



II. 



British Queen 



13 



17 



IO 



1 1 



4 



V. 



What's Wanted ... 



TO 



18 



8 



O 



0 



VI. 



Royal Kidney 



II 



7 



8 



O 



0 





Northern Star 



15 



0 



8 



16 



1 



Group I. — These potatoes are fair quality, subject to 



disease, and heavy croppers. 

 Group II. — This group is of good quality, also subject to 



disease, and for second earlies crops very well. 

 Group V. — Medium croppers, best quality, and practically 



no disease. 



Group VI. — Poor quality, medium yield, but nearly immune 

 to disease. 



Northern Star, heavy cropper, poor quality, practically no 

 disease. 



Early varieties of potatoes have not received so much 

 attention at Cambridge as the later ones, but each year 

 several of the leading kinds have been tested. The most 

 extensive trial of early sorts was in 1906, when the best in 

 point of yield were : — 



Tons. Cwt. 



Southern Queen ... ... ... ... 9 14 



Epicure ... ... ... ... ... 8 12 



Sharpe's Express ... ... ... ... 8 1 



Midlothian Early 7 17 



As the result of the tests made at Impington, the following 

 varieties are recommended : — 



First Earlies. — For quality the Duke of York type is still 

 hard to beat, but is not so early as May Queen. Potatoes of 

 this type are not very heavy yielders compared with Southern 

 Queen, Epicure, or Ninetyfold. The last-named variety is one 

 of the earliest and a very heavy cropper, but the flesh is not 

 firm enough. 



Second Earlies. — The British Queen type (Group II.) is 

 still the most profitable second early to grow in districts 



