Sxj)eri'ment$ in th& Planting of Potaioes. 
869 
any conceivable circumstance can a crop of 67 cwt. be expected to 
pay, whereas 111 cwt. per acre, the yield of the late varieties, 
should not be a losing crop. 
Again, taking the plantings made on June 1 4, the average yield 
of the first earlies had fallen to a little under 39 cwt., the second 
earlies to 59 cwt., and the late varieties to 85 cwt. None of these 
average results can pay ; but one variety, the Imperator, gave the 
extraordinary yield of 134 cwt. per acre — more than 2| tons in excess 
of any other variety, and which, had itnotbeen for the good results we 
have repeatedly obtained with this variety from late plaiitings (for 
instance, last year we planted twenty acres of them after May 20, 
■which averaged 7 tons per acre all round, and in some places ran 
to more than 8 tons), we could hardly have believed to have been 
possible. The poor results obtained from every variety of those 
planted on June 28 show planting at that time, under any and all 
circumstances, to be totally out of the question. 
Of those that matured earliest, the two very similar varieties, 
The Thorburn and Beauty of Hebron, fully ripened by August 16, 
gave the best results, their respective yields of 7 tons and 
6 tons 1 cwt. being considerably better than those of Myatt's Ashleaf 
and The Duke of Albany. The White Elephant and Empire State did 
best in the order named of the second earlies, as there was disease 
to the extent of one ton per acre in the latter, though it had an 
advantage in ripening a fortnight earlier. The Imperator did by 
far the best of the late varieties, but there is one important pre- 
caution to bo observed by gi'owers of this variety, and that is to 
mould it up deeply and thoroughly, as, owing to its late habit 
of growth, it runs a considerable risk of being caught by an early 
frost. We call to mind a field of thirty acres we grew in 1887 
which was caught by a frost on October 25. Fortunately for us, 
we had sold it during the previous week at 20?. 10s. per acre, to 
be lifted by the buyer ; but the frost did so much harm to the tubers 
that considerably more than half the bulk subsequently rotted in 
the pits, while the effect of the chill on the remainder was to spoil 
their cooking properties and reduce their price from 70s. to iOs. per 
ton. Of the other varieties the Magnum Bonum with its yield of 
8 tons to the acre did best, though on the second planting it 
was beaten by both The Bruce and Stourbridge Glory. 
The foregoing results, although detailed for one season only, are 
thoroughly in accord with our experience as growers, for many 
years, of more than one hundred acres annually. We may conclude, 
therefore, with the following advice to growers : Plant the early 
varieties of potatoes in March, or as early as possible in April. 
Finish planting all varieties in April ; but, if it is necessary to 
plant in May, by all means employ a late variety. Of late varieties 
choose Imperator if possible, and have them well moulded up. 
Geoege Malden. 
