8 BULLETIX 1248, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Stubbs (93) found that there was practically no difference in net 
yield between sets of two or more eyes and large whole tubers and 
but a slight difference between large and medium-sized whole tubers. 
One-eye sets gave a much lower yield. The net yields (bushels) 
were as follows: One-eye sets, 181 ; sets having two or more eyes, 225; 
medium-sized tubers, 220.5; large whole tubers, 225.5. 
The data reported by Stubbs are in direct contrast to those pre- 
sented by Troop (99), in which he found that whole tubers gave a 
net increase of 215 bushels per acre more than 1-eye sets and 130 
bushels more than 2-eye sets. 
Results reported by Speth (89) showed that small whole tubers 
gave a slightly larger yield than medium tubers halved. One-eye 
and two-eye sets produced a lower yield. 
The conclusions of Green (44) were that ordinarily where the con- 
ditions were equal ''the larger the set the greater the total product. 
In ordinary practice it is usually found that neither extreme as to 
quantity of seed will be found profitable. The safest plan is to use 
large well-matured healthy potatoes and cut to two or three eyes." 
In 1891 and 1892 the following reports were made by station 
workers regarding the relative merits of large and small and whole 
and cut seed. 
Beckwith (13) planted large, medium, and small tubers whole, 
halved, and 2-eye sets, the latter with one and two sets to the hill. 
The rows were 3 \ feet apart and the sets spaced 12 inches apart in 
the row. The results indicated that 2-eye sets from large tubers 
gave the largest yield of merchantable tubers and with one exception 
the smallest proportion of unmerchantable stock. Medium-sized 
tubers planted whole and those cut in two gave the next largest yield 
of merchantable tubers. The largest total yield was from small 
tubers cut to two eyes with two sets to the hill, but nearly 50 per 
cent of the crop was unmerchantable. 
Caldwell (22, p. 71) found that halved tubers gave the best re- 
sults. The data obtained are shown in Table 3. 
Table 3. — Comparative test of cut potato seed reported by Caldwell in 1892. 
Yield (bushels). 
Kind of seed. 
Merchant- 
able. 
Total. 
One and two eye pieces. 
Halves 
Seed end removed 
193.1 
271.7 
219.8 
Hayward (47 , p. 371) in two out of four trials obtained a larger net 
yield of merchantable tubers from small whole tubers than from 
large whole potatoes, commercial-sized sets, or 1-eve sets. Normal 
or commercial-sized seed was second best in two instances, first in 
another, and fourth in another. 
Kinney (57, p. 113) compared 1-eye sets, 2-eye sets, and medium- 
sized whole tubers, but spaced them according to their size 9 inches, 
IS inches, and 36 inches apart in the row. The results as presented 
in Table 4 were in favor of 2-eye sets. 
