POTATO BREEDING AND SELECTION. 33 
HILL-SELECTION STUDIES. 
In June, 1911, the writer, through the courtesy of a potato grower 
near Portsmouth, Va., was enabled to make some hill selections in a 
field of Irish Cobblers. These selections were made with two objects 
in view: (1) To increase the yield and (2) to determine the feasibility 
of carrying over the first-crop seed for the next season's planting. 
Unfortunately, the results of this work were practically eliminated 
by a severe freeze in April, 1913, which cut the young shoots to the 
ground, killing many of them outright. The 1912 crop was so prom- 
ising, however, that it seems worthy of mention. The 1911 selections 
were all planted on the tuber-unit basis. Plate XVI and figure 2 
show the results secured from some of the more promising. Of the 
16 selections shown in figure 2, Nos. 6, 7, 9, 25, and 34 are the most 
promising, and among these No. 25 is far superior to the others. The 
1912 yields of the 16 selections, computed on a per acre basis from 
the average of the units planted of each selection, are as follows: 
Selection No. 1, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 22.7 barrels primes and 24.9 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 2, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 10.1 barrels primes and 28.8 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 3, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 28.1 barrels primes and 39.4 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 4, 4 units planted, yielded at the rate of 20.9 barrels primes and 20.9 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 5, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of barrel primes and 22.2 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 6, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 85.7 barrels primes and 30.6 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 7, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 79.9 barrels primes and 36.5 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 8, 2 units planted, yielded at the rate of 17.4 barrels primes and 49.9 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 9, 4 units planted, yielded at the rate of 83.8 barrels primes and 29.5 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 16, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 60.1 barrels primes and 35.6 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 24, 4 units planted, yielded at the rate of 54.1 barrels primes and 35.6 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 25, 3 units planted, yielded at the rate of 115.5 barrels primes and 36.7 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 32, 4 units planted, yielded at the rate of 33.9 barrels primes and 48 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 33, 5 units planted, yielded at the rate of 68 barrels primes and 28.6 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 34, 4 units planted, yielded at the rate of 80.7 barrels primes and 30.6 
barrels culls. 
Selection No. 35, 5 units planted, yielded at the rate of 65.8 barrels primes and 24.4 
barrels culls. 
