Potato Failures. 
31 
of the Horticultural Building until thoroughly dry, when it was sacked and 
placed in the dugout. On May 6th it was cut and planted. The plants came 
up nicely and remained strong and vigorous all the season, giving an aver¬ 
age yield of 142 sacks per acre of clean, smooth tubers. 
Plat II —This seed was treated with a solution of one ounce corrosive 
sublimate to eight gallons of water on December 9th. After the tubers had 
been soaked one hour they were placed on the floor until dry, when they 
were sacked and stored in the dugout. On May 5th they were again treated 
with corrosive sublimate for one hour and cut and planted on the following 
day. The plants were a little later in reaching the surface of the ground, 
but six weeks later they were fully as large and vigorous as those of the 
check plat. No diseased plants or tubers were found in this plat. This plat 
gave an average yield of 144 sacks per acre of clean, smooth tubers, a gain 
of 2 sacks per acre over check. 
Plat III —The seed in this plat was taken from the dugout on December 
9th, and treated two hours with a solution of eight ounces of formalin to 
sixteen gallons of water. The tubers were then placed on the floor until 
the following day, when they were sacked and placed in the dugout until 
May 6th, when they were cut and planted. The plants reached the surface 
of the ground on time, and were strong and vigorous until killed by frost. 
No diseased tubers were observed w T hen the crop was harvested. This plat 
gave a gain of 13 sacks per acre, but this gain was probably due to seepage 
water from the lawn thoroughly soaking six of the rows on the night of 
August 3rd. These tubers were unusually good. 
Plat IV —This seed was taken from the dugout on December 7th, and 
placed on the basement floor of the Horticultural Hall, where it was fully 
exposed to the light On the 30th of December it was again sacked and 
placed in the dugout. On May 6th it was taken out, cut and planted. These 
plants reached the surface of the ground possibly a little in advance of the 
check, but they showed no marked gain over the the check plants at any 
time. This plat gave an average yield of 144 sacks to the acre of clean, 
smooth tubers, a gain of two sacks per acre over check. 
Plat V —This seed was selected and treated just the same as that of the 
check plat, but the plants were carefully irrigated three times. No diseased 
plants or tubers were taken from this plat. The plants remained green and 
vigorous until killed by frost. This plat gave an average yield of 197 sacks 
per acre of good, large tubers, a gain of 55 sacks per acre over .the check. 
Results. —1. Dipping clean, healthy seed tubers in a solution of cor¬ 
rosive sublimate, standard strength, for one hour, five months before plant¬ 
ing, and again for one hour just before planting, apparently had no influence 
on the seed when such seed was planted in new ground. 
2. Clean, healthy seed treated in a solution of eight ounces of formalin 
to sixteen gallons of water for two hours, five months before planting, gave 
no marked result when such seed was planted in new ground. 
3. Exposing clean, healthy seed to the light 23 days, five months before 
planting, gave no marked results. 
4. Three thorough waterings gave 38% larger returns than two water¬ 
ings. 
TABLE IX., SHOWING RESULTS OF EXPERIMENT NO. IX. 
Plat Number 
TREATMENT 
Number Pounds of 
Seed Tubers 
Planted 
Total Number of 
Pounds of Tubers 
Harvested 
Yield in Pounds 
for every Pound of 
Seed Planted 
Gain 
Number of Sacks 
per Acre 
I. 
Check, irrigated two times - 
64 
1298i/ 2 
20.29 
142 
II. 
Corrosive Sublimate, 1 hr., 12-9-01, again 5-5-02, Irrig’td. twice 
105 
2167 
20.63 
144 
III. 
Treated with Formalin 2 hrs. 12-9-01. Irrigated 2 times.. _ 
115 
2554 
22.20 
9$ 
155 
IV. 
Seed exposed to light 23 days. Irrigated 2 times _ _ 
70 
1437 
20.52 
144 
V. 
Check, Irrigated 3 times _ .. . .. .. - 
33 
988 
28.11 
39$ 
197 
