No. 98.] 65 
bundles of tissue forming appearances which may be likened to a cen- 
tral stem with branches extending to each eye, and to which the eye 
served as a terminal bud. Returning now to the garden we quickly 
noted that wherever the potato eye used as seed included the whole 
length of one of these internal branches, the yield was large and fair; 
where the cut shortened this branch, then the yield fell off. A further 
examination into growth of single eyes in common and highly enriched 
soil made evident that this observation gave the key to successful har- 
vest on common soil, but that rich soil was able, in a measure, to off- 
set the advantages gained. Thus, on common soil, while a potato eye 
cut shallow gave insignificant results, on very rich soil the eye could 
be divided and subdivided into’ many pieces and yet give large yield. 
Thus, for illustration, 100 hills with 200 small shallow eyes planted 
yielded but five pounds of merchantable tubers; 100 hills with 200 
smallish eyes cut so as to include the branch structure yielded 594 
pounds. Field culture in these instances, and many hills failing to 
vegetate through the sun-hardened soil. ‘The ccrresponding yield of 
ordinary cuttings was 40 pounds to the 100 hills of 200 seed. In 
very fertile soil, under garden culture, the same variety, the eyes divided 
into many pieces, started in the cold frame and transplanted into place, 
yielded 100 pounds of merchantable tubers to 100 hills of 100 plants. 
The record of yields of single eyes cut shallow and cut deeply was 
made at various intervals, and the following figures may be given, 
June 23, single plants. 
Weight of Weight of Weight of 


Yield from. tuber. root. top. 
Grains. Grains. Grains. 
pimgleeyes, cub shallow... ce... ce eee ee 54 13 410 
mineiorwyes, cutdeep 2). i.e asec cele. 960 100 2,160 
RMONDOLALORS as ose 3 sw cao ele cece cee se 71 138 1,880 


The single eyes, cut deep, yielded five tubers averaging 11 inch in 
diameter, the largest 14 inch in diameter. 
July 3, single plants. 
Weigt of 
Yield from. ‘ Number of Number of tubers. 
. stalks. tubers. Grains. 
Number 1, single eyes, cut shallow....... 1 ve 828 
Number 2, single eyes, cut deep.......... 3 5 2,871 
Number 3, whole potatoes............... 10 16° 3,104 






T'wo hills were dug, the tops appearing similar, half potatoes used as 
seed, the seed attached and showing in No.4 but one eye developed, and 
the plant a large one, An examination showed that this eye which 
had grown had been shortened by the cutting the potato in half. 
Three stalks formed the plant. No.5 was the corresponding half 
of the seed of No, 4, two eyes had developed, and examination traced 
these eyes 14 and 12 inch deep within the seed. ‘The results of the 
examination in figures are as below: 
9 
