Rye ee NV oe, oo ye a Ns eae oe ES oo ae ite’ 9, 
eee eee. ; : , 2 et: j ; \ 
No. 33.] Bees OO 
1884. Four hundred pounds phgsphate per acre. White Star 
potatoes, single eyes, two together in a hill; hills twelve inches by 
forty-four inches; 602 hills vegetated in both plats, or— 




D. 2. D. 4. 
1882. Corn. No fertilizer. 1882. Corn. No fertilizer. 
1883. 400 lbs. phosphate per acre. 1883. 400 lbs. phosphate per acre. 
Ear corn, 198 Ibs. Eiar corn, 198 Ibs. 
1884. 400 lbs. phosphate per acre. 1884. 400 lbs. phosphate per acre. 
White Star Potatoes. White Star Potatoes. 
Single eyes, 2 toa hill. Single eyes, 2 to a hill. 
Hills 12 x 44 inches. Hills 12 x 44 inches. 
602 hills grew. 602 hills grew. 
Yield: | Yield: ‘ 
Lbs. oz. Lbs. oz. 
331 3 merchantable. 58 8 merchantable. 
84 13 unmerchantable 42 O unmerchantable. 
416 0 Total. 626 8 Total. 

The difference here, 253.3 pounds merchantable, or 210.5 pounds 
total, or calculated to the acre, 84.4 bushels and 70.1 bushels. 
This presentation must convince the most skeptical that the in- 
terpretation of plat work in the ordinary manner is subject to errors, 
errors which, in the system of comparisons in use, scarcely admit of 
detection, and yet which, if we attempt to generalize from our con- 
clusions, must certainly lead us astray, or leave our conclusions open 
to doubt. 
It may well be asked, if the present system tends to lead astray, 
what system should be substituted? We candidly admit that we 
are not yet prepared to speak authoritatively to meet the views of 
those to whom the specious conclusions of the present system are so 
attractive. We believe there is a gain in recognizing an error, even 
if we cannot remove it, just as it is a gain to locate a rock upon a 
chart, even if the rock cannot be removed. 
Let us, however, examine our cases under the supposition that in- 
creased length and decreased breadth of our plats will tend to elimi- 
nate some differences. In certain plats of the D and E series we 
have duplicate plantings of White Star potatoes under duplicate 
numbers, and we may compare the twentieth acres as all D and all 
E, or as two halves of D and E numbers combined, in the one case 
our plats being 2 x 4 rods, in the other 1 x 8 rods. 
[Assern. Doc. No. 33.] LO 
