130 [ ASSEMBLY 
In out-of-door culture, in many cases, the seed used, if a whole potato, 
maintained its form and visible structure until harvest; if a cut potato, 
in many cases the disappearance during the season appeared to be from 
decay. In other instances, when large pieces were used for seed, hol- 
lows were formed, which were followed ultimately by a general soften- 
ing and disappearance of the seed through decay. So far as we at 
present can determine, visible absorption of the seed-potato during the 
growth of the plant takes place in some cases and not in others, and 
is never very general. 
The size of the potato stems and foliage seems to bear no relation to 
the kind of seed used. ‘The stems from a small eye often equal in size 
or exceed those from a whole potato used as seed, yet the mass of the 
foliage seems always greater from the whole potato than from the 
single eye on account of the greater number of stems. A single eye 
often sends up more than one stem, and often sends up a stem more 
or less branched and having the appearance of numerous shoots on 
account of the branches originating below the surface of the ground. 
On account of the varying vigor in varieties of the potato, single 
eyes from a variety of weak growth may fail in many cases to originate 
a plant, while from a more hardy variety the eyes may about all grow. 
This variety difference makes it difficult to generalize for directions 
for culture. A variety which forms its tubers closely to the stem will 
admit of closer planting than a variety whose tubers are borne at.a 
distance ; a variety whose tubers have a tendency to approach the sur- 
face during growth requires deeper planting and more hilling than 
another variety whose tubers remain under the surface ; a variety with 
large foliage requires more space than one with small foliage ; a little 
vigorous variety requires richer soil and a better physical condition of 
the soil than a more vigorous variety. It is also probable that. some 
varieties admit of earlier planting for profit than other varieties. 
CoRN. 
Influence of Seed. 
In our trials of last year we were surprised to find that the tip ker- 
nels of a flint corn yielded more abundantly than did the central or 
butt kernels of the ear. It seemed important to verify these results, 
and hence five plats of one-tenth of an acre each were prepared, and 
three rows in each respectively were planted with kernels from the 
butt, central and tip position on the ear. The yield of the three rows 
of each kind of seeding in pounds of ear corn are given in the follow- 
ing table, the variety, Waushakum Flint, no fertilizer or manure ap- 
plied, the planting May 17, the harvest October 20: 
Yield of sound corn. 

PLAT. From butt seed. Central seed. Tip seed. 
k. Av diohs asvidasuc 156 lbs. 2 ozs. 159 lbs. 138 ozs. 167 lbs. 1 oz. 
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