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216° mica ad [ASSEMBLY 
As the number of eyes that vegetated in the different rows was not 
uniform, we have computed the yields and numbers of the tubers in every 
case on the basis of one hundred hills, omitting fractions. ‘That is to 
say, the Adirondac potato, of which there were twenty-two hills, 
would have produced one hundred and eighty-seven pounds of tubers 
had there been one hundred hills yielding at the rate that the twenty- 
two hills yielded. 
The decaying tubers were treated as sound, in separating the mer- 
chantable and unmerchantable potatoes. 'Tubers of merchantable. 
size that were ill-shaped, or knobby, were called “ malformed.” 
The White Whipple variety ‘produced the largest weight of mer- 
chantable tubers; the White Star comes second, and the American 
Giant third. The largest total yield was from the Grange, which pro- 
duced one pound more than the White Whipple. ? 
At the rates noted in the table, the White Whipple would have — 
yielded a trifle over three hundred and ninety-two bushels of mer- 
chantable potatoes per acre; the White Stara little over three hun- 
dred and seventy-one, and the American Giant a little more than three 
~ hundred and sixty-nine bushels. In contrast with this the Flesh 
Colored, Duchesse and Long Pink Eye would have yielded but about 
sixteen and one-half bushels of merchantable potatoes per acre. 
We commenced digging the varieties September 21. On that day, 
and the few succeeding days, all were sufficiently ripe to dig, except 
six. Breese’s Red, Duchess, Scottish Champion, Steele’s Red, and © 
Willey’s Number Ten were ready to dig October 8, but the McCor- 
mick continued to grow until October 16, when the foliage was de- 
stroyed by frost. 
As appears in the table, the tops of the Alpha, Early Household, 
Flesh Colored and Vermont Champion were dead before the first, of 
Septem ber. : 
A large number of varieties failed to bloom, and of those that blos- 
somed the greater part formed no fruits. Among the varieties that 
formed fruits we mention the Breese’s Red, McCormick, Tyrian Pur- 
ple and White Whipple. 
We grew, as a matter of interest, a few hills of the wild potato, the 
tubers of which were sent to us from Arizona by J. G. Lemon, of 
Oakland, California. The plants were small, growing scarcely more 
than six inches high. The leaves were also small, deep grayish-green, 
and without hairs. The stems were much branched, and deep purple 
at the nodes, ‘The flowers, which were white, were numerous, but to 
our surprise they formed no fruits. The roots were yery rambling, 
and some of the miniature tubers, which were about the size of fil- 
berts, were found at a distance of one and a half feet from the stem. 
The botanical name of this interesting plant is Solanwm tuberosum, 
variety doreale. . 
The condition of the soil on which our potatoes were planted, and 
the character of the season, were favorable for the potato rot, and gave 
us the opportunity to note the relative power of the different varieties 
to resist this disease. As appears in the table, it seems to be largely a 
variety characteristic. A few varieties escaped it entirely, while others 
were, at the time of digging, almost destroyed by it. The Astonisher, 
Bliss’ Triumph, Bliss Nos. 39 and 51, McCormick, Scottish Champion, © 
a seedling from C. Baldridge, and Vermont Champion escaped the rot 
= 
baste 
Bie dee 
