46 
In B. 12 and B. 13, we again have what may be considered dupli- 
cate plats. In 1884 the upper portion of each yielded a total of 547 
lbs. of White Star potatoes. B. 12, lower, 477 lbs. and B. 13 low- 
er 510 lbs. The planting and fertilizer as in the plats reported 
above. ‘The yields in 1885 

Merchantable Small. Rotten. Total. No. of 
lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. Ibs; oz. hills. 
B. 12 upper 207 4. 12 4 430 4 649 12 561 
B. 18 upper 135 8 11 12 393 12 541 0 568 
Difference 71 12 283 © 8 86°11 9 Wi tog Ae 
B. 12 lower 3840 4 20 8 397 8 7638 4 566 
B. 18 lower 216 4 16 0 717 4 949 8 571 
Difference 124 0 9 8 319 12 186 4 
We have in B. 5 upper and B. 6 lower, duplicates, a difference 
of 20 bush. per acre; in B. 12 upper and B. 13 upper, duplicates, 
a difference of 36 bus. per acre in total yield, _ In the less near du- 
plates, or the plats in which the yield varied in 1884, the like dif- 
ferences are 7 bushels and 36 bushels in total crop. 
The lesson to be derived is that there is a great uncertainty in as- 
cribing differences in crop to the preceding treatment, and that dif- 
ferences of 20 or 30 bushels per acre should not be considered de- 
cisive as for or against the apphed fertilizer, or changes in treat- 
ment. 
As having additional bearing upon the subject of duplicates, we 
put in D. Ibs D. 2, D. 5 and D. 6 as duplicates, White Star potatoes, 
single eyes, ‘hills 12 inches apart, drills 44 inches. On these plats of 
one-twentieth of an acre was put 100 lbs. of phosphate, or at the 
rate of one ton to the acre. 
Merchantable. Small. Rotten. Total. No. oJ 
lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. lbs, OZ. hills. 
Dt 210 4 16 4 187 4 4138 12 576 
D. 2 245 0 20 8 174 4 419 Le toon 
D.5 224 12 LS ate 249 4 487 , 12 571 
D. 6 140 12 ae 8 279 12 432 0 562 
The extreme variation in total crop, under this exceptional use of 
fertilizer, is 24.6 bushels per acre, and this but enforces the conclu- 
sions already gained. 
METHOD OF CUTTING. 
The experiment was to ascertain whether there is any efficacy in 
the direction in which the seed is cut. The seed used in the one se- 
ries was cut to single eve, the slope of the cut toward the stem end, 
whereby the pith rays are not greatly shortened; this kind of cutting 
is called the ordinary cut. The second series had the seed cut in 
the reversed direction, or toward the ‘‘ seed” end, whereby the pith 
rays are greatly shortened ; this cut we call the reverse cut. The 
trial comprised eight plats of one-twentieth of an acre each. The 
variety of potato the White Star, oneeye to a hill, the hills one foot 
apart in drills 44 inches apart, and 20 lbs. super-phosphate applied, 
or 400 Ibs. per acre. 

