

49 
CLOSE PLANTING AND THINNING. 
Plats B. 9 and B. 10 were planted with White Star potatoes, sin- 
gle eyes, the hills one foot apart, and the drills 22 inches. Upon 
two sub-plats the hills were thinned to one stalk, upon two the 
stalks were left to grow. ‘Twenty pounds of phosphate were used 
per half plat. 
Merchantable. Small. Rotten. Total. No. of 
lb Ss lbs lbs. oz. hills. 


8. oz. lb OZ. OZ. 
B. 9, Upper, thinned 192 4 25 0 621 4 838 8 1160 
B. 10, Upper, not thinned 221 8 22 0 657 0 900 8 1164 
B. 9, Lower, not thinned 3821 4 35 0 447 $4808. 112...11238 
B. 10, Lower, thinned 216 8 45 4 388 8 650 4 1015 
The mean results are:— 
Merchantable. Small. Rotten. Total. No. of 
lbs. OZ. lbs. 02. lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. hills. 
‘Thinned plats 204 6 35 2 504 14 744 6 1087 
Not thinned plats 271 6 28 8 552 4 852 2 1143 
Difference in favor 
of not thinned, 67 0 10TA wile 
These results were entirely unexpected, as in the 1884 trials the 
difference was in favor of the thinned plat 253 lbs. 8 oz. merchant- 
able, the total yield being 
Merchantable. Tota). 
D. 5. Thinned 830.5 lbs. 920.7 lbs. 
D. 8. Not thinned 0d As tine OOo 
These contradictions are however to be expected, so long as we 
know so little of the varied factors which enter into the complex out- 
come which we call crop. 
The close planting this year, however, as last, seemed favorable. 
Comparing the yields of the tenth acres close planted, with near 
plats, we have :— - 
Merchantable. Small. Rotten. Total. 
lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. lbs. OZ. 
B. 5 Ordinary distance 3387 + 22 8 692 0 1051-12 
B. 6 a ce 271 12 17 0 722 4 1011 0 
B. 9 Double thick 5138 8 60 0 1068 12 1642 4 
2h pee aly gf 438 0 67 4 1045 8 1550 12 
It seems quite possible that the effect of neatness or distance of 
planting will vary according to the condition of the land. On our 
land, the mean of the plats give for the two plantings:— 
Plants Plants 
12 x 44 in. 12 x 22 in. 
Per acre. Merchantable___.---._.-- 50.7 bus. 79.3 bus. 
aid LN Cate Se CRN Se GOR By RAS aie) Dende TG or 
Totus oo es 19 WS IG7O.4s 
hye Oe 5 Beane gee on oe Arg bes Pal 207.8 *§ 
Plats D. 16, D. 17, D. 18 and D. 19 were planted with White Star 
potatoes, single eyes, 40U lbs. phosphate per acre. D.16 and D. 18 
as duplicates, the seed one foot apart in 44 inch drills. D. 17 and 
19 as duplicates, the seed two feet apart in 44 inch drills. 
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