


AKT 
4th. That the total yield of the largest tuber of A exceeds that of 
the largest tuber of B in six cases out of ten. 
5th. That the total yield of the smallest tuber of A exceeds that 
of the largest tuber of B in five cases out of ten. 
6th. That the total yield of the smallest tuber of A exceeds that 
of the smallest tuber of B in seven cases out of nine. (Magnum Bo- 
num omitted.) 
%th. The average of the columus shows a regular descending gra- 
dation in the yield from the largest tuber of A to the smallest tuber 
of B, and that the average yield of the smallest tuber of A exceeds 
that of the largest tuber of B. 
8th. It appears that the largest tubers in each class yielded more 
than the smallest ones. 
These results show a striking similarity to those of last season; 
and indicate still more strongly that the potato grower may gain an 
advantage by selecting his seed from the more productive hills. We 
have made the experiment, and find that this method of selection 
involves little extra labor. ‘The workmen were instructed to place 
the tubers of each hill by themselves, and while these lay drying, a 
man with basket in hand, passed over the rows, and picked up each 
strikingly productive hill. Our results indicate that it would be 
better still to select only the larger tubers from these hills. Of 
course where the potato crop is dug by machinery this method of 
selection becomes impracticable. We are prepared to repeat next 
season the experiment of growing potatoes from seed taken from se- 
lected hills, on a much more extended scale. 
Of how much value to the growing plant is the stored nutriment of 
the seed tuber, or section ? 
In relation to this question, we give the results of two experiments, 
either of which, alone, would seem to offer a satisfactory answer, but 
strangely enough, the results are contradictory. The conditions of 
the two experiments were not however the same; one having been 
performed during the winter, in the greenhouse, and the other in the 
summer, in the garden. 
The details of the first experiment were given in the Station Bul- 
letin, No. 115, which we quote in full. ; 
The absorption of the seed tuber of the Potato during growth of the 
! plant. 
The question as to how much of the matter of the planted tuber, or 
section of tuber, is absorbed by the growing potato plant, has a bearing 
upon the practical culture of potatoes. If the substance of the tuber, 
or cutting, serves as food to the plant, the deduction would be that on 
poor soil, it would prove advantageous to use whole tuners, or large 
cuttings for planting. In order to gain information upon this ques- 
tion, nine tubers of the White Star potato, of nearly equal size, were 
selected on Dec. 23, 1884, and the weight of each carefully noted. 
Three of these, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, were cut into thin slices and dried 
at 212° Fahrenheit, to determine the dry matter. Three others, Nos. 
4,5 and 6, were planted in the greenhouse, in twelve inch pots filled 
with potting soul, consisting of equal parts fine loam, lake sand, 
