The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-03-11
The Best si.e for Potato Sets.


most profitable crop, and the results have
been so striking, and present such decided
contrast to general practice, that they appear
to me to be of sufficient Importance to publish
in YOUR columns.
NY experience daring the past year con-
vinces me that from one-fourth to one-third
Of the natural produce of the potato crop is
lost solely from insutiiciently large potatoes
being planted and that by proper selection
of sets, IN increased crop, representing a
clear profit of several tons per acre, can be
obtained.
On the 10th of February planted in rows,
two feet apart, and one foot from set to set
in the rows, sixty uncut sets Of early prolific
potatoes, viz
20 sets weighing . or. each.
20 sets weighing or. each.
20 sets weighing OF. each.
The 20 sets of 2 OF. each (2Aft.) produced
q H. u o..
The 20 sets of OF. each (5ib) produced
20 ID. st OF.
The 20 sets of or each 10 b. produced
IS ID. 81 OF.
In the case of the twenty 4 OF. sets, the ex-
ira p ID. over and above the weight of the
twenty or. sets produced gross gain of /
ID. lOi o.; and net gain, after deducting
the difference in the weight Of the sets, of 5
Id. q OF. of potatoes on the 40 square feet oil
ground, or at the rate Of 2 tons 5cwt | Or. |
ID. per acre net profit.
In the case of the twenty OF. sets the ex
ira u ID. over and above the weight of the
twenty OF. sets produced gross gain of Is
ID. ii o., . and net gam, after dcducting
the extra weight of the sets, o NJ. q CT, OF
potatoes on 40 square feet Of ground; or a,
the rate of 3 tons cwt. } qrs. 26fb. net gain
per acre over and above the extra weight OF
seed.
1t will be observed tina, there was a large
profit on each advance in the weight Of the
sets, viz, on the s or. sets over those of OF.
as well as OH the 4 OF. over the OF. sets.
Another experiment was made with second
kidneys, planted at intervals of foot, in
rows two feet apart, on the 3lst of March,
VIZ:
20 sets of OF. Il. ib.) producing IS h.
8 oz
70 sets of OF. CAN producing 10 Ii
Is OF.
20 sets of or. Is NJ producing 70 ID.
- o.
Although the result IN this case is not 50
striking AS th;t OF the early prolific, each
advance 10 the weight Of the set produced
leaving q clear profit on the extra seed.
On the 3ist of March also planted four
lots o. fiuke potatoes, in rows 2 feet apart,
each lot occupying 40 square feet Of ground,
namely:
20 sets, fJot apart, OF ! OF. each Il Il. J
producing l. h. , o..
20 sets, foot apart, Of OF: each. Z! 10 J
producing Is y. 0 OF.
90 sets. foot apart, Of o.. each & h. }
producing l. n l. OF.
l6 sets, foot in. aparl, Of Oh. each
e H.. } producing 90 r. y! OF.
In the experiments with the second kid,
news and the lukes, it VIII be observed that
there was little or no difference in the pro-
duce OF the Oh. and o.. set, & small profit
in favor Of the , OF. carl- prolific sets, and a
,riiing los. in the iuaes; but in the advance
from , OF. to 1 o., and from oz. 10 5 Or,
the result is quite consistent with the other
experiments, and exhibits .yea q greater
profit il the planting of large po,atoe. c: 5
OF. each.
The twenty 4 OF. aake, ) n. J produced Bio.
- OF Of potat PES more than the twenty > Oh.
SETS (24 ~. leaving . net gain Of | b. Of
the rate Of | / cwt ) qrs. a u. per acre clear
Of seed.
The sixteen S o. fakes planted a, inter
walls o. - inches IN rows. feet apart pro-
duced 80 b. L. OF. 50 that the ,: ID. extra
weight OF sets over those OF. IN weigh: in
creased the crop in the - square feet Of
round by IL ID. I23 Ok and after dcluciiug
the extra weight oc tie seed. EFF clear profit
OF 10 ID. = a., o. q: ;i.c ate Co.. tT.s- ever
tons per acre gam.
The 5 H. extra weigh of SCI, t. n ~ q.
3 CT. sets ole- tLs to-.ty / ~ ST, Ia-..a-t-d
the crop Or 40 square fec: Of sroan - l2!o.
o.. and Ie:: clear proiit.ot ID. o., or a,
the rate Of ( tons cwt o qrs. >, ID. per
acre clear gain. after Gciac.ing the extra
sei gil, OF seed
l also experimental with lap'tones, and
Two varie,:e, ci red pJtat,, bat the former
were inadvertently dug up and consumed
withou, being weighed, and the rcd potatoes
prema,urely withered in the tops, from =
moal getting into part of the row. so that the
results cannot be given but IN the three
other experiments above recorded every care
WAS taken to ensure uniformity OF condition
in each Sc, of trials The details Of the re-
suits vary slightly, but the general bearings
are strikingly consistent IS exhibiting . Ger
tain and large profit in the advance of ugh.
from = two ounce up 10 eIgh, ounce set, and
it will be observed that i'll every step Of ad-
vance in the weight OF the SET. there was a
clear profit over the extra weight Of the po-
:ato planted.
To generalizc from these results, it would
seem tina, small sets cannot produce such
viror Of growth as 10 fully develop the potato
bearing capabilities OF The soil. / bc!Ieve
that potato sets are seldom planted Of much
IN, oh ct
certainly the exception SO tia. as rule the
potato crop Is starved from an insufficient
yigor in The set.
This question is in no way related to that
OF thin seeding The distance at which the
sets should be placed is another matter, upon
which will not now enter, excepting TO OBJ
serve that think when small sets are plant
ed they are not put nearly thick enough n
the rows. Ny experiments prove that the
ground is capable VI bearing greater weight
Of tubers than can be generated from two oz.
or even sets, planted = foot apart. and be
lieve that that such small sets, # placed al
six or eight inch intervals, would produce
nearly Is much TO a ,oot Us il al a wider DIS
lance, and OF course. 4 Iluch greater weight
per acre but upon this point, hope to e1-
pertinent during another season.
What l wish TO establish is, that the pro-
duce of the crop depends, much more than
ordinary practice would seem to admit, on
the size and yigor of the individual set.
Small potatoes are Giminutive in all their
parts the eyes are proportionately small, and
cannot produce such strong shoots as full
sized tubers.
All the eight OF. sets planted appeared
above ground with remarkably strong aud
vigorous shoots. whit b maintained their SUI
periority over those from the smaller sets
throughout the whole period of growth, and
no one who saw their splendid tops-nearly
double the height of the others-could for a
doubt what the result would be at
the harvest
With potatoes nothing is easier than TO
select the largest tubers when planting. If