The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-05-13
seee, Potatoes.

experiment. IL is no great trouble Tor
farmer to plant few rows with whole
potatoes side by side with rows set with
seed cut in different ways. The follow
ing letter to the National Stockman from
Mr.. G. L. Hill, of Freedom county, Minn.,
throws some light on the subject:
In 1881 began series Of careful ex-
periments. Up to that time had used
fair-sized potatoes cut into three or four
pieces (as my father had done) and fully
believed it the right thing to do. The
first test was between whole small ones
and pieces Of large ones. The result
surprised me: tho yield of marketable
potatoes being much greater than the
small whole ones. The query then arose
whether the larger yield was due to the
fact that the potatoes planted were small
ones or because they were planted whole.
Experiments conducted nearly every
year since then have repeatedly presented
a few points which cannot help accept
ing as truths. 1.True to law Of like pro-
ducing like, large potatoes are better for
seed than small ones. 2. Whole potatoes
are much better than cut ones 3. Pieces
with two or three eyes are better than
those with onee eye. Even small potatoes
planted whole are better than large ones
cut into pieces. What | here mean by
large potatoes are those of good market
able size, say from fourth to half
pound in weight. | have never tried the
over grown sizes, from pound upwards
because do not care to raise that kind.
They are never the choicest quality. By
small ones l mean those that are un-
marketable down to half ounce in
weight. 1t is difficult TO get the potato
in perfect shape for seed. The trouble
with the whole one is that it starts rather
too many stocks; while the cutting off
destroys considerable portion Of its
vitality.
One Stockman correspondent says that
small potato has as many eyes as a
large one. Let him count the eyes of a
hundred of each. selected at random, of
same variety, and think he will change
his mind. But however this may be all
of the eyes do not send forth stalks to
reach the daylight. Some are crowded
out, and there is a survival only of the
6ttest. / counted the stalks last year
when digging some early potatoes and
found an average of only four stalks to
the hill. Yet the potatoes planted on
that patch were whole ones that would
certainly average dozen eyes to each.
But find that large potato even with
no more eyes will give more stalks to the
hill than the small ones. This may be
due to the fact of greater vitality of the
large, and of the eyes being more widely
separated so as to crowd less. This fault
of the large potato reduces its value for
seed, and brings it nearer on level with
the small one than it otherwise would be.
In fact the difference is not SO great but
that it may be advisable to use the small
ones, as a matter Of economy, whenever
potatoes are selling at high price. Ger
tain am that, il crowded to oconOmiZe
in seed, would take the whole small
ones rather than to cut the big ones.
Last year potato grower of Wisconsin
who believes in one eye for seed, and
who claims to be an expert in potato cut
ting, offered to send a small basket of
eyes Gao pieces to each Of seven farmers
residing in seven different states, if they
would make a careful test of them side
by side with whole potatoes. On one side
the whole potatoes were to be large ones;
on the other side small ones. Fearing
that my previous experiments might have
been faulty through failure to properly
cut out the eyes, l seized the opportunity
to get some rightly cut. Six Other
farmers willing to m axe the test were
readily found and the experiments were
carefully conducted in every detail. Al
digging time the weights were given tC
an ounce. The way the whole potatoes
came out ahead was a surprise even to
myself. In every one Of the six reports
(though some of the experiments were
zone eye" men) the large whole seed
yielded moro remarkable potatoes than
the best of the eyes. (Two or three kinds
of eyes were sent to show the right way
and the wrong way OF cutting) In fact
the amount was more than double in
every case save one. Next came thu
small whole potatoes yielding about one;
third less than the whole large ones, bu
still much more than any Of the GU
pieces, save in one report.
Whenever get a few pounds OF an!
new or expensive kind of tubers, cut t,
one eye, because can thus cover more
ground and get larger return, not PEI
acre but per pound of seed. l never ex
pect Of new variety thus treate n
large yield as from the same space o.
the main crop, and whenever it does yer,
nearly approach such yield, set it dow
as an excellent cropper, and expect bi,
things from it as soon as get enough 0
the kind so as to be able to use the prOpe
amount of seed.
An aged friend Of mine, one who has
accumulated not less than $4,000 he
profits from his farm, tells me that thu
one best acre OF potatoes he ever raise
I received at planting something over 4
bushels of seed-whole potatoes. Til
yield was 4S0 bushels. No fertilizer wa
used, ana the land was no better and II
ceiyed no better care than the other 80
acres of his farm. The yield may nc
appear SO very extraordinary to som,
growers unless they consider the acr
WAS one of many with M asnncial fnrti