The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-05
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POTATO EXPERIMENTS.

During the past few years great
amount Of work has been done at the 80
different stations In the United States
which have worked on potatoes. Many
old methods have been found correct,
while important points of progress and
suggestions for change have been made
In bulletin No. 40 from the Illinois sta
tion are reported results of experiments
carried ON by this station, with state
ments Of some results obtained at the
other stations. As to varieties, it is
found that no two stations agree as to
which is best, and usually the same sta
tion does not agree with itself two years
together.
The potato seems to be SO variable and
30 sensitive to the conditions under
which ii is grown that about the only
recommendation which it is safe to
make would be to adhere to the stand
ard varieties at least for the main crop.
In word, it is safest to plant such va
rieties as are well known, for they are
well known because they have proved
generally satisfactory to growers.
There is a widespread belief among
farmers that 1t is best to change occa-
sionally seed of all kinds of crops.
There is not much doubt but that in
many cases it is better to change seed,
but it must have its limitations. Per-
haps the most extensive work in study
ing the effects of change Of seed has
been done at the Vermont and Mary
land stations. But the results were not
uniform. In four cases out of eight in
Vermont the seed from Maryland gave
the best yield. and in Maryland their
home grown seed gave the best yield in
five cases out of eight, though the aver
age was still in favor Of the Vermont
seed. The Georgia station reported in
1890 that "home grown seed gave slight
ly higher yields than the imported from
the north" Missouri reports COM
parison of home grown and northern
grown seed in 1890, with 81 varieties,
and the result as whole was In favor
of the home grown seed in the proper
tion Of 100 to 98 In New York sin
gle trial did not favor the practice Of
changing seed. The conclusions drawn
are therefore that changing seed from
one locality to another is Of doubtful
value" The size Of seed pieces to be
planted has received more attention than
any other phase except the test Of vari-
eties Twenty stations have carried on
largo numbers Of experiments, and the
general conclusion is that "the larger
the seed pieces used the greater the
yield" It was also denied that it makes
no difference what part of the potato is
used for seed.
As regards time Of planting, it is made
to appear that, with rare exceptions,
the earlier the planting is done the bet.
ter will be the crop. The late planting
is too apt to be- cut off by hot, dry
weather and the leaf blight. Late vari-
eties, too, have been almost driven out
of the field on account Of the leaf blight
and the uncertainty Of having seasonable
weather for growing and maturing the
CROP" Depth of planting potatoes has
been made subject of study at five ex-
pertinent stations. The results have been
somewhat contradictory, but with the
greater number Of trials turning out in
favor Of comparatively shallow planting.
In the greater number of trials the best
results have come from planting two to
three inches deep. 1t is learned from
the report on methods Of cultivating po-
tatoes that the tendency is toward thor
ough preparation Of the soil and level
culture.
On the grounds of the Illinois station
commercial fertilizers have failed to
give profitable results, though it is be-
ieved in other sections that these pay.
At the Kentucky experiment station,
Lexington, potash, either in the form
Of muriate or sulphate, has been used
proftably, while neither nitrate nor
phosphate has made very appreciable in
crease in the yield. At the Michigan ex-
pertinent station, lansing, wood ashes
gave better results than any of the COM
meroial fertilizers, while barnyard ma
nure was found better still. It is entire
ly probable that in other parts of this
state valuable results could be had from
the use Of some Of the commercial fer
tilizers Most of the experiment sta
tions in other states have found benefit
in applying commercial fertilizer in
some form, but usually it is not neces-
sary to use complete fertilizer, because
it is not usual for all the three principal
elements Of fertility to be lacking. Not
unfrequently the application Of nitrogen
or potash or phosphorus alone in some
form gives nearly as good results as the
application of all of them and at de-
cidedly less cost"