The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-22

with the results obtained i'm 1890 aud
1891, the yield increasing as the size Of
the piece planted increased"
Maryland experiment. SAYS: It lie
shown that ina particularly dry sea,
son, cut pieces were at a distinct disad-
vantage as against,Whole tubers. Mary.
land Experiment Station Bulletin No.
2. 1888. II. e. Alvord: In a test of
forty, presumably pure varieties, Mr..
Alvord says: ''The exhibit (products)
plainly showed that the greater the
Of potatoes used the greater
was the product. And this was true
not only Of the total yield, but also Of
the product of merchantable potatoes. ="
DR.. Alvord, of Maryland Station,
found that after deducting the cost of
seed, whole seed gave a profit of $l12 %
per acre, medium size seed pieces gave
a profit Of $s1 26 per acre, and single
eye seed pieces gave profit of $51 42
per acre.
Virginia Station found seed end,
stem end and middle of about equal
value.
Indiana Station found that seed ends
gave a much larger proportion of large
potatoes.
The only conclusion one can draw
from all these conflicting reports of
tests is that the weight Of experience
seems TO be i'm favor of large, or at
least medium sized seed potatoes rather
than small ones, and in favor OF the
whole seed rather than cut seed, and
in favor Of large seed pieces rather
than small ones, the cutting to be
lengthwise, so that each piece will con
tain part Of both ends and the mid
die.
Probably q conservative, common
sense conclusion would be, If seed is
cheap, use whole potatoes of medium
size; if'seed is dear, cut medium sized
potatoes into halves and large ones into
quarters, lengthWise.
These are substantially the corelu
sions reached by Prof. Bdggar, in
farmers bulletin No. 35, issued by the
United States office of experiment sta
tions, and by the London committee
on technical education.
DR.. Bolley, who has made several
very notable discoveries in scientific
agriculture, thinks that the conflict in
results reached at the different stations
is largely or wholly due to condition
not considered by any of them. He be-
lieves that a single large potato from q
hill or plant that produced mostly
small potatoes will, if planted, produce
mostly small potatoes; while small
potato from a hill producing mostly
large potatoes will, when planted, pro
duce mostly large potatoes. The potato
tuber is an offspring of the vine or
plant, and will transmit the properties
of the parent. In any field of potatoes
different plants will differ widely in
vitality, thrift and productiveness At
digging time, select seed from the
thrifty, productive hills. After the po-
tatoes are sorted and housed it is inn
possible to tell whether any particular
tuber, though large and attractive,
came from productive hill or from
hill of large or small potatoes.
DR.. Bolley's experiments during last
year were based on the above theory,
and were conducted for the purpose of
testing its truth. While he is not will
ing to claim to have established any
fact by a single years experiments,
and will therefore continue the tes'
for several years, the indications Of his
first test are that the tendency to re
semble the general varietal character
seems to be the strongest feature OF
heredity in the potato, but within every
long standing variety, such as Early
Ohio and Early Rose, there have arisen
many sub strains or stock variations
which show themselves to be transmit
able. This is especially true as regards
the features of form, size and number.
The features of form, size and mum
Der Of tubers produced are all greatly
influenced by the growing conditions,
especially by poor mechanical condi
tions of the soil and by injuries of the
vines. OF these three features, that Of
form is most persistently reproduced
Some strain features, such as extra
roughness Of skin, and maliformations,
such as enlarged or tuberous eyes, often
seen in the Early Ohio, tend, as do
other features, to be carried over into
the following crop, but they seem
strongly affected by cultural conditions.
Since differances in strain characters
are reprod uced in successive crops, it
is evident that a small tuber from a