Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-01-21
Be 20 AT o Fl ANIING
Half Potato or Tyvo-Eyecl
Piece Give Best Result
~. A
for Seeding

PI0C6 OJv6 06SI Result
for Seeding
Glencoe Enterprise The results Of
experimental work in the CROWN. of
potatoes at the Glencoe farm school
will doubtless prove interesting to
farmers and gardeners of this section.
Aside from the practical work on this
farm, the students are required to
prepare papers setting forth the ad.
vantages in the planting ana cultiva-
ton Of crops that are determined
through such experiments. Mr..
William f. Schnaidt, the instructor in
this department., at the solicitation of
the Enterprise, has handed In at this
Office four OF the best papers written
by the several students on the seed and
planting of potatoes. These papers
we're prepared by William Keehn.
Warren W. Stocking, Franklin Peters
and August Shultz.
While the papers show that the
writer's have been equally observing,
the Enterprise has selected the one Of
w. w. Stocking for publication for the
reason that the subject seems to be
more clearly presented. 1t reads:
Experiments at Stevens Seminary
School Farm to determine the most
economical ana profitable way of
planting potatoes. This experiment
was conducted, first, to find out the
best, size Of seed to plant. whether
whole or half potatoes and two and one
eye pieces; second, to determine il
possible the correct and most pro-
fitable distance to plant the potatoes
apart; third, to find out the best yield
according to sizeof pieces and distance
apart.
I'm May the ground was plowed
and narrowed and then laid out. first
into four large plots, each of which
contained $40 of an acre. Each of
the four large plots were now sub
divided into three plots each two rods
wide and eight rods long.
POTATOES we're now planted as
follows: Each of the our plots were
devoted to one size of seed thus, No.
was planted with three tlots of whole
potatoes, the hills of which we're
planted respectively IA, 10 and %
inches apart. No. 2 was planted with
half potatoes in the same manner.
No. 8 was planted with two.eye
pieces, and No. 4 with one.eye pieces.
The rows were all planted three and
one half feet apart.
During the summer the potatoes
were kept slightly hllled.
when the potatoes were dug this
fail the yield was found to be as
follows:
No. l. Whole Potatoes.
10 rows IA inches apart. ......26 IL bu.
10 rows Is inches apart...........25 bu.
10 rows % inches apart. ...... % IL bu.
NO. 2-Haf Potatoes.
10 rows IA inches apart. ......22 1-2 bu.
10 rows Is inches apart. ............20 bu.
10 rows % inches apart....... ......18 bus.
No. 3-Two-Eye pieces.
10 rows II inches apart. .......18 10 bu.
10 rows Is inches apart. ......".... % bu.
10 rows % inches apart. .......19 IL bu.
No. 4-One-Ey Pieces.
10 rows II inches apart...... 3 bu.
10 rows 10 inches apart. .......9 IL bu.
10 rows % inches apart...... 10 bu.
THE biggest yield was given by
No. 1-planted with whole potatoes
with an average yield of
$50 bu. per acre, bills II inches apart
$50 bu. per acre, hills 10 inches apart
225 bu. per acre, hills % inches apart
''.rhe next best yield was given by
No. planted with two.eye pieces
with an average yield Of
285 bu. per acre. hills ID inches apart
100 bu. per acre, hills 18 inches apart
1875 bu. per acre, hills % inches apart.
mo. 2, half potatoes, was slightly
lower in average yield than 3 and No.
4 can not be considered.
The result OF this experiment.
that the price Of plant.
ing whole potatoes, was prohibitive
and that the slight gain IN yield was
more than offset by the cost. There
fore it lay between the half potatoes
and the two.eye pieces, and as more
ground can be planted from bushel
Of potatoes cut into two-eye pieces
than from a bushel cut into halt
potatoes, and an equal, or as IN this
cast, even better yield result, it Is !
plain that the two-eye pieces are more
economical and profitable to plant. !
The results of the experiment !
Indicate that inasmuch as the potatoes !
planted II and Is inches apart yielded !
best, II to 10 inches IS the proper dis
;ance to plant the hills of potatoes !
apart.
Miss Grace Schroeder has been en- |
gagged as pianist at the Bijou theatre.