The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-20

In these results the remarkable
difference OF 100 bushels per acre in
yield of potatoes over the one and
hree-fourth inch screen is found be-
tween the highest and lowest yield
obtained from the twenty-five differ
ent lots of Early Ohio potatoes. Lot
| No. 10 was lowest with a yield of
S1.6 bushels per acre over the screen
and lot No. 20 was highest with a
| yield Of 1914 bushels per acre over
the screen. Not counting, the first
five lots which were on soil that
seemed to be a little poorer than the
| rest, there were fou lots which yield
ed at the rate of 10 bushels per acre
or less, and four lots which yielded
100 bushels per acre or more, with an
average gain of seventy bushels per
acre for the four highest lots over
the -four lowest ones. The seed pieces
used on the four heavier yielding lots
were somewhat larger, but not enough
to account for more than a few bush
els of the difference in yield. Neither
can the low yields be attributed to
the fact that the potatoes were cut
when received and deteriorated while
waiting to be planted, because the
largest yields were obtained from po-
tatoes whooh had been cut when re-
ceived. All lots which were cut when
received had just been freshly cut
when obtained except lot 9 which
was taken from the planter, lot II
which was taken from a wagonload
Of cut potatoes which had been hauled
to the field, for planting, and lot 10
which had been shipped in from Baker
and may or may not have been fresh
ly cut. Ali seemed to-be in good
condition. Thse lots were planted in
two days after they were collected,
and as the weather was cool and
cloudy and the potatoes were kept in
a warehouse, they could have deteri-
GRATED but very little during those two
days. If seed potatoess are properly
handled, they a be kept for two
weeks after they are cut without
hurting them.
Two Of the four lowest yielding lots
were from small potatoes but hat
would not account for all of the diff
ference because the other two low
yielding lots were from field run po-
tatoes. The only possible conclu-
sion is that there must have been
some difference in the potatoes them
selves which made it possible for some
lots to yield more thar others. Be-
fore taking up the discussion Of these
differences comparisons of small po-
tatoes and selected potatoes with field
run stock will be made.
Small Seed Potatoes.
One of the lots of small seed po-
tatoes yielded over 1855 bushels per
acre over the screen. This does not
prove, however, that small potatoes
are just as good for seed as larger
ones. Field run or selected pota-
toes from the same lot might have
yielded twenty bushels more. per acre.
The way to find out what small po-
tatoes are worth for seed is to COM
pare the results from small potatoes
with field run seed stock from the
same place. In this way lot 13 may
be compared with lot IL, lot % with
lot Fl, and lot "a with lot 20. The
results of this comparison are shown
below: ..
Ave: Blu. Per
Acre over
Screen
Lots IL, Fl and %, field run
seed potatoes .......... 162
Lots 10, % and "a. small
seed potatoes, Called
seconds) ............... 1857
Blu.
Gain for field run seed potatoes 1874
When good seed potatoes are worth
$3.50 per bushel at the time of plant
ing and only 20 to 25 cents per bush
ell is obtained for the resulting crop,
it may pay for that one year to sell
the good seed potatoes and plant the
poor ones. However, such a COM
bination may not occur again in TWEEN
ty-five years, and therefore, it seems
safe and reasonable to say that on the
average the planting of small pota-
toes is very poor policy indeed.
There is one other factor to on
slider in connection with this prob
lem, the planting of small potatoes
in all probability weakens the seed
potatoes saved from that crop the
next year, and it seems reasonable
to thai the loss would on
tinue to become greater each year the
small potatoes were planted.
Difference in Seed.
The fact that much larger yields
were obtained from some lots of small
potatoes than from others shows that
it makes a difference where the small
potatoes come from. II the use of