About Seed Potatoes

Iiulk'tin No. 93, of the Michigan Experiment station, is ou "Potatoes : Amounts of Seeil."' "The conclusión arrived at is that the potato growers of Michigan do not plant enough seed. Our own experiments, corroborated by those oí other stations, go to show that for ordinary distances the half potato gives better results than any smaller amounts. For weak growing valïcties, or varieties having small tubrrs, oven a l&rger amount of seed #11] be found more profitable. A careful invest igal cm shows clearly : "First, That ui increase in seed, within ordinary limita produces a miirkcd increase- both in total yield and in marketable yield. 'Socond, That an increase in seed, f rom one eye up to the half potato, produces an increase in the net value of the erop ; but the Increaeed yicld from the whole potato over the half potato is not sufficient to cover the cost of the greater amouni of eeed." The al)ove concliisions are the result of hundreds oí experimenta, extendlng over many ycars. They pract rally airree with the results of 12 Other stations as compiled in the bulletin. It would eeem tluit such a large nuinber of experimente uuder siu-h wldely varyins conditions as are furnislicil by the !'! states in question, would setth' the questlon of the best amount of seed potato to plant. In reality the whole question Is not wiiat glvee the greatest yield, ïmt what amount glves the greatert profit. Whan seed is high in the spring it will penerally be advisablf not to plant whole potatoes at ordinary distances, but when they are eheap it will generally pay. ■ Since it lias been proven that the yicld is more in proportion to the wciiiht of seed planted than the number of eyes, the cutting out of the i yes for eeed, comnion in somc parte of the etate, is to be strongly condemned. So atoo, the use of small potatoes for seed, not only lessens the profits the first year, but if foiiowed for a series of years tends towards rapld deterioratlott, in accordance with the laws ol' licreility. 'liic bafgei amotmts oí geed gave a. more vdgoroua growth ol vlnea and on tin: "whole tuber" plata the erop matured f i ■ ti ten days earlier theo on the "aingVe eye" plats. The data from which the above i.n.-iusii as were drawn i t . be tound in l'.uilct -,i 98, before mntkned, and cao )■ ii r. free by sending a request for tin: same to