SCIENTIFIC POTATO CULTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 869, 15 January 1878, Page 2

SCIENTIFIC POTATO CULTURE.

(From the North British Agricuturalist.) A French agricultural journal, called the * Basee-Conr,' describes the result of some experiments ii potato-growing" recently conducted by scientific men m Germany. The principal cnnclusons to which the-=v sages have c»me seem to be two m number. The first of them is that the vigour of the i otato plant is always m direct propor ion to the weight ot the tubercle nsed for sets — a theory which certainly find* some support m common sense alone, considering that the young shoots for some time draw their sole nourishment from the mother potato. The seiond conclusion is, that the*re is a great variety m the productive power, not only of different tubercles, but also of ttiff rent " eyes " m the same potato. It is found that the^ "* eyes " at the top of the potato produce a much more vigorous offspring than those m the lower part, and the consequence is that those agriculturists who cut their potatoes m ha'f before planting them are not well advised m cutting them vertically, but- should always {jivide them horizontally, planting the upper ha f, and using the other as food for cattle. But the best plan of all is to plant. the tubercle whole, cutting out, neverthele-p, 'all the " eyes " except those m the top part. Such being the principles laid down, we come now to the experiments upon which they are based. These wereconducted m a garden soil by Professor Gantz, the amount of crop produced by seven*; difFerentsettingsof potatos being accurately estimated m statistical tables. It appeared that from tubercles divided vertically only 5 tons were produced per acre, and from whole potatoes ?\ tons. The third sort were potatoes horizontally divide), which were set down as having produced 9f tons. In this particular, however, some of the other professors do nob agree with Herr Gan f 3, But maintain that, | other things being equal/t he whole ' potatoes will always produce m, : re tfean halves, however cat, Ob the

ourth result^ however,, all a^ree, »nd that is— *that the 'whole potatoes,Vona which, the lower " eyes H haye >^n c^cpW^pjroduce 11| tons per icre^orS-mo'rer than doube the result sKowu.-by the sets first men* ■ionefl."ft. %\"