ABOUT POTATOES.

Experiments at the Michigan Agricultural College.

These were planted May 7th, 1874, on
ground equally well prepared, yet we do
not know by two years of previous experimenting that some of the ground
was not naturally better than the rest.
Soil was sandy loam, not very rich.
The variety experimented on and here
mentioned was Campbell's Late Rose.
Six hills were used for each experiment.

Blossoms removed as formed-potatoes weighed 11 lbs. 8 oz.
Planted in top of ridge nine inches high- weighed 18 1bs. 4 oz.
Planted one foot deep-15 1bs.
Planted six inches deep-13 1bs. 8 oz.
Planted on surface and covered with straw- 13 lbs.
Planted one-third of seed-end of tuber-17 lbs. 4 oz.
Planted two-thirds of stem end of tuber-24 lbs.
Planted tubers with sprouts 8 inches long-15 lbs.
Planted tubers with sprouts removed-6 1bs.
Removing about one-third of the tops at three different times after the tops were quite large-weighed 28 lbs.
Tops layered and rooted-10 1bs. 8 oz.
Tops trained to a stake-11 lbs.

About 50 varieties of potatoes were
planted in small quantity about May 20,
in soil apparently of the same quality.
The soil was quite sandy with a fair
dressing of manure. The potatoes were
planted in rows 3} feet apart, and in
hills about 14 inches apart, using generally one-half of a medium-sized tuber
in a place. The hills had each a good
shovelful of well-rotted manure and a
handful of unleached ashes stirred in
with the soil. The potatoes were all ripe
when dug. Three hills of each variety
were weighed, with the following results:

Black Chenango ... 6 lbs. 2 oz.
Snowball. ... 5 " 7"
Tyrell's Seedling No. 1 ... 4 " 12 " 
Prince Albert ... 3 " 14 " 
Merino ...7 " 4 " 
No Blow ... 8 " 14 " 
Early Pink Eye (small) ... 2 " 5 " 
Kearsage  ... 10 " 12 " 
Unknown ...4 " 8 " 
Late Pink Eye  ... 2 " 4 " 
Early Sovereign ... 6 " 4 " 
White-eyed Peachblow ... 6 " 8 " 
Late Peachblow ... 6 " 4 " 
Chili No. 2 ... 3 " 8 " 
Campbell's Late Rose ... 8 " 0 " 
Snowflake  ... 7 " 6 " 
Casco ... 5 " 8 " 
Fancy ... 7 " 0 " 
Early White ... 
White Chili ... 3 " 8 " 
Snowflake (3 hills of another lot) ... 10 " 8 " 
Tyrell's No. 2 ... 9 " 8 " 
Irish Cups. ... 1 " 8 " 
British Queen (knotty and poor) ... 10 " 3 " 
Lady Finger ... 13 " 8 " 
Excelsior ... 4 " 4 " 
Jersey Peachblows ... 12 " 8 " 
Climax ... 8 " 18 " 
Spotted Shaw ... 8 " 4 " 
Calico ... 7 " 4 " 
Bulkley's Seedling ... 5 " 0 " 
Late Rose (poor yield) ... 
Garnet Chili ... 6 " 10 " 
Breesee's King of Earlies ... 11 " 4 " 
Peerless ... 11 " 4 " 
Early Shaw ... 6 " 12 " 
Brownell's Beauty, seed one eye to a hill-
yield and quality fine.

Compton's Surprise, one eye to hill.
Early Vermont, one eye to hill, appeared to
excel every other variety in yield.
In these last three cases and two others previously given, there was an error
in not saving the hills by themselves
when dug.

We have planted most of the above
sorts for several years. Some of them
give unmistakable evidence of running
out. The yield diminishes and the
quality of many is very poor-scarcely
fit to eat.

Judging from previous observations,
but very little value can be put upon the
weights as given above. The next season may change the relative yield of
many kinds, and the next after may differ from both the others. In 1875 we
shall try some 250 varieties.

CORN WAS PLANTED
at different depths. Some was dropped,
(six hills in each lot) on the surface, and
covered with an inch of soil compressed.
That planted on the surface always kept
ahead of all the rest, although the soil
was dry as dust when planted on sandy
land. Some was planted a foot deep
and grew tolerably well.

PEAS WERE PLANTED
at different depths, from one inch to a
foot. Those nine inches down did as
well as any. Those deeply planted stood
drought best and yielded best. We
usually plant four inches deep, except
for the very earliest of early sorts,-
then two inches deep.

CROSS-BREEDING APPLES.
This is done by transferring the pollen of one variety to the pistils of another variety. To insure a cross, the
flower to be fertilized must first have
its stamens removed while young, and
the pistil tied up in a little tight sack
The object of crossing is to get improved varieties from the seeds planted.
We do not know what we shall get in
any case, but it seems well established
in most cases that the results will be
more likely favorable by crossing two
good varieties than by not crossing at all.

Both crosses between Tolman Sweet
and the Wagner seemed to show the
effect of the cross in the color and flavor of the fruit of this year. The flavor
was decidedly " flat."
Professor Botany and Horticulture.
LANSING, MICH., May, 1875.
W. J. BEAL.