TRANSACTIONS. 357 



of tlie particular kind so often replanted, have in no wise 

 degenerated, but are fully equal in size and goodness now 

 to what tliey ever were when I first begun to plant them. 

 How long this may continue I cannot say, but so far, and the 

 trial has been a pretty long one, the results are not much 

 in accordance with doctrines that are frequently advanced 

 with much confidence. 



Moreover, I have usually planted small or undersized po- 

 tatoes, though sometimes cuttings of larger ones ; of the 

 particular kind above mentioned, I have always planted 

 small, whole potatoes. 



Two years ago, in the beginning of the summer, a neigh- 

 bor brought me three m-oderate sized potatoes. He said 

 that he had just had a few of the kind given to him, as a 



valuable variety, but as it was late in the season, he did not 

 know how he should succeed with them, but should like 



to have me try those three. All my planting had long 

 been done and my ground was fully occupied, but I 

 planted the three, about a foot and a half apart, by the 

 edge of an alley in my garden, where the soil wa3 dry 

 and sandy and where little or no manure l!ad been put 

 for years. They did well and yielded about half a peck of 

 moderate sized potatoes. These I planted by themselves 

 last year, but owing to the drouth, my soil being light, 

 gathered only about a pint of tubers varying from the size 

 of a pistol ball to that of a robin's egg. This year I di- 

 vided this pint into about two dozen hills in a light but well 

 manured soil, and tilled them carefully. The result was 

 that I gathered nearly two bushels of very fine potatoes, 

 many of them large, and the tops were the least afiectcd 

 by the attack of the rot of any, and only two rotten pota- 

 toes Avcre found in two dozen hills — so much for planting 

 small potatoes. 



Mr. Bartlett has the following suggestions regarding 

 the cultivation of the potato : 



