secretary's budget. 407 



to live vigorously in the open ground ; and, on the other hand, to 

 border on starvation in a pot under glass ; and if this were the rule, 

 the great run would be against and not in favor of pot grown plants. 



No doubt, if this lady perseveres, she will be able to show that her 

 out-door seed is just as good for double flowers as that raised under 

 glass. 



We have gone into the subject at some length here, because it con- 

 cerns not only the production of double stocks, but also because the 

 answer to her questions affects the whole range of practical horticul- 

 ture. — Gardener'' s Monthly. 



LARGE AND SMALL POTATOES FOR SEED. , 



The past season's experiences ought to solve the question as to 

 whether small potatoes are as good as large ones for planting. The 

 scarcity of potatoes last spring occasioned the planting of many small 

 inferior tubers, and the resulting crops will convince many that there 

 was little lost from using the small seed. At least this has been the 

 result ot" my observations in this section. In my own experience 

 small- sized potatoes of the Beauty of Hebron variety have produced 

 a crop of excellent variety and size, but of small yield. The same is 

 true with the Burbank variety planted later, both varieties yielding as 

 :fine tubers as I ever grew, the yield, however, being small. A cir- 

 cumstance has lately come under my observation, which has had con- 

 siderable weight in my mind in deciding this question. A party came 

 to me last spring after I had finished planting potatoes, and after I had 

 sold all of my surplus seed with the exception of a bushel or so of my 

 small potatoes, the culls from previous assorting, which averaged but 

 little larger than a hickory nut in size. Seed being very scarce, the 

 party referred to decided to take these small specimens, and although 

 I freely expressed my belief that they were too small for seed, they 

 were planted. The soil was favorable, being a clover and timothy sod, 

 and somewhat to my surprise the vield and size of tubers is large for 

 this season. I am decided in my own mind that the only advantage 

 in large potatoes over small ones for seed, is in the extra amount of 

 nourishment which the large potatoes afford the young plants during 

 their earlier stages of growth. The difference is much less on rich 

 than on poor soil, because on rich land the young potato plants require 

 less early nourishment, and are better able to take care of themselves. 

 For this reason I am not in favor of cutting potatoes to a few eyes, as 

 recommended by some potato. growers. Much better results will be 

 •secured, t believe, especially on light soil, by planting whole tubers 

 and thinning out the stalks, leaving but two or four to a hill. In this 



