Skkdliso Potato. — Accompanying thU note, you will receive a few Potntoes, — raised from 

 seed bv iny!«i'lf. As you will perceive, they resemble in color and general npi)earance the Car- 

 ter, a seedling from which variety, — grown near the vicinity of Die Mtrcer, — it is. Its edible 

 (lualitv is fully cijual to that of its parents, and its character as a yielder is far better than that 

 of either of them, being in this particular better than any white variety with which I am 

 acquainted. Its history I will give you as briefly as possible. 



Seven jears ago last spring I sowed forty seeds, all from the same parentage; in the autumn, 

 I saved the province of those which gave promise of being superior; this culling left me twenty- 

 five varieties for further experiments. In the succeeding spring I selected such of those as had 

 kept well, and were free from disease. I continued this course each season, selecting such only 

 as were of superior edible character, as well as great yielders, and free from disease. This 

 severe test left mo three years since but this one variety, which I shall call the Wendell Potato. 

 I have cultivated it since, in order to try it fully, in juxtaposition to the Mercer, Pinkeye, 

 Yatn, June, Merino, and a few others, and it has proved itself a far more prolific variety than 

 either of them — except the last, which you are aware is red in color and of inferior character, 

 and has never shown the least indication of disease, even during the season of 1853, when every 

 one of the other varieties were seriously affected by it. I am thus particular in giving you the 

 whole historj' of this seedling, not only because I am convinced that it is a valuable acquisition, 

 but because I feel a little vain of nxj success. Yours very truly. lltRiiAN Wkxdell, M. D. — 

 Albany, October 'SOth. 



P. S. I shall place in the care of K. II. Pease — successor to Emery & Co. — of this city, a 

 few of the Potatoes for sale, from which they may be obtained by those wishing to give it a 

 triaL — Country GeyitlemoH. 



We are glad that occasionally an effort is made to originate new and improved vari- 

 eties of the Potato, — an article that plays such an important part on every man's dinner 

 table should surely not be overlooked. 



TuE Augusta Rose. — "With respect to the Rose Augusta, although not so deep in color as I hoped 

 and wished for, still I will honestly confess that I have been pleased with it. It differs from 

 Solfatare in having leaves narrower and more pointed, and its flowers are decidedly of a finer 

 shape than those of that variety, and deeper in color in the center. The flowers of Solfatare are 

 much reflexed and flat in hot weather, which is its great fault. Those of Augusta are (as it ha^ 

 bloomed here) incurved, and more inclined to be globular in shape. It is in my opinion a step in 

 the right direction : but I hope it will soon be improved, for in your Northern States it might be 

 crossed with the bright yellow, but flaccid-petalled Rose, Vicomtcsse Dccazes, and something much 

 more decided in color be produced. Over propagation, change of climate (in your different States 

 remarkable), and the weather of peculiar seasons, have much effect on the color of Roses, more 

 particularly on those of the Tea-scented and Noisette class. The first two seasons after I intro- 

 duced the Cloth of Gold Rose from Angers, it bloomed in England, to my great vexation, of a 

 dirty white. I could scarcely believe that it was the same Rose I had seen at Angers, and I made 

 a journey to that place expressly to have another look at it. On again seeing it, I felt assured 

 that all would be right in the end ; so that I dare say when the Augcuita Rose is well established 

 it will show more its proper character. Thomas Rivers. — Sawbridgeworth, England. 



The distinctness of the Augusta Kose having been questioned by many cultivators in 

 this country, wo requested Mr. Kiveks to give us his opinion on the subject, and be has 

 given it as above. 



