October 8, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



257 



*i^^ 



THE POTATO CROP— SAVING SEED. 



'T this time of the year, in ordinary seasons, 

 the Potato crop, in the districts where it is 

 largely cultivated, is naturally matured and 

 ready for lifting and storing ; this season, on 

 . the contrary, wo find the crop in the full 

 luxuriance of growth usual in the months of 

 June and July. These remarks are applica- 

 ble to the north-eastern counties, especially 

 Lincolnshire, where the soil is suitable for 

 producing Potatoes celebrated for their high 

 quality. This extraordinary and unusual luxuriance is 

 traceable to the long-continued drought during May, June, 

 July, and the greater part of August. The crop was de- 

 prived of the essentials to its natural growth and increase. 

 Its energies in this respect were arrested, and the ripening 

 of the tubers ah-eady formed was accelerated, and in a 

 great measure completed prematurely. The size of the 

 tubers at this stage varied with varieties ; none, however, 

 except tlie earliest section, gave anything but a miserable 

 yield. There was, therefore, no alternative but to leave 

 them to linger on, and wait for the rain to carry them 

 forward. 



Towards the end of August the rain came, and vegetation 

 at once burst forth with a vigour unprecedented in our tem- 

 perate climate. The withered tops of the Potatoes raised 

 their heads, and entered on the race as if to recover the time 

 they had lost. It was too late, the Potatoes being already 

 partially matured. Their next effort was to perpetuate 

 their kind, and tliis brings them to the extraordinary state 

 in which we now iind them — extraordinary only inasmuch 

 as the time and manner of their increase is unusual. 



Different kinds of I'otatoes present different aspects. I 

 will divide the crop into three types, selecting them from 

 kinds which are most extensively cultivated — namely, the 

 Regent, the Irish or Rocks, and the Fluke. Of the many 

 varieties grown most have something in common with those 

 named, and they will thus ali'ord sufficient data. 



Fine cliff land in Lincolnshire, within sound of " Great 

 Tom," was the principal place of examination. 



The Regents being the earliest of the three, their tubers 

 were larger than those of the other varieties when over- 

 taken by the drought. They had swelled well after the 

 rain, and on examination were found to be a comparatively- 

 fair though by no means a full crop ; tlie second crop, or 

 supertubers which had sprung from these, were numerous, 

 the largest being nearly of the size of Walnuts, and tliey 

 were in rapid growth. What is to be done with the croji ? 

 Verdict : Take it up at once to secure quality, which will 

 more than compensate for the increase in bulk produced by 

 the swelling of the supertubers, and just in proportion to 

 tlie length of time these are allowed to remain attached, 

 just so will the crop proper deteriorate in quality. " But 

 thej' must be stored in quantity, and their skins are 

 not fast, will the}' not heat '.' " To avoid this contin- 

 gency, adopt the plan of tlie Hon, A. Leslie Melville, a 

 gentleman who for many j-ears has given much attention 

 to the Potato. His plan is this — For many days previous 

 No. 393.— Vol. XV., New Sekies. 



to taking up his crops, if the skins are not fast he cuts off 

 the tops. Tliis simply stops growth, and the skins imme- 

 diately begin to become firm. In ten days, or even less, 

 they are in good condition for storing, and they must not 

 remain much longer than this tune, or they will commence 

 growing again. Mr. IMelvOle has adopted the plan this 

 year with much success. 



The Irish, or Rocks, are, perhaps, more extensively 

 cultivated in Lincolnshh'e and the adjacent counties than 

 any other variety. They were considerably smaller thaa 

 the Regents when overtaken by the drought. Immediately 

 after the rain they commenced the rapid production of 

 supertubers. The lirst crop of tubers has materially in- 

 creased in bulk, liut not in the same ratio as its progeny. 

 The two crops are now about equal in bulk. In this case 

 I think it would be wise to make quality subservient to 

 quantity of produce ; therefore, instead of cutting off' the 

 tops or taking them up, I would leave them in the ground 

 until the last moment of the growing season to increase 

 bulk. The gross w-eight will increase much in a fortnight 

 or three weeks, as they are now swellin:; more rapidly 

 than at any previous period of tlieir growth. Neither will 

 the sacrifice of quality be great, for at their present size, 

 even if properly matured, the sample would be very 

 inferior. 



The above remarks wUl apply also to Flukes, the second 

 crop, or supertubers, of these being much larger in bulk 

 than the iirst, or crop proper. On every account, then, it 

 is ad\'isable to let them remain in the ground to increase 

 in size and weight. In quality for cooking purposes tliey 

 must be inferior, but the second crop will be line seed for 

 next season's planting. The crop proper of this variety in 

 many pieces which I have seen I pronounced worthless as 

 seed ; the energies of the tubers are already exhausted. 



The question of seed generally is worthy of consideration. 

 I have carefully examined many specimens from the crop 

 proper. In many instances every eye had sprung, and pro- 

 duced one or several subtubers ; in others, the ffnest and the 

 best eyes only had sprung. Now, what more natural than 

 that quantities of the crop proper should be put aside for 

 seed as lieretofore, and what more natural than the result of 

 such seed should bo disappointing? I have no doubt but 

 that some of the tubers which have sprung their eyes will 

 push forth collateral tubers, liut the growth of these wUl 

 be weak, and totally inadequate to insure a good yield. 

 Some, indeed, wUl produce no top at all if planted, but will 

 form a cluster of progeny wiiich will merely subsist for a 

 time on the scanty juices of the parent tuber. These re- 

 sults I have proved b}' actual experiment. It is, tlierefore, 

 necessary that the tubers of the crop proper which are 

 saved from seed should be carefully examined as to 

 whether their eyes liave not already pushed, and are thug 

 in a partially exhausted state. I foresee a certain danger 

 in this respect, and yet it is not a danger of necessity. 

 Safety and certainty consist in selecting Potatoes from 

 the supertubers, or second crop. These, where lai-ge 

 enough, will, if ordinary care is exercised in storing, make 

 fine seed. 



There is an idea which is very ceueral — namely, that 

 No. IMS.— Vol. XL., Old Series. 



