d4 



The Secretary read a letter from the Rev. H. D. Atkinson, enclosing 

 a diagram of a strange fish caught at Circular Head. [The sketch 

 having been shown to Dr. James Hector, F.Pv.S., of New Zealand, that 

 gentleman recognised the subject of it as the "Hair Tail," Trachypterus 

 altivelis, an ocean fish rarely found near land.] 



The following communication, addressed to the Hon. Secretary, in 

 reference to the so-called Brown's Eiver Black potato, from Mr. F. Cotton, 

 of Kelvedon, was read : — " My attention has been directed to an 

 article in the Tasmanian Mail of September l,on apotato called 'Brown's 

 River Black, ' but the right name of which is * Kelvedon Parple. ' Some his- 

 torical account of the origin of the potato is given, and the modus operandi 

 (an act of piracy) by which this new variety had its fair name so 

 fraudulently altered to that of ' Brown's River Black. ' The person to 

 whom the colony (and the world) is indebted for the potato in question 

 is rather obscurely hinted at, but as he is still living, and a member of the 

 Royal Society of Tasmania, it is only proper and just that he should be 

 introduced to the Fellows and his fair fame vindicated ; also, that they 

 should be acquainted with the means through which this valuable root 

 was generated. 



*' In or about the year 1832 Captain Bumey brought his vessel (the 

 Henry) to Oyster ^Bay, to ship oil from the fishery of the late George 

 Meredith, and wattle bark from the estates of Sherborne and Kelvedon. 

 On that occasion he presented us with a bag of Brown's River potatoes 

 called * Rough Whites.' These were planted carefully, and when 

 they flowered Dr. Story innoculated a few of the most promising with 

 the flowers of the * Irish Apple, ' which was at that time the choicest 

 potato in the colony. These impregnated apples when ripe were 

 gathered and spread out to dry, and in the spring sown in a bed of fine 

 mould. The produce of these seed apples was, the next season, planted 

 in rows, and in the autumn dug up and sorted. Out of an almost end- 

 less number of varieties, four kinds were selected as worthy of further 

 trial. The experience of the third year's planting was that but one of 

 the four varieties was superior to the sorts then cultivated, and it was 

 named by Dr. Story the ' Kelvedon Purple.' To Dr. Story then belongs 

 the sole merit of giving to the world this valuable tuber, and the 

 fact ought to be chronicled and the true name of the potato restored. 



"This potato is somewhat of an oval shape, with a skin inchned to 

 purple, but inside of a pure white; and it has this excellence that not 

 only is it a good boiler and of superior taste, but its skin is almost 

 free from mdentations at the eyes so that there is no waste in paring. 

 The haulm is of a pleasing green colour, and does not bear many 

 apples. The produce per acre varies with the soil. I have heard 

 of from fourteen to sixteen tons per acre, and of six potatoes filling an 

 American bucket. The potato comes in early^ and keeps good as long 

 as the once famous ' Irish Apple, ' now I believe extinct. I have 

 heard of twenty-two tons per acre being grown at the Chain of 

 Lagoons, East Coast, but am not informed as to the kind of potato. 

 A brief account of the raiging of the * Kelvedon Purple ' was sent 

 to the late Dr. Ross about the year 1836, and by him published in the 

 Courier. I have seen the 'Kelvedon Purple' growing in South Australia, 

 and have no doubt that it found its way to California more than 20 

 years ago. I am disposed to believe that its excellence is not sur- 

 passed by any potato hitherto brought into use. We have obtained 

 some of the choicest varieties, including one of the most prized in 

 America, and have not met with one to compare with the Kelvedon 

 Purple." ^ 



A valuable paper by the Rev. J. E. Tenison. Woods, F.G.S., 



