334 



THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



qualities, and are quite prolific, the two latter being especially productive. Our illustrations 

 representing some of the different varieties of potatoes and the diagram for cutting to a 



LATE BEAUTY OF HEBRON. 



single eye, were obtained through the courtesy of the well known firm of B. K. Bliss & Sons, 

 New York city, being copied by permission from their catalogue. 



Soil and its 

 preparation, 



Although good 

 crops of potatoes 

 may be grown on 

 a great variety of 

 soils, that best 

 adapted to this 

 product is a rich, 

 sandy loam, neith 

 er too wet nor too 

 dry; should there 

 be a clay subsoil, it 

 will require drain 

 ing to make it suf 

 ficiently dry. Clay 

 soils are unfavor 

 able to the health 

 of the potato in a 

 wet season, since 



they closely envelop the tubers and bury them so compactly that they prevent the access of 

 air, light, and heat, so essential to their perfect development. Should the surface of the 

 unripe potato be kept constantly wet, as it would be in a clay soil in a wet season, this alone 

 will be sufficient to induce decay, although the vines might be perfectly healthy. A wet soil 

 of anv kind is injurious to the quality of the product, it being generally coarse, watery, and 



SILVER SKIN. 



