176 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



ground, packed into barrels, kept in the dark without the oppor- 

 tunity to change, transferred to Bermuda, and immediately put 

 into the ground again. 



The Chairman inquired in what climate potatoes arrive at the 

 greatest perfection ? It is stated that they originated in a far 

 Southern latitude ; but at present our best potatoes seem to 

 come from the North. 



Mr. Robinson doubted the imputed Southern origin of the 

 potato, for they flourish as far North as anything, if cultivated, 

 better than in the South. He had seen potatoes growing in 

 Canada, blossoming with the profusion of a field of buckwheat, 

 while in the Southern States they have few blossoms and are 

 nearly worthless for food. 



Mr. Fuller suggested that they might have originated in a 

 Southern latitude, but so far up on the mountains as to be really 

 not a tropical plant. In its natural state, the potato seeks to 

 reproduce itself from seed, but by our cultivation we have so far 

 changed that that most of the force of the plant goes to form 

 tubers. 



Prof. Mapes repeated his statements made last week upon the 

 proper mode of cultivating the potato, and proceeded to make 

 further suggestions upon the same subject. When a potato is 

 placed in the ground with a freshly cut surface, there is a ten- 

 dency in the starch to be transformed into acetous acid. To 

 prevent this the farmer dips it in plaster to form an artificial 

 ekin ; but if a thickness of an inch of plaster will not hold 

 water, it is evident that this thin covering of plaster cannot take 

 the place of a skin to prevent this transformation of the starch. 



Mr, Carpenter. — I agree with Prof. Mapes upon most of his 

 statements, but I am fully convinced that cutting the seed to two 

 eyes, gives me the best results. If the whole potato is planted, 

 but few of the eyes will sprout; whereas, if they are cut down 

 to two eyes, they will all germinate. I would cut a potato of 

 good size into six parts of two eyes each, and place the pieces 

 12 inches apart in the drill, the rows being 20 to 24 inches 

 apart in order to produce the best results. With regard to the 

 depth of planting, I would recommend six inches for ordinary 

 soils, but for a heavy soil I think there would be a loss of ten 

 days in planting so deep, and I would recommend to plant but 

 three inches deep in clay soils. As to the time of cutting the 

 potatoes I have tried different times with no apparent difierence 



