THE POTATO 61 



the Sir John Llewellyn Challenge Cup for the best 

 collection of potatoes was awarded to Messrs. 

 Sutton & Sons for a collection of jBfty different 

 varieties, which included a selection of seedlings 

 grown direct from the 'apple' seed in the same 

 year, these seedlings being for the most part of 

 quite the size ordinarily obtained from the plant- 

 ing of full-sized 'sets.' Last year also Doctor 

 Wilson, the lecturer on agriculture at St. Andrews 

 University, who has devoted much attention to 

 the scientific hybridizing of farm plants, had an 

 'apple' geed planted in March which in October 

 showed a yield of six pounds one ounce of fairly 

 full-sized tubers. 



"The tubers of the seedlings in the first year 

 from *apple' seed generally show a great variety of 

 type, and even of color, 'blues' and 'reds' being 

 quite common in first year's seedlings, even from 

 seed produced by the cross-fertilizing of two white- 

 skinned and white-fleshed varieties. Then the 

 process of selection begins, and has to be continued 

 for several years until the types selected are prop- 

 erly fixed. A vast amount of patience is required 

 for this work, as very frequently a seedling which 

 gives great promise in its second, third, or even 

 fourth year has eventually to be discarded on 

 account of its failing to come up to the promise of 

 its earlier years. 



"The Victoria and other new varieties brought 

 out by Mr. William Paterson 'held the field' for 

 a good many years, but in process of time they 

 began to lose their pristine vigor. There were 

 others, however, who took up the work that Mr. 

 Paterson had expended so much zeal upon, and 

 one of the most notable of these workers was Mr. 

 John Nicol, then of the Ochterlony Gardens, 



