292 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



rally known and cultivated in that island, since which time they 

 have become a general article of food. 



The numerous varieties of the potatoe vs^hich we have at the 

 present day, have been produced from seed. The method of doing 

 this, is as follows : The balls or apples, are gathered when the 

 vines begin to die in the fall. They must be broken and the seed 

 washed out, or pressed out through a sieve, and separated from the 

 pulp and dried. In the spring, they may be planted in drills, and 

 carefully cultivated through the summer. In the fall, each vin^ 

 will be found to have a few small tubers attached to it. These 

 may be separated, those belonging to each vine being kept by 

 themselves, to be planted the next spring. At the end of the 

 second season some will have attained sufficient size, to try their 

 quality. But out of the whole quantity there may not be one ol 

 good character enough to preserve. If there should be any, they 

 can be selected, and the others thrown away. 



SELECTION OF SEED. 



If much depends, in order to secure a good crop, upon the plough- 

 ing and manuring and after tillage, much likewise depends upoE 

 the kind of seed. Every one is not probably aware that new varie- 

 ties in the vegetable kingdom are produced by crossing, just as 

 they are among animals. If two kinds of plants of the same gene- 

 ral family, be grown near each other till they produce seed, their 

 seed will probably be " mixed" as it is called, and neither will 

 produce the same kind of plant again. This is often seen in Indian 

 corn, or in peas raised in the same garden — 'in cultivated fruit, and 

 various plants. When, therefore, a good variety is grown, great 

 care should be taken that no poor kind is grown near it, lest it 

 should degenerate. The most of garden vegetables have become 

 mixed in this way, so that it is difficult to find pure seed now. 

 "We think that farmers would do well to devote a portion of land 

 'every year, separate from his main cfops, to the raising of seed for 

 the next year. The extra cultivation he might bestow upon it, 



