126 



Potatoe Culture. 



Vol. III. 



ledge and improvement, aa to announce new 

 and undoubtedly true opinions and facts. 



As no calcareous earth exists in the tide- 

 water region of the southern states, except 

 the fossil shell deposite, or marl, as commonly 

 termed, of course the growth of this plant, 

 when found any where in that region, will 

 always indicate that form of calcareous earth 

 only. But if it grows among the mountains, 

 and in more northern as well as more elevated 

 lands, it will probably be found in all lime- 

 stone streams. 



We give the above article as a matter of 

 interest to our readers. The plant may or 

 may not indicate the presence of marl. We 

 handed the engraving to one of the best bot- 

 anists in the country — a gentleman who has 

 made the science his particular study for a 

 number of years — and he stated without hesi- 

 tation that the plant was not new, that it was 

 to be found in both Europe and America, and 

 that by reference to Dr. Darlington's Flora 

 Cestrica, we would find the following descrip- 

 tion of the " Veronica Anagallis." 



" Stem erect ; leaves amplexicaul, lanceolate, acute, 

 denticulate ; racemes opposite- Beck, hot. p. 261. 



yulgo— Water Speedwell. Long-leaved Brooklime. 



iJoot perennial; with verticils of numerous long ca- 

 pillary radicles at tlie lower nodes of the stem. Ster?! 

 12 to 18 inches high, rather coarse and fleshy, some- 

 times with a roughish pubescence. Leaves smootli, 

 closely sessile and embracing the stem, narrow-lance- 

 olate, 2 to 3 inches long, and tapering gradually to a 

 point, sparingly denticulate, often nearly entire. Ra- 

 cemes mostly opposite, on stout succulent peduncles ; 

 bracts linear-lanceolate, as long as the pedicels. Co- 

 rolla pale blue, with purple stripes. Capsule tumid. 



Hab. Muddy margins of rivulets: Great Valley, 

 [Chester CO. Pa., limestone region;] rare. Fl. June. Fr. 

 August. 



Obs. This is undoubtedly the true V. Anagallis ; as 

 1 have verified it by comparison with authentic Euro- 



?ean specimens. Wlien my catalogue was published, 

 had never seen the plant; and mistook for it, a vari- 

 ety of V. Beccabunga,— which, however is quite dis- 

 tinct. This species occurs at Downingtown, and 

 Brooke's Mill ; where it was detected, in 18:i:!, by my 

 indefatigable friend, Mr. Joshua Hoopes. I have also 

 received Kentucky specimens from Professor Short." 



We are informed that the same plant is not 

 uncommon in the granite regions of New- 

 Hampshire, and we are assured by a friend on 

 whom we rely, that it has been found on the 

 Rocky Mountains. These are mere opinions 

 formed from an examination of the engraving, 

 and as it is extremely difficult, if not impossi- 

 ble to determine the true botanical character 

 ■of a plant from an engraving, these opinions 

 may be changed on an examination of the 

 plant itself. If the Editor of the Register 

 will favor us with a specimen of the plant. 



{Marl Indicator) we will preserve it for the 

 inspection of our friends generally, who doubt- 

 less feel an interest in the matter, and by a 

 comparison of the plants, we shall be enabled 

 to test the correctness of the opinions given 

 above. Botanists also are anxious to see a 

 specimen. 



Potatoe CEiltiire. 



At the request of several of our subscribers, 

 we republish the following communication 

 from the American Farmer. Mr. Massey 

 assures us that his experience of more than 

 twenty years confirms the opinions he ad- 

 vanced in the tbllowing article. The letter 

 was addressed to that sterling friend of agri- 

 culture, J. S. Skinner, Esq. of Baltimore. — 

 Mr. Massev says, " having read in the Amer- 

 ican Farmer several communications on rais- 

 ing potatoe.?, and none of them corresponding 

 with my method, and convinced from seven 

 years experience of the superior crops I 

 have uniformly raised, has induced me to 

 give j'ou my mode of managing the crop. 



I always plough my stalk ground as deep 

 as possible in February for my potatoe 

 patch ; in May I harrow the patch and roll 

 it until it is quite smooth ; it is then ready for 

 planting (which I do immediately after plant- 

 ing the corn.) I make drills by a bout with 

 a large plough, three at a time only, then drag 

 a log four feet long and 13 inches in diameter 

 with a large chain twisted in a spiral form 

 round the log up and down each drill, the 

 log is square at the end, which throws 

 the mould on each side of the drill, the 

 chain rubbing the mould as fine as the 

 covering of a hot bed ; by the time these 

 three drills are ready the cart arrives with the 

 dung, whicli is thrown in the drills and broke 

 and spread evenly in the drills, ' the seed 

 (which has been cut two or three weeks and 

 plaster sprinkled on them when cut,') is 

 dropped nine inches apart, and trod by the boy 

 who drops them into the dung ; as soon as the 

 three rows are ready, the plough covers the 

 seed and dung with the fine mould thelog threw 

 on each side of the drill ; the whole patch is 

 thus planted : I have put in an acre in a day 

 witli two carts, a loader, one plough, three 

 men and a boy to drop: I pick the best shaped 

 and largest potatoes tor seed, and cut them in 

 three or four pieces. I have tried whole po- 

 tatoes, and found no advantage in any respect. 

 I have never measured my whole crop, but 

 from the cart loads, I estimate my average 

 crops 4rH) bushels per acre; 1 once planted 

 five bushels of the Nova Scotia blue nose (the 

 first I ever tried of that kind) and had 260 

 bushels of picked potatoes, and about five 



