328 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



hollow, and not a first quality table potato till late in the spring. 

 Subsequent cultivation from small tubers has greatly improved 

 them in this respect, though at the expense of constitutional 

 vigor. Such were the health and vigor of this variety on its first 

 introduction into Massachusetts, some eight or ten years since, 

 that we have seen some of the larger specimens of the previous 

 year's growth cracking open in the cellar during the summer 

 and exposing twelve to twenty young tubers, of the size of mar- 

 bles, that had grown to this size, fed only by the air and the 

 parent tuber. We have never seen a similar instance in any 

 other variety. This may seem to some a fish story, but we are 

 prepared to vouch for it. 



The object in cutting the potato lengthwise is to secure the 

 vitality of the seed-end and at the same time the nourishment 

 of the butt-end. It has been observed that the eyes or buds at 

 the seed-end start with more vigor than do the others, and hence 

 some economical housewives have been in the habit of cutting 

 off this end for seed while preparing potatoes for the table dur- 

 ing the winter. The practice lies open to the same ol)jection as 

 the planting of sprouts. There is not sufficient nourishment 

 furnished tlie young plant from the potato itself. In the eye- 

 end there is concentrated more starch and more vitality, just as 

 there is more sugar and more flavor in the bud-end of the apple 

 than in the stem-end ; but if we cut tlie potato crosswise we 

 lose the support which the butt is designed to give to the eyes. 



"VVc have found it an excellent plan, when cutting potatoes 

 for seed, to put them into a barrel and sprinkle upon them a 

 quart or two of plaster. If the barrel is well shaken the plaster 

 will fasten upon each fresh-cut surface, absorb the moisture 

 and prevent the ingress of air, so that tlie seed will be less likely 

 to rot after being planted, and the plaster will also aid in fur- 

 nishing nourishment to the young plant. 



We often hear it recommended to change the locality of the 

 seed yearly ; and seed brought from the North is generally 

 thouglit to do better than that from the South ; while others 

 maintain that it makes no difference where the seed comes from, 

 provided only that it be changed. We have no doubt there is 

 such a thing as acclimating a vegetable as well as an animal. 

 The climate, soil and seasons stamp themselves on the vegeta- 

 tion grown there ; and we can readily see that a potato brought 



