38 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



observations and reflections bearing on this subject, to the 

 end that efforts to produce new seedlings may be more intelli- 

 gently directed than is often the case. 



If the various new seedlings that have become established 

 in the community by reason of their real merits be classified, 

 it will be found that nearly all of them originated in a latitude 

 north of Southern New York. If, with this fact, we connect 

 one other ; viz., that the natural home of the potato is on the 

 high, cool table-lands of South America ; and yet a third fact, 

 that taking any variety of the Irish potato, we find that, all 

 other conditions being equal, the farther north it is grown, 

 the better is its quality, I think we may conclude that to 

 develop the best results possible in raising new seedlings, the 

 experiments had best be confined to latitudes north of Central 

 New York. If, now, we analyze this matter a little farther, 

 and classify the various new sorts that have become stand- 

 ards, and do this in the light of the number of seedlings 

 raised by seed cultivation, to each new one of real merit 

 obtained, we shall find that by far the greater success has been 

 achieved in the northern section of this area. In support of 

 this position, we need only take for illustration the experiments 

 of the lamented Goodrich of New York, and of Albert Breese 

 of Vermont. Mr. Goodrich, out of thousands of seedlings, 

 obtained half a dozen standard kinds, while Mr. Breese, out 

 of less than a dozen, obtained at least three seedlings, that, 

 either universally or in large sections of country, are recog- 

 nized as standard varieties. Such wonderful results as were 

 obtained by Mr. Breese, are, it is true, rare ; but taking the 

 fact in connection with another, that so many of the standard 

 seedlings, now and formerly before the public, such as the old 

 Chenango, Orono, Excelsior, Early Vermont, and Snowflake, 

 originated in the northern portion of this area of country, I 

 think we may advance a step farther in our suggestions, and 

 state that, within the area north of the latitude of Southern 

 New York, those dwelling in the northern portions have, 

 probably, the best chances to originate first-class seedling 

 potatoes. 



We now propose to discuss : 1st. What is required in a 

 new seedling to make it an acquisition ? 2d. What steps are 

 most likely to produce such a seedling? 



