ORIGINATING NEW POTATOES. 41 



ing, as far as my experience goes, on the eavliness or lateness 

 of the variety. Of the distribution of the potatoes in the 

 hill, compactness is desirable, as the labor of dinging: is much 

 lessened, and also the liability to cut the tubers. This com- 

 pactness of the Early Rose, lying in a mass as in a pocket, 

 is an excellent characteristic, while the Shaker Fancy is 

 an illustration of an erratic distribution. Of the habit of 

 growth of the vine, the short-jointed, compact growth, of 

 which the Excelsior is a good illustration, is desirable, as 

 such a habit admits of greater ease in the cultivation of the 

 crop. 



While these are the desirable qualities in every new seed- 

 ling which applies to be admitted as a standard, and while 

 many of these characteristics are absolutely essential, yet 

 were a variety presented that excelled to a remarkable degree 

 in the leading points of a good potato, the public would be 

 ready to waive many minor points in its favor. 



The late Mr. Goodrich, who had a far larger experience in 

 producing new seedlings than any other man in the United 

 States, gave, as the result of his observation, that a seedling 

 potato was liable to sport in shape until the fourth year ; in 

 other words, it did not acquire its true normal shape until the 

 fourth year from the seed. From Ihe great number of seed- 

 lings introduced the third year from the seed, it is to be pre- 

 sumed the public lack either faith or information on this 

 point. 



Having presented the characteristics of a seedling potato 

 w 7 orthy to be admitted among the standard kinds, the question 

 naturally arises, Can experience or science help the persever- 

 ing cultivator to the attainment of such a model? I think 

 each can help somewhat. In my own experience, I have 

 found that there is a great tendency in some varieties to 

 repeat themselves ; such, for an instance, as the Orono. And 

 here let me put in a word of advice. It is not desirable to 

 have a seedling follow too closely its parent, for the result is 

 apt to create confusion and dissatisfaction with the public. 

 It is unfortunate that that excellent variety, Early Vermont, 

 should so closely resemble Early Rose ; and for this same 

 reason, a dozen or more seedlings of Early Rose, which I 

 have tested the few years past, with the single exception of 



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