46 Cross-bred Seedlings of the Early Rose Potato. 

 CROSS-BRED SEEDLINGS OF THE EARLY ROSE POTATO. 



By Cyrus p. Pringle, Charlotte, Vt. 



The success which attended the experiments of Mr. Goodrich must 

 have established the coiTectness of his theory, that in improving the 

 potato we must go back to the place of beginning — to the natural 

 species. He did not live to perfect his undertaking, but he left us a lot 

 of seedlings possessing in the highest degree health and vigor — charac- 

 teristics of chief importance. If they lacked in quality, that were not 

 surprising, since the best of them were but two i*emoves from the wild 

 state. Mr. Bresee wisely builded upon the foundation which Mr. Good- 

 rich had laid, and has given us a number of seedlings which constitute 

 a long stride towards perfection. 



The belief that some advantage might still follow from continuing 

 this course of seeding, prompted me to raise a supply of seed from the 

 Early Rose during the summer of 1S69. Finding the jDollen of this 

 variety perfectly abortive (I gathered a considerable amount of it, and 

 applied it with the greatest care to the pistils without any success), I 

 fertilized a large number of flowers with pollen of other good sorts. 

 The seed was sown in a hot-bed about the 20th of April last ; and the 

 plants, some eighty in number, were transj^lanted to the field the last 

 of May, being placed in rows among other potatoes, and two feet apart 

 in the row. No manure was used in preparing the soil, as it had been 

 enriched the previous year ; and the plants only received, in common 

 with the rest of the field, a dressing of ashes and plaster. For a while 

 the plants held a doubtful struggle with the drought ; but eventually they 

 reached full development, showing blossom-buds, though these wei'e 

 blasted by the heat. The vines presented every diversity of form, size, 

 and color ; some were dwarfish, and only attained the height of ten 

 inches ; others, branching freely, spread two or three feet in every 

 direction. The entire habit of some was similar to that of the Early 

 Rose ; while others resembled their male parents. Every intermediate 

 form was exhibited. 



The dwai-fs began to ripen their tops August 10, some time before 

 .those of the Early Rose turned yellow, and yielded from one to two 

 pounds. These wei-e mostly found among the crosses with early sorts, 

 as the Sebec. Their yield was doubtless much lessened by the severe 

 drought of the season, as the standard early sorts were but a light crop 

 here. Those ripening throughout September averaged between two 

 and three pounds. In the early part of October four pounds were some- 



