26 

 ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON POTATOES. 



Formerly it was supposed, and the opinion remains with many, 

 that to insure a crop of good potatoes, it was only necessary to 

 plant good kinds; such, for instance, as were brought from Erg- 

 land, Ireland, Nova-Scotia, or, sometimes, the most eastern part 

 of Maine: but disappointment has been the general result. Near 

 sixty years ago, I received a small parcel just brought from Pas- 

 samaquoddy. At that time I had never tasted any so good, and 

 since then, never any better. They were small, yet so mealy 

 that it was difficult to boil them without their falling to pieces. 

 In the ensuing Spring, I planted them on what would be called a 

 dry, sweet spot of ground, in an old tillage field. The manuring 

 was moderate. They were properly cultivated during the sea- 

 son. When ripe, in autumn, the produce was of potatoes gener- 

 ally much larger than those I had planted, the bigger ones hollow 

 in the middle, and all watery and not well flavoured. 



Within the last five-and-twenty years, I have planted various 

 kinds of potatoes, from England and Ireland; but without obtain- 

 ing any valuable products. 



Now-and-then, a good potatoe from Nova-Scotia, has yielded 

 potatoes resembhng, though not equal to the originals. Such was 

 a small blue potatoe from that country, whose product continued 

 of a good quality, if planted on newly h^oken up grass-land; but the 

 sort was only moderately productive. 



It has seemed to me, that while potatoes from the more north- 

 ern climes degenerated, those from more southern regions gradu- 

 ally improved, in quality. This, I believe, has been generally 

 perceived in the case of the long red potatoe, now almost univer- 

 sally cultivated, and the most productive of any sort at present 

 known amongst us. It is sometimes called the River Plate potato. 

 But while it has been improving in quality, it has, as far as iliy 

 observation extends, become less productive. The best early 

 potatoes I ever planted sprung from a handful of small ones I 

 brought from Maryland, many years ago. They became mealy 

 and well flavoured. 



It was formerly the prevailing opinion, that dry, warm lands, 

 ?uch as sandy loams, were the best for producing good potatoes. 



