Proceedings of the Farmers* Club, 449 



refused me a few for my own planting, as I was a little short of 

 seed that spring. No; he was not going to plant anything else; 

 they were as good as the Mercer, and sold as well. That season 

 he sold over one hundred bushels out of the field as dug, for two 

 dollars per bushel, besides a large quantity he stored for winter 

 sales. That same man is now not only ready to accept, but pay 

 liberally for any new variety that promises to be an acquisition. 



I remember writing to Mr. Goodrich, detailing the result of my 

 experiments with the varieties, and suggesting the need of a variety 

 earlier than any of these, with the productiveness of the Cuzco, 

 the smoothness and quality of the Coppermines, and the hardi- 

 ness of the Rusty Coat. His reply was just such as I should 

 expect from one who had taken so much interest in the matter, full 

 of faith and promise and gratification that his efibrts were begin- 

 ning to be appreciated, and expressing a hope that the next season 

 would be able to fill the needed want; but, alas! the open grave 

 lay between him and the realization of his fondest hopes, and he 

 died a poor man, whose 3'ears of labor, toil, anxiety and experi- 

 ment are a rich legacy to us, his survivors. Of him it may well 

 be said, he deserved a nation's gratitude. The next season, 1865, 

 his executor, Mr. Hefli'on, sent me his early Goodrich, Gleason and 

 Calico. Three years' trial of these, with as variable and unfavor- 

 able seasons as usuallj'^ fall to our lot, enables me to fix their rela- 

 tive positions with some degree of accuracy. The Calico is veiy 

 handsome, with few eyes, only medium in quality, tender and 

 unproductive. 



The Gleason resembles its parent, the Rusty Coat, in size, color 

 and habit; appears to be a little more productive and better in 

 quality, late, perfectly healthy; an admirable late variety, and, 

 like the Rusty Coat, keeps till midsummer. The Early Goodrich 

 thus far would seem to realize the fondest hopes of its originator. 

 It is white in skin and flesh, two very important requisites. It is 

 smooth, large, early, productive and healthy. Finally, its quality 

 is unexceptional. 



True, we have better quality potatoes, of which the White Peach 

 Blow is my standard of excellence, but it is late, deep-eyed and 

 tender, liable to disease — three demerits the Early Goodrich 

 has not. 



With the Early Goodrich we have no further need of White 

 Sprout, Dykeman, Buckeye and similar ones for early use, and with 

 Harison, Gleason, Rusty Coat and White Peach Blow for late table 

 [Inst.] 29 



