36 



The Western Pomologisb and Gardener. 



1872 



Peerless Potato. 



Br S. J. Parker, M. D., IraiOA, N. T. 

 Ed. Pomologist and Gakdbner: — One of the most remarkable seed balls of the 

 potato plant, was that which has given the Early Rose and the Peerless. I have requested 

 Mr. Bresee, who lives in New England, to give a full account of how that potaloe ball 

 was had by him. He has been so unkind as never to reply to my request. This silence 

 of any originator casts, in my own mind, a great doubt over all the early history of a 

 plant ; as on more than one occasion, I have found a letter or two unanswered on a grape 

 or plant, covered facts that would not bear investigation. We only .say that our letters to 

 Mr. Bresee are unanswered, which is very ungentlemanly in him, and we therefore can- 

 not vouch for anything connected with him. By permission we give the following 

 reduced cut of the Peerless. It is about oue-third the average size as grown in 1871 at 



'SS«. 



Ithica, N. Y. It will be noticed that the eyes are hardly perceptible, that a wave-like 

 eyebrow is on one side of the eyes. That the eyes at the left hand end are clustered very 

 thickly and are very small ; that the right hand end is very smooth as is the whole pota- 

 toe ; and that there are minute cracks or rather crinkles of the skin. No one would 

 notice this crinkling on the potatoe itself, they are so small, but they are characteristics of 

 the Peerless. The potatoe is white, and in all my acquaintance with potatoes, I know of 

 no variety with such a perfect sample of smaM eyes and beautiful shape. They are slightly 

 flattened, as seen in the engraving, which represents the potatoe as longer than broad, 

 and lying on one of its sides. A few grumble-growlers in Connecticut and elsewhere, 

 represent the Peerless as "soggy and flavorless." Thi.s as far as central New York is 

 concerned is absolutely false. But such " grumble-grumble growlers " are found in every 

 plant, tomato, grape vine, or flower in exi.'itence. One has only to seed the Heavenly- 

 manna-dew-of-Aladni's-fairy-Aratia's-cup-Grape, and lo! up comes the giant hydra. Hypo-* 

 drochondria, with a grumble-grumble growl ; or at least, a few litle dogs wow-wow, at our 

 heels. So that is to be dismissed. 



The Peerless is remarkably proliflc ; and has its large and beautiful potatoes, in a thick 

 cluster, in the center of the hill. All white potatoes are apt to cluster thu.s, and there- 

 fore need late hilling a little more than red ones, or deep growing potatoes. The Peerless 

 needs a few minutes longer boiling than the Early Rose, when it becomes to a soft, mealy 

 mass, delightful in flavor. In the trial before the Committee of the Massachusetts Hor- 

 ticultural Society, when boiled potatoes were presented for decision, this received the 

 greatest number for its quality over all others. 



