94 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPT. ao. ISIS 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 

 BoSTO!', Wednesday, Sept. 20, 1843. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 



The annual e.xhibition of the M.assachusiats Horticul- 

 tural Society tool; place last week, and allljougli vre 

 would not anticipate the report of the able comuiitiee 

 appointed for tljat purpose, yet we cannot refrain from 

 makinofafew ren]arlis touching the character of ilie 

 alisw. 



The exhibition, in many respects, far exceeded any 



and green-house, the templing Nectarines, tlie Mehins, 

 and otlier fruit?, we must refer to the forthcoming re- 

 port of the coinmitlee, wliich we hn|,e to publish in our 

 next paper. 



We are sometimes accuj.ed of publit:hing too many 

 and too long reports of liorticultural doings, affording 

 but little or no iiiterest to some of our distant readers, 

 whose time and attention are wholly engrossed with 

 the cultivation of the more prominent and necessary ag- 

 ricultural products. Unt, have patience, respected 

 friends : the Horticultural Society is doing a great work, 

 at a great expense, and for the gratuitous benefit of you 

 and your cflspring; and hereailer when your children 

 shall find their farui-houses and dweliings surrounded 



preceding ones, wiiile in others it fell short. The defi- i by the luxurious fruits and gorgeous flowers introduced 

 ciencies, however, must not be attributed to any relaxa- | and eiperiinentid upon by this Society, " they will rise 

 lion of effurt or zeal on the part of the members of the up and call her blessed " J. li. 



Society, but to the peculiarities of the season. In con 



sequence of the severe drought during the two first sum- 

 mer months, the Dahlias were so completely stunted 

 and preyed upon by insects, that they did not recover 

 sufficiently to produce but few fine blooms — indeed, so 

 few, that we uiust set down this part of the show, so or- 

 namental and profuse in some seasons, a total failure. 

 The show of flowers generally, if we may except As- 

 ters, which were very fine, was rather below par; and 

 this deficiency, too, must, in a measure, be charged to 

 the drought. But when we speak of the Fruit, we must 

 say the show was very imposing, and must have been 

 truly gratifying to those who have been laboring so 

 long and hard and at so much expense to improve the 

 productions of Pomona. The anticipations of years 

 were in some degree consuninialed. 



Of Pears, there has never before been so many diffe- 

 rent specimens exhibited by so many different cultiva- 

 tors. It was highly interesting and instructive to no- 

 tice the different aspect of fruit of the same variety from 

 different soils, management and cultivators; in some 

 cases, the appearance of fruits of the same variety, was 

 so unlike, as almost to deceive the practiced eye a* to 

 their identity, so different are fruits grown in a meagre 

 and a lich soil. F/om llie President of the Society there 

 were not far from one hundred varieties fif this fruit up- 

 on the table, and from another garden nearly the same 

 number, and very large contributions from a hoKt of 

 others. The opportunity for comparing new fruits and 

 detecting errors, was Lnjwiralleh'd — and we venture to 

 assert that so many \*arietie8 of Pears have never before 

 been assembled at one lime upon a Society's table in 

 America. 



Of Apples we cannot say so much, although the dis- 

 play was lespectahle. This fruit generally Is very deft- 

 ci*nt in llie neigliborhood of iioslon tiie present year. 

 One of our most prominent membeis, who has hert^to- 

 fi>re contributed largely on such (n-casions, was not able 

 to Le with us to take part in the exhibition, on account 

 of severe domestic aflliction. 



The show of Plums, we think, was siipenor to that | 

 of any Ibrmer occasion. The nuniber of varieties was 1 

 very large, and the beauty of some of tiie sorts exqui- I 

 site, and the taste delicious. More attention appears to j 

 be paid to this fine fruit, and we are happy to add, in j 

 nrany cafes, with entire success. We have learned 

 some facts in relation to the cultivation of the Plum, 

 which we shall divulge upon some future occasion. 



There were some fpecimens of Peaches of surprising 

 beauty, but in consequence of the destruction of the 



PO't'A I'OEf. 



Can you tell me what green crops are good to 1 

 plowed in before a potato crop.' Especially, whethi 

 rye is good. One of the best farmers in New Englar 

 strongly recommends clover, and he .showed me a stiil 

 ing proof of its fitness to precede pot toes. (4.) 



If we may judge from the potatoes sold in your ma 

 ket, and from those generally found at jour public ( 

 bles, we must say that Boston people have a strong pr 

 judice in favor of bad potatoes. The soils are general 

 bad, and tlie cooking is worse. To those wlio visit yi 

 from the country, it is hard to laakii a satisfaeturv me 

 without good potatoes. Can you suijgest any plan I 

 which their wants can be supplied ? (5.) 



To the Editor of the New England Farmer: 



'De.ib Sir— In your remarks concerning the " Prime " 

 potatoes wliich my son lately scut you, you request him 

 to point out the ini.rks by which these may be distin- 

 guished from the ''Brown Harvest" and the ** Wliite 

 Harvest," which he sent you last autumn. These sorts 

 are easily distinguished while growing, by the appear 

 ance of their stalks and leaves ; they also ripen at very 

 different times; but there are marks by wliich the pota- 

 toes themselves can be easily distinguished. 



I have had several hundred kinds of potatoes within 

 the last five years ; most of them were seedlings, but 

 many of them weie collected from different quarters. I 

 regard the " Prime" potato as the best early sort with 

 which 1 am acquainted. 1 have two or three new sorts 

 which may prove equally valuable, but they require 

 further experimen.s. (I ) 



1 wish now to consult you on a matter which seems 

 tome of considerable importance. It has been noticed 

 by thousands that many varieties of white p'ltatoes are 

 mealy and good when first dug, but that they become 

 greenish, soggy, and unfit for use, after having been 

 exposed n few weeks to the air. This docs not seem to 

 me to be true with respect to any kind of colored pota" 

 toes' The red, blue, and purjile are generally good dur- 

 ing the winter, and some of tlicm during the spring, and 

 even till new potatoes come. ViUizchite potatoes, unless 

 the air be very carefully excluded, are not fit for the ta- 

 ble in January. 



Now, sir, ought we not lo come to the conclusion 

 that while potatoes should not be raised, except for ear- 

 ly use, and for feeding stock.' I am so well convinced 

 of this, that I have dismissed the two best sorts of late 

 while potatoes with which I am acquainted, viz. the 

 Brown Harvest and the White Harvest. They yield 

 very well, and are very good for tlie table in the au- 

 tumn, but the Long Reds are far better in the spring 

 and summer. I wish you to consider this subject, and 

 give mo your opinion. (2) 



I have a few varieties of colored seedlings, of which 

 I may give }ou an account hereafter. If you can obtain 

 for nio any lialla from the Long Red potato, J will see 

 what new varieties can be produced from it. (j ) 

 Your obedient servant, 



S. WORCESTER. 

 P. S. — There arc some reasons for preferring colored 

 potatoes, which I have not mentioned. They are not 



Remarks by the Editor. — (1.) The potatoes sent us 1 

 Mr Worcester, we have found good. We had no id) 

 until we received this letter, that he had undt-rtaken 

 extensively the production of new varieties from t 

 seed. It is a good work that he or his son has undi 

 taken, and we wish him success and profit in it. 



(2.) It never before occurred to u^, even lo inqui 

 whether the color of the potato had any inBuence up 

 its keeping properties. The remarks of Mr W. corrc 

 pond with our own expeiience, excepting in regard 

 one variety, which we call the Jackson. We ha 

 known this potato about three years — it is llie whitt 

 potato we are acquainted with, and at the same time 

 is the best we know of for spring and summar use. \ 

 will gladly furnish our «orrespondent with some 

 them. They ore not yet known, we think, in Bost 

 market, but are highly prized in Salem, by such fa. 

 ilies as have used them. A few of them were brouj, 

 to that neighborhood two years ago last spring, frc 

 Berkshire county. We know not of any others li 

 them in this vicinity — but in journeying last June, 

 found them on the table of our host at the public hoi 

 in Brattleboro', Vt., and they were the only good po 

 toes we met with on out Journey of more than a fo 

 night. We thank our correspondent for starting his 

 quiry, but we are forced by the above fact lo dot 

 wlietiier color alone ^ or chiefly, determines the fieepi 

 properties. Is it not quite as moch the time of ripenin, 

 Ife have no fixed opinion upon the subject. 



(3.) We will try to send the balls of the Long Red 

 (4.) We have had no experience with green crops 

 a manure, and are unable to furnish any tiling defin 

 in reply to the question here put lo us. 



(■'>.) Our potatoes are bad enough, we know — but 

 had never dreamed that among all the " notions" of li 

 good people of our city, they held the aforesaid prei 

 dice. Perhaps they do : — how to remedy the evil whi 

 our country friends complain of, we know not, unlesi 

 be by encouraging our friend Worcester to go on w 

 his originations of better sorts, till he gets them in 8U 

 abundance that we can all learn what good potatoes i 

 — and having learned this, there can be no doubt tl 

 our publicans will eschew the bad and cleave lo 1 

 good. In a word, send in better potatoes from Bridj 

 water and elsewhere, and we will guaranty that th 

 shall be set before our country visitors. As to the foi 

 in"", we cannot promise much improvement. There 

 an old saying that " the Lord sends provisions, but'| 

 somebudij else " sends cooks." 



trees in many places by the severity of tlie past winter, ; so liable to be eaten by worms. Where they are plant, 

 and the injury to others by the frosts in the spring, the ! ed side by side with the v\ bites, this is very apparent, 

 display of this favorite fiuit was not very remarkable, Potatoes which are injured by exposure to the air, are 

 thouj;h respectable. I unwli(desoinc ; and it may be doubted whether they are 



Of the luscious clusters of Grapes from open ground better for cattle than for men. 



dXThe Cattle Show of the Bristol Co. Agricuitu 

 Society, takes place at Taunton, October 4th. 



The Show of the Middlesex Society will be holden 

 the same day at Concord. 



There is an odious ppirit in many persons who i 

 belter pleased to detect a fault than to commend a virli 



