502 Transactions of the American Institute. 



impressed witli the importance of keeping a warm temperature. One 

 grower has a stove in his wagon, so that tlie potatoes shall get no 

 chill in ffoinnr to market. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — In the south they have the sweet potato and 

 the yam ; in New Jersey, the sweet potato only. In the south they 

 plant whole tubers ; at the north the vines are started in a bed and 

 cuttings or shoots transplanted. 



Mr. Henry T. "Williams. — In Delaware they plow only three inches 

 deep, and yet raise fine potatoes. The Delaware sweet potatoes are 

 better than the southern. 



Dr. Miller. — I doubt whether Delaware potatoes are equal to those 

 from the south. If a market man has the Delaware potato for sale 

 he will say they are better than the southern. 



Mr. T. C. Peters. — Judging from my observations while at the 

 south, the people there were very successful in that section in preserv- 

 ing the sweet potato. They put them in barrels with holes in the 

 bottom, which permitted a circulation and gave a vent through which 

 to carry off the moisture. The potato was thus preserved in prime 

 order for family use. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble spoke of the difference in climate between 

 South Carolina and !New Jersey. He said one of the most extensive 

 producers of the sweet potato in Gloucester county adopted very 

 much the plan suggested by Mr. Carey, who carried the caution with 

 regard to the proper temperature to such a degree that he had stoves 

 placed in his wagons in which he removed his sweet potatoes to market. 

 The curious spectacle might be seen any day in winter of his wagons 

 on their way to market with the smoking chimney-stacks of loco- 

 motives. There once prevailed an idea that sweet potatoes required a 

 very deep soil, but that was now exj^loded. All competent to form 

 an intelligent opinion preferred a short and thick sweet potato, raised 

 in a shallow soil, to a long and slim one raised on a deep soil 

 (applause) ; another argument against deep soil plowing. 



The Mercer Potato, 



Mr. N. C. Jessup, Westhampton, Suffolk county, L. I., sends to 

 the club a sample of Mercer potatoes. The seed was from Maine ; 

 has been planted here four years ; they do not rot, and improve in 

 quality every year. There were three lots planted year before last ; 

 they did not rot when every piece of the old Mercer rotted. They 

 yield as well as any potato that we have. I measured twelve rods of 

 ground, and they yielded at the rate of 325 bushels per acre. 



