546 Transactions of the A^fERicAN Institute. 



brought forward ; and, by the way, I am interested in this branch of 

 farminpj, as I am a potato grower and buyer, and am also located in 

 a potato growing section, Monroe county, K. Y. We send thousands 

 of ban-els from this town annually to New York, for table use, and 

 also for seed for the southern States, I believe it an all-important 

 fact that farmers who are growing potatoes for market and for profits, 

 eliould be posted in regard to the best kinds to plant, not only for 

 profit, but also in point of quality. I believe that the seedling Mer- 

 cer is the best variety known as a table potato ; they also command 

 the highest price in market. For winter use the peachblow stands 

 next in the list, and the white peachblow takes the preference above 

 the red, but the quality is the same. And the Dykeman, for early 

 use, I believe to be the best early variety known. We grow them in 

 this section for seed for the ISTew York market ; they are sent south 

 as far as Norfolk, Ya., and after repeated trials of other new varie- 

 ties, it is now conceded that the Dykeman is the best early variety. 

 We have tried the early Goodrich here, and we find that it is not 

 only a common potato in quality, but no better to produce than other 

 kinds. The Harrison is a profitable potato for farmers to plant, but 

 the quality is about like the Goodrich, They will, no doubt, do well 

 where potatoes are liable to disease. The Early Rose seems to be good 

 in quality, and as an early potato to plant in gardens will do, but for 

 market will not compare with the Dj^keman. 



Guinea Fowls. 



Islx. Smith, of North Islip, Long Island, solicited information with 

 Teference to these turbulent and pugnacious birds, and would par- 

 ticularly like to know how to distinguish the sexes. 



Mr. S. E. Todd, in answer to the query, said that other " people 

 besides the writer of the letter, had been troubled in a similar way, 

 and he thought that a desolate Guinea fowl all alone on a Long 

 Island solitude would be puzzled itself to tell to which sex it properly 

 belonged. Nevertheless, the question is of consequence, because 

 wherever Guinea fowls are kept, there should be an equal number of 

 each sex, for they pair like pigeons, and therefore Mr. Smith's inquiry 

 is in point. Tegetmire, the author of a valuable European treatise 

 on poultry, says the male of Guinea fowls has a higher casque than 

 the female, -and the wattles are larger and of a bluish red color, while 

 those of the female are smaller and of a deeper red. Mr. Bement 

 says there is but one unerring distinguishing characteristic, namely, 



