44 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



THE FANCHER SEEDLING GRAPE. 



This is a good grape ; it has all the characteristics of the Ca- 

 tawba, and your committee and others, without being informed 

 that it was a new grape, pronounced it the Catawba. From the 

 small quantity of grapes sent, and the late period at which they 

 were received, your committee consider injustice would be done 

 the exhibitor by passing judgment upon it this year. 



We therefore recommend that the silver medal of the Institute 

 be awarded to Mr. John W. Bailey for the Adirondac grape. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



JOSHUA WEAVER, 

 WM. S. CARPENTER, 

 A. S. PULLER, 

 New York, Feb. 2, 1863. Committee. 



Essay on the Culture of the Potato. 



BY P. T. QUINN, OF NEW JERSEY, FOR WHICH THE SILVER MEDAL OF THE AMERICAN 



INSTITUTE WAS AWARDED. 



The potato is a native of South America, and in the vicinity of 

 Quito is known under the name of papas. It was cultivated in 

 Virginia as early as 1584, and the colonists made free use of it as food. 



The potato is a species of a very large family of plants to be 

 found almost everywhere. Some individuals of this extensive 

 family are poisonous, while others, such as the egg plant and the 

 tomato, have yearly gained favor, until at present they are exten- 

 sively used. 



For many years past the potato has been subject to a disease 

 tnown under the name of the rot. There are three or four forms 

 in which this disease makes its appearance, such as the dry, black 

 and wet rots. Since this difficulty first assailed the potato crop 

 almost every person who cultivated a rod of ground has tried 

 experiments in the hopes of finding some specific to prevent its 

 ravages. Although thousands of pages have been written 

 emanating from various sources, each proposing remedies, still no 

 definite remedy is yet known. Some varieties are less subject to 

 this disease than others. For instance, I have grown Prince 

 Alberts and Mercers on the same piece of ground, both kinds 

 received the same treatment, culture, manure, etc., etc., and while 

 four-fifths of the latter was destroyed by the rot, the former were 

 sound and free from disease. 



Early planting has been practiced by many who grow this crop 

 for profit, and from my experience, and what I have collected from 

 others, the plan is quite likely to prevent disease. 



