PETER HENDERSON & CO.'s CATALOGUE OF SEEDS. 67 



POTATO. 



German, Kartoffel. — French, Pomme de Terre. 



The Potato, like all robust-growing vegetables, can be grown with varying success on soils of 

 all kinds, and in all conditions of fertility, but the soil best suited to it is a sandy loam. In all 

 heavy soils it is more subject to disease, and the flavor is also much inferior. In breaking up 

 good pasture land, the decaying sod answers sufficiently well for the first year in lieu of manure. 

 Manure is applied either in rows or hills, or broadcast over the hills and plowed in— the latter in 

 most cases being preferable. If the soil is good, but little manure is required. In highly enrich- 

 ed soil the plants are more liable to disease than when grown in soil that is naturally good. The 

 best fertilizers are those of a dry or absorbent nature, as plaster, lime, super-phosphate of lime, 

 and bone dust. For wet soils, these are particularly beneficial, as they not only promote growth, 

 but prevent disease. Plant as early in spring as the ground can be had in fair working order, in 

 hills or ridges, about three feet apart ; covering in light warm soils, about four inches deep, but in 

 cold, wet situations, two and a half or three inches will be sufficient. 



III? POTATOES 101 1877. 



The following varieties reached us too late to be classed under their proper heading among 

 our Novelties. We therefore give them here, with the descriptions as sent us by the introducers. 



BROWNELL'S CENTENNIAL. 



This new seedling potato was originated by E. S. Brownell. the originator of that well-known 

 and favorite variety "BrownelFs Beauty." It was produced in 1874, and is a cross between 

 Brownell's Beauty and the White Peach Blow. The vines are stout, and vigorous ; foliage dark 

 green. The tubers are compactly clustered around the base of the stalks, consequently easy to 

 dig; are of a good medium and uniform size; shape nearly round, somewhat flattened, very 

 symmetrical, remarkably uniform and handsome, never rough or spongy, eyes few and quite 

 small; stem set in a shallow, round basin; skin of a deep red color, smooth and uniform in 

 coloring; season, second early or medium. Its flesh is of exceedingly fine grain, white, and 

 when boiled or baked of a lightness and porosity seldom equalled; cook through evenly, without 

 any hard or watery core. 



During the past two seasons it has proved to be one of the most productive varieties ; its 

 tubers were perfect in every respect, never hollow; and their excellent and delicate flavor places 

 them in the first ranks of our best table potatoes. 



Price. — Per pound, $1.00; 3 pounds to one address, $2.50, by mail, prepaid. By express or 

 freight charges paid by the purchaser, \ peck $3.00, 1 peck, $5.00. 



BROWNELL'S SUPERIOR. 



The parentage of this variety is the same as that of the "Centennial." It was produced in 

 1873, from a seed ball of Brownell's Beauty, fertilized with Peachblow. The yield of this new 

 seedling potato is enormous; six hundred and seventy -three pounds were grown from one pound 

 of seed, during a season of unprecedented drouth, when many older varieties did not yield, enough 

 to paj r for the digging. Its tubers are medium to large, elongated, oval or cylindrical, of a pecu- 

 liar dark copper color, and very uniform and handsome in appearance. Skin very fine and 

 smooth, eyes few and small. The vines are strong and healthy, and the growth of the roots and 

 tubers close around the stalks. It ripens second early or medium late; keeps well during winter, 

 and retains its mealiness and excellent table qualities through the entire season. A certificate of 

 of merit was awarded to this variety at the great International Potato Exhibition at London, 

 last September. 



Price. — $1.00 per pound; 3 pounds, $2.50, by mail to one address, postpaid. By express or 

 freight, charges to be paid by purchaser, \ peck $3.00; 1 peck $5.00. 



IMPROVED PEACHBLOW. 



A cross between the " Jersey Peachblow " and " Excelsior," grown in 1873 by an experienced 

 hybridizer of Vermont, who has devoted many years to experimenting with the potato. It par- 

 takes some characteristics of each of its parents ; the vines and leaves having the appearance of 

 the " Excelsior." while its tubers resemble the "Peachblow. " The form of the tubers, however, 

 is more round and regular than that of the " Peachblow. " While in quantity it fully equals that 

 old standard market sort, in productiveness it far excels the same, yielding nearly double as 

 much per acre. Its season of ripening is somewhat earlier than that of the " Peachblow," and 

 the growth of its tubers is more compact and closer in the Mils, Taking all its points together, 

 it may be considered a rejuvenated and reinvigorated "Peachblow," combining all the best qual 

 ities of that general favorite, in its best days, with the additional advantages of earlier ripening 

 and more compact growth. 



Price. — $1.00 per pound; 3 pounds for $2.00, by mail to one address, postpaid. By express 

 or freight, charges to be paid by the purchaser, \ peck, $3.00, 1 peok, $5.00. 



