56 Richard Frotscher’s Almanac and Garden Manual 
previous with Cow Peas, which were plowed under, it will be in good 
condition for Potatoes. Good sized tubers should be selected for 
planting, which can be cut in pieces not too small; each piece ought 
to contain at least three eyes. Plant in drills from two to three 
feet apart, according to the space and how to be cultivated afterwards. 
For field culture two and a half to three feet apart; for garden, two 
feet will answer. We plant. potatoes here from end of December to 
end of March, but the surest time is about the first of February. If 
planted early they should be planted deeper than if planted late, and 
hilled up as they grow. If potatoes are planted shallow and not hilled 
soon, they will suffer more, if caught by a late frost, than if planted 
deep and hilled up well. Early potatoes have not the same value here 
as in the North, as the time of planting is so long, and very often the 
first planting gets cut down by a frost, and a later planting, which may 
just be peeping through the ground, will escape and produce in ad- 
vance of the first planted. A fair crop of potatoes can be raised here, 
if planted in August; if the Autumn is not too dry they will bring nice 
tubers by end of November. They should not be cut if planted at this 
time of the year, but planted whole. They should be put in a moist 
place before planting, so they may sprout. The early varieties are 
preferable for this time of planting. 
I have been handling several thousand barrels of potatoes every 
season for planting, and make seed potatoes a specialty. The potatoes 
I sell are Eastern grown, which, as every one interested in potato 
culture knows, are superior and preferabe to Western grown. Twelve 
years ago I introduced the Peerless Potato here. I then only re- 
ceived ten barrels, as the price was high; but seeing the fine qualities 
of the same, and finding it to suit our climate, I contracted the follow- 
ing year for a considerable lot, and urged my customers to plant 
them. No one has been disappointed in the result. It was during the 
same year that amongst a lot of Jackson Whites sent out here from 
New York, there were one hundred barrels of Peerless Potatoes. 
Merchants are not very particular in regard to name, ‘and they were 
sold for Goodrich, Jackson Whites, or anything else they resembled. 
They are well kown now, and the kind mostly planted. I brought 
out seven years ago the Extra Early Vermont, Brownell’s Beauty, and 
Compton’s Surprise. The latter variety I have discarded; it is not 
salable on account of its purplish color. Six years ago the Snow- 
flake was the sensation. 
After another year’s trial I have discarded the Brownell’s Beauty. 
It is of very good quality, productive, but not salable in the market 
on account of its color, which resembles the Russet, one of the most com- 
mon potatoes received here from the West. I have had six other new 
varieties under trial, but did not find anything to justify the high 
price asked for them for our section. The Alpha is a fine white early 
kind, but not productive. Ruby and other varieties are pinkish, which 
always is an objection for this market. These fancy prices for new 
potatoes do not pay here, as we can keep none over for seed, and any 
person raising for the market would not realize a cent more for a new 
fancy variety per barrel, than for a barrel of good Peerless or Early 
Rose. Earliness is no consideration, as we plant from December to 
