For the ISoutliern States. 



55 



POTATOES. 



POxMME DE Terre (Ff.) Kartoffel (Ger.) 



Early Rose. 

 Jackson White. 

 Breese's Peerless. 

 Breese's Prolific. 



Russets. 



Extra Early Vermont. 



Snowflake. 



Beauty of Hebron. 



The past season has not been a profitable one for those engaged 

 in cnltivating potatoes ; only the very early planted netted a 

 good profit. The price dropped very quickly, and, owing to the 

 wet spring, the most potatoes were of poor quality, and were not 

 suitable for shipping. Where potatoes were good and could be 

 held till late in the season, the price was fair and paid well. 



Potatoes thrive and produce best in a light, dry but rich soil. 

 Well decomposed stable manure is the best, but if it cannot be 

 had, cotton seed meal, bone dust, or any other fertilizer should be 

 used to make the ground rich enough. If the ground was planted 

 the fall previous with Cow Peas which were plowed under, it will 

 be in good condition for potatoes. Good sized tubers should he 

 selected for planting, which can be cut in pieces net 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 po- 

 tatoes 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 billed up as they grow. 

 If potatoes are planted shallow and not hilled soon, they will suf- 

 fer 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 get cut down by a frost, and a later planting, which may 

 just be peeping through the ground, will escape and produce in 

 advance 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. Potatoes 

 from those raised in spring can be used for seed purposes. They 

 should be put in a moist place before planting, so they may 

 sprout. The early varieties are preferable for this time of plant- 

 ing. 



I have been handling several thousand barrels of potatoes 

 every season for planting, and make seed potatoes a speciality. 

 The potatoes I sell are Eastern grown, which, as every one inter- 

 ested in potato culture knows, are superior and preferable to 

 Western grown. Ten years ago I introduced the Peerless Potato 

 here. I then only received ten barrels, as the price was very 

 high ; but seeing the tine qualities of the same, and finding it to 

 suit our climate, I contracted the following 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 



