62 RICHARD FROTSCHER’S ALMANAC AND GARDEN MANUAL 
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. 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 po- 
tatoes 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 afrost, and a late planting, 
which may just be peeping through the ground, will escape and producein 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 the 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 
preferable to Western grown. 
I have tried and introduced all new kinds here: but of late so many have come 
out that it is almost impossible to keep up with them. New varieties of potatoes 
come out with fancy prices, but these 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 fora barrel of good Peer- 
less or Early Rose. Earliness is no consideration, as we plant from December to 
end of March. Somebody may plant Early Rose in December and another in Feb- 
ruary, and those planted in February come to the market first; it depends entirely 
upon the season. Iflate frosts set in, early planted potatoes will be cut down, and 
those just coming out of the ground will not be hurt. The Jackson White has given 
but little satisfaction the last four years, except in cases where planted very early. 
The yield was very good, but the quality poor and very Knotty. Perhaps this was 
the fault of the season. Itis hardly planted any more for the market. Up to now 
the Peerless is the standard variety. Among the new kindsI have tried, I find the 
White Elephant to be a fine potato. Itisavery strong grower, tubers oblong, very 
productive, good quality and flavor. It is late, and will come in at the end of the 
season, if planted with the earlier varieties. The Extra Early Vermont, Beauty of 
Hebron, Snowflake and Early Rose for early, and Peerless and White Elephant for 
late, are as good varieties as exist, and it is not likely that we will have anything 
better by new introductions. The Rural Blush, which I introduced two years ago, 
may be added to the late varieties; it is of excellent quality, strong grower, and. 
yields heavily. Most people are not careful enough in selecting their.seed. Some 
of the potatoes sold in this market for seed are not fit for planting.. 
Early Rose. This is, without any ; should not be planted too soon, from the 
doubt, the best potato for the table. | fact that they make small stalks, and 
It is oval, very shallow-eyed, pink- | cut down by frost, they suffer more than 
skinned, very dry, and mealy when | other varieties; but they want rich, 
boiled. It has not become so popular | light soil to grow tc perfection. 
as it deserves as a market variety, as | Breese’s Peerless. Fourteen years 
pink or red potatoes do not sell so well | ago this variety was introduced, yet at 
here as the white kinds. This variety | present it isthe leading variety for mar- 
