56 Richard Frotschcr^s Almanac and Garden Manual 



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



sprout. The early varieties are preferable for this time of planting. i 



I have been liandling several thousand b-trrels of potatoes | 



every season for planting, and make seed potatoes a specialty. ! 



The potatoes I sell are Eastern grovri); which, as every one iii^^er- : 



ested ia potato culture knows, are superior a-'d preferable to i 



Western grown. Eleven years ago I introduced the Peerless | 



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



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



suit our climate, I contracted the following year for a considerable | 



lot, and urged my castomers to plant them. ^STo one has been i 

 disappointed in the result. It was during the same vear that 

 amongst a lot of Jackson Whites sent out here from New York, 



there were one hundred barrels of Peerless Potatoes. Merchants i 



are not very particular in regard to name, and they were sold for ; 



Goodrich, Jackson Whites, or anything else they resembled. | 



They are well known now, and the kind mostly yjlanted. I brought I 



out six years ago the Extra Early Yermont, Brownell'.^ Beauty, | 



and Compton's Surprise. The latter variety I have di-caided; j 



it is not salable on accouut of its purplish color. Five years ago i 



the Snowflake was the sensation. I 



After another year's trial I have discarded the BrowelFs | 



Beauty. It is of very good quality, productive, but not salable j 

 in the market on account of color^ which resembles the Eusset, 



one of the most common potatoes received h^re from the West. I 



I have had six other new varieties under trial, but did not find I 



anything to justify the high price asked for them for our section, i 



The Alpha is a fine white early kin<l, but not prodiiCiive. Euby ' 



and other varieties are pinkish, which always is an objection for j 



this market. These fancy prices for new potatoes do not pay | 



here, as we can keep none over for seed, and any person raising i 



for the market would not realize a cent more for a new fanc}' vari- 1 



ety per ba.rrel, than for a barrel of good Peerless or Eaily Pose, i 



Earliuess is no consideration, as we plant from December to end I 



of March. Somebody may plant Early Kose in December and ! 



another in February, and those planted in February come to I 



the market first ; depends entirely upon the season. If late frosts | 



set in, early planted potatoes will be cut down, and those just, com- ' 



ing out of the ground will not be hurt. The Jackson White has I 



given but little satisfaction this and last year, except in cases ! 



where planted very early. The yield was very good, but the | 



quality poor and very knotty. Perh 'ps this was the fault of the i 



season. It is hardly planted any more for the market. Up to ! 



now the Peerless is the standard variety. Among the new kinds j 



I have tried, I find the White Elephant to be a fiue potato. It is j 



a very strong grower, tubers oblong, very productive, good j 



quality and fiavor. It is late and will come in at the end of the ! 



season if planted with the earlier varieties. So far the price has j 



been too high, buc expect this year to have some to s; 11. " j 



Early Rose. This is, without any doubt, the best pot to 

 for the table. It is oval, very shallow-eyed, pink-skinned, very 



