268 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



a plate, with alternate layers of salt ; raise one side of tlie 

 plate, that the juice may run off. In half an hour wash them 

 well in fresh water, and fry them quite brown in batter. 



Solanum Tuberosum — Potato. 



The Irish potato is a perennial plant, cultivated for its 

 tuberous roots. It is reported to have been brought into 

 England from Virginia, by Raleigh in 1854, but as he never 

 visited Virginia, he probably obtained it from some other 

 portion of this continent. Though called the Irish potato 

 it is really a native of the mountain parts of South Amer- 

 ica, whence roots have recently been obtained differing 

 very little from the cultivated varieties. Notwithstanding 

 its excellence and complete adaptation to the English cli- 

 mate, it appears to have come slowly into use. Raleigh 

 planted it on his Irish estate near Cork, but it is only 

 within about a hundred years that its culture has been 

 general even in Ireland. In 1780, very few individuals 

 in this country raised as large a crop as five bushels. Of 

 the numerous varieties at this time, the best perhaps for 

 garden culture are : — , 



Fox Seedling. — A medium sized, round, white potato, of 

 fine flavor when it first matures, but does not keep for win- 

 ter. Liable to the rot. 



Mercer. — Long, kidney shaped, flattish, full of eyes, and 

 often knobbed, spotted with pink at the small end. It is 

 early and productive, but liable to the rot. 



Mammoth Nutmeg. — Is a new variety, highly recom- 

 mended by Mapes as productive, and not liable to decay. 

 It produces seed, showing that it still possesses more con- 

 stitutional vigor than most other varieties. 



Many other varieties have great celebrity in different 

 sections of the country, among which are Early Kidneys, 

 Pink Eyes, Foxite, Blue Jackets, &c. But the fact is, all 



