192 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



Being thus repulsed, he attempted on his own account what he 

 felt should be undertaken by the state. Mr. Goodrich commenced 

 his experiments about 1848 and at various times for many years 

 imported potatoes from South America, and from these and their 

 progeny he raised many seedlings. Among eight kinds re'i:eived 

 at one importation (probably from Chili) was a variety that he 

 called the Rough Purple Chili. It ripened late in the season and 

 was generally hollow, but it had flesh of fine texture and was 

 free from rot. From seed saved from this he raised the Garnet 

 Chili, which was a popular variety for many years in New York 

 state. The Garnet Chili was parent of the Early Rose and of 

 Brazee's Prolific and other Brazee seedlings and, indeed, of 

 nearly all of the desirable varieties of Europe and America which 

 have been prized for half a century. Although from some of his 

 other importations he also raised a few very good sorts, yet the 

 progeny of the Rough Purple Chili gave him the most valuable 

 kinds. Among Goodrich's other seedlings were Gleason, Calico, 

 Harrison and Early Goodric)ti. The latter was the parent of 

 tne Chicago Market. 



Mr. Goodrich is said to have raised about sixteen thousand 

 seedling potatoes from 1848 to 1864. Out of this large number 

 he found only about one in a thousand that he thought enough 

 better than the old sorts to make it appear probable that they 

 would be desirable for cultivation. The work that he did in this 

 line has been of great value to Europe and America. 



Soil and Manure. — If given proper treatment, potatoes can 

 be grown on soil of almost any composition, provided it is well 

 drained, but a light, rich soil is best. The kind of soil to 

 some extent affects the quality of the tubers; grown on sandy 

 soil, they are generally of better table quality than on clay soils, 

 and when grown on muck land the skin is generally dark col- 

 ored and the flesh not mealy. New soil is most desirable, and in 

 it the tubers are generally healthy; sod land is m.ost excellent 

 for this crop, but the "seed" should always be under the sod and 

 not on top of it. If planted on the sod the crop is very certain 

 to suffer from drouth in dry seasons. It rs not generally advisa- 

 ble to manure the land the season of planting potatoes, hut 

 preferably to apply it to some previous crop, but if manure is to 



