492 JOURNAL OF THE ROVAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Potato Growing in Ohio. By F. H. Ballon {U.S.A. Exp. Sin. 

 Ohio, Bull. 218; June 1910 ; plates). — Potato culture in Ohio is 

 rapidly developing into a vast industry. This bulletin discusses 

 various questions which confront the grower, gives hints on planting 

 and culture, and on spraying, and adds a classified list of varieties. 

 The writer insists that much of the confusion into which growers 

 fall among the hundreds of varieties offered by seedsmen, and many 

 of the complaints made that old varieties are re-named and sent out 

 as new, arise from the fact that there are several distinct t}'pes or 

 families of potatos. The hundreds of varieties of different origin 

 may be classified in these several groups. There are many varieties of 

 separate and distinct origin which follow a single type so closely as 

 not to be readily distinguished from each other either by habit of 

 growth or character of tuber, even by an expert potato specialist. 

 The classification suggested by the writer reduces the groups to the 

 least possible number, and is based principally upon similarity of 

 tuber rather than upon similarity of plant. The groups he gives 

 are : — The Triumph Group, Early Market Group, Early Ohio Group, 

 Early Rose Group, Green Mountain Group, Seneca Beauty Group, 

 Rural New Yorker Group, and he mentions a few varieties belonging 

 to each. 



Spraying for fungus diseases and insect pests is strongly advised, 

 and directions are given for making Bordeaux mixture for this 

 purpose. 



When Bordeaux mixture is needed for different sprayings during 

 the season, much time and inconvenience may be saved by making 

 up a "stock solution" of copper sulphate, which solution will keep 

 indefinitely without deterioration. 



Use a good barrel ; remove one of the heads and fill to within 

 6 or 8 inches of the top with water, measuring the water by gallons. 

 Weigh out in a sack as many pounds of copper sulphate as the number 

 of gallons of water in the barrel. Tie the sack with strong twine 

 close down to the contents, leaving a loop through which a stick may 

 be thrust. Suspend the sack in the water by resting the stick across 

 the top of the barrel in such a way that the bag will be but partially 

 submerged. When the contents of the sack are dissolved each gallon 

 of water will contain one pound of copper sulphate. It is well slightly 

 to stir the solution before measuring out a portion for use. When 

 the Bordeaux mixture is to be used proceed thus : — 



Pour four gallons of the stock solution into the spray barrel and 

 add water until the barrel is half filled ; this weakening is necessary 

 before adding the lime, or a curdled mixture will result. Weigh out 

 in a bucket 5 lb. of fresh hydrated lime (known as " builder's 

 lime," "flour lime," "sack lime," &c). Add water to it, stirring 

 vigorously and pouring off the "milk of lime" or thin whitewash 

 into a second vessel until all the lime is dissolved. Strain, dilute 

 still further through a fine-meshed brass wire strainer into the dilute 

 copper solution, churning vigorously as the lime is being added. A 



