POTATOES FROM SEED. 
43 
fact is, that no man ought to grow from the 
same seed, on the same ground, although there 
is no impropriety in his cultivating the same 
varieties. Again, no one ought to grow 
Potatoes at all on the same spot two seasons 
following. It is true, there are lands that will 
bring them well enough to pay, — but it is like 
driving a horse douhle stages, he cannot do 
the work so well, and he is all the worse for 
it when it is done, although the unfeeling 
owner, who thinks of nothing hut the present, 
has not calculated upon the harm done to the 
willing beast. The raising of Potatoes from 
seed, is to produce new varieties, which, upon 
some point or other, are better for particular 
purposes than the old ones. There are many 
points worth seeking in a new Potato, — 
earlier, later, more hardy, larger, smoother, a 
different shape, a different colour, a more 
extensive bearer, a more dwarf habit ; thin- 
ner skin if early, thicker skin if late ; these, 
and many other points, would be desirable in 
new kinds, even supposing they are not one 
jot better in flavour ; and for many years, 
practical men have been raising seedlings, and 
adding new and good sorts to those already 
possessed, although the wise men who have 
ascertained that Potatoes deteriorate, suggest 
it as a new thing. There may be some colour 
for an inexperienced man's conclusion, that 
Potatoes wear out, in the fact, that when even 
a popular variety is fairly beaten by a new 
one, sensible men cultivate the new, and 
abandon the old ; but it does not follow, nor 
is it the fact, that the old one had got worse, 
but simply that the new one proved better, 
which will alone account for the abandoning 
of the undeprecated, but still beaten variety. 
There are early Potatoes called Fox's seedling ; 
it was for years popular, because it was early 
and well-flavoured ; but it was always a bad 
cropper. It is as good now as it was the first 
season it was grown, but we have Potatoes as 
handsome, as well-flavoured, and as early that 
crop well. Does the abandoning of Fox's seed- 
ling proclaim that it has got worse ? By no 
means, — it only follows as a matter of course, 
when m 'ii prefer a heavy to a light crop. 
These silly assumptions and false conclusions 
arise from a want of practical knowledge, and 
a desire among a class of theorists, to be per- 
petually dabbling in literature, the name by 
which they dignify their lucubrations. That 
there is great encouragement for the raising of 
seedlings, where so much is to be gained, is 
certain, and no possible evil could come of a 
universal disposition to raise them. In this 
purpose of giving the amateur an opportunity 
of indulging in this gratifying pursuit, we 
offer a few practical suggestions, perfectly 
applicable to the conditions of most unprofes- 
sional persons who have a garden. We do not 
in this case go into the minutia of seed-sow- 
ing, nor do we think it worth recommending 
any particular crop of the sorts to produce the 
seed. Nature is in this instance sportive 
enough — and we have had from a single Potato 
plum almost every form and colour that can be 
imagined. There will be no difficulty in pro- 
curing seed. In the month of April sow this 
in a slight hot-bed, as you would Dahlia seed. 
As soon as it is up, and the plants are large 
enough tohandlewell, put oneeach in three-inch 
pots, and place them all in the same and other 
similar slight hot-beds ; give them air, and 
shade them from the sun with calico, or some 
other slight fabric, that will not impede the 
light, otherwise they will draw ; as soon as the 
weather will permit safely, dig a piece of well- 
conditioned ground, not fresh dunged, and plant 
them out one foot apart in rows, three feet 
from each other, without disturbing the balls 
of earth, quite level with the surface ; water 
them in well, and when the ground has dried 
a little, earth them up neatly about three 
inches. It may seem to be taking some trouble 
that may be dispensed with, to treat them in 
this way, but the reward is in obtaining the 
first season a full-sized crop, enabling you at 
once to calculate upon what the several varie- 
ties will do, instead of procuring, as we do in 
the ordinary way, a stunted crop, which has 
to be planted another year, before we can form 
any notion of the natural size. When the haulm 
of any one has died down, or turned yellow, 
dig it up, and if it exhibit no promise, throw 
it away. For instance, those with the eyes 
deeply sunk are perfectly useless, — we have 
so many good ones, that are plump, and cause 
no waste. If speck}', or scaly, or very rough, 
there is no temptation to keep them, unless it 
should happen in either of these cases that 
there is some other extraordinary quality. If, 
however, you find a well-formed, plump Po- 
tato, with a clear skin, and the tubers run 
pretty even, as to size, it may be worth mark- 
ing and laying by with a description. As 
others die down, dig them also, and reject or 
preserve them, as they seem to deserve. 
Many will be found with no tubers at the 
root ; others with very few ; some others, with 
one or two large, and the rest all diminutive ; 
none of them can be any great acquisition, 
nor are they worth trying again, unless there 
is some remarkable difference from all others 
in their form or colour. In a general way, 
all those with long straggling branches, and 
large quantities of foliage, are useless ; and 
those, on the contrary, with very dwarf foliage, 
are proportionality desirable, because they do 
not deprive the earth of the sun and air, both 
of which are essential to the swelling and 
maturing of the tubers. In this way you con- 
tinue to dig only such as indicate ripeness by 
