Detroit, Mich, Oct. 24, 1881, 
Isaac F. Tillinghast, 
Dear Sir: We planted the 
the sample [Belle] you so kindly sent us with 
our other Sorts and it gave a large yield of very 
large potatoes, particularly for this season. The 
medium sized ones were very fine form, and 
handsome, but the larger ones were disposed 
to have deep folds about the seed end which gave 
them a coarse appearance. They were however 
solid, and when cooked of fine quality; remark- 
bly fine for so large a potato. 
Yours Truly, 
Will W. Tracy. 
For D. M. Ferry & Co. 
• 
Darlington, Wis. Oct. 10, 1881. 
Isaac F. Tillinghast, 
Dear Sir: The “Belle ,, Po¬ 
tatoes are very nice. From one pound I raised 
one and one half bushels of mostly large pota¬ 
toes. The Essex Hybrid Squash is quite pro¬ 
lific, and both are of excellent quality. 
J. B. Merriam. 
Clinton Hollow, N, Y., Sept. 18, 1881. 
Mr. I. F. Tillinghast, 
I purchased one half 
pound (one tuber) of the Belle Potato, planted it 
May 31, in ten hills. I dug them Aug. 31, and 
had 33 pounds of very large ones. There were 
fewer small ones among them than among any 
variety I have ever tried. Soil, muck 6 or 8 
inches deep underlaid with stone. 
Very Sincerely Yours, 
Augustus T. Cookingham. 
Ilion, N. Y., Sept. 15, 1881. 
Mr. Tillinghast. 
Dear Sir: The one pound of 
“Belle” Potatoes I bought of you last spring I 
planted the ICth of May, each eye separately, 
from 8 to 12 inches apart. From the pound I 
harvested, the 5th of September, 84 pounds. 
Some of the tubers weighed more than one lb. 
each. I planted on good garden soil with¬ 
out manure. Have tried the quality and find 
them first class. 
P. S. It has been very dry this season. 
Yours Truly, S. P. Sargent. 
Office of Secretary Hebron Agricultural Society, 
West Hebron, N. Y., Oct. 7, 1881. 
Mr. I.F. Tillinghast, 
Dear Sir: Last spring I re¬ 
ceived from you one pound of the “Belle” 
17 
Potato. Unfortunately I planted the seed on a 
poor soil, and the drouth and grubs seriously 
nterfered with the yield, yet I harvested nearly 
a hushel of very nice potatoes. I like them ex¬ 
ceedingly well, will give them better ground 
next year and expect better results. I exhibit¬ 
ed the Belle with fourteen other varieties, at our 
fair, and it received much praise for its fine ap¬ 
pearance. Accept thanks for copies of Seed- 
Time and Harvest. No. eight was received tc 
day. Yours With Respect, 
J. E. Me Clellan. 
Malvern, Iowa, Dec. 20, 1881. 
Mr. I. F. Tillinghast, 
Dear Sir: The two barrels of 
“ Belle” potatoes ordered of you last spring ar¬ 
rived late in May in good order. Although they 
had been on the road thirty days in tight bar¬ 
rels in warm weather, their table qualities were 
superior. I planted them about the 8th of June!; 
they came up quicker than most other varieties, 
and grew in a manner that astonished me. When 
they were about to bloom, the drouth had be¬ 
come so severe that the buds dropped off, and the 
hot winds that blew for six weeks prostrated 
them to the ground. A few of the vines died 
during the drouth, but most of them lived and 
were somewhat benefited by the fall rains. When 
I had dug all my potatoes, consisting of more 
than a dozen of the finest new varieties, I found 
the “Belle” unequalled in size and product¬ 
iveness, and in quality and appearance unsur¬ 
passed ! I believe it is the coming potato, and 
will be worth millions to the people! 
I can make more money by planting “ Belle” 
potatoes at $4.00 per bushel, and sell them in the 
market at common price, than to plant Peach 
Blows or Early Rose, and have the seed given 
to me. Yours, respectfully. 
I. K. Hatfield. 
P. S.—The yield of common potatoes in this 
country is the nearest failure this year we have 
ever known. I. K. H. 
The poorest possible plan for harvesting po¬ 
tatoes is to dig them early and leave them in 
pitts until late fall. We are more and more in¬ 
clined to the opinion that the better way is to 
leave them undug until late in September. 
Then dig when dry and place them immediately 
in a cool dry cellar. We have handled hund¬ 
reds of bushels this season and have not yet seen 
three rotten tubers. 
Potatoes which are to be eaten should be 
kept in the dark. Light soon spoils them. 
