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3 
potato memory—who sowed the seeds. 
From the seeds in this chance ball, picked 
without any selection, came ‘‘Early Rose,” 
“Breese’s Prolific,” and sevaral others, all 
of excellent quality, but all very different, 
some being white, others red; some long, 
others round, some early and some late; 
indeed from that one, and now famous seed 
ball, were raised potatoes different among 
themselves as much as potatoes can differ. 
In view of the results from this single seed 
ball, we doubt many of the stories of direct 
crossing. Still, if one wishes to experiment 
in this, the flower of the potato affords an 
easy subject, as the anthers do not shed 
their pollen early, and if removed as soon 
as the flower opens,the pollen from another 
flower can be readily applied to the pistil 
As to raising potatoes from the seed, the 
balls are kept until the time for sowing, 
when the seeds are removed and treated 
precisely as tomato seeds. They are start¬ 
ed in boxes in the green house, the hot-bed, 
or in the kitchen window, (Mr. Breese fol¬ 
lowed the last named method ) and the 
plants treated exactly like tomato plants, 
save that they may be set in the open 
ground somewhat earlier. Mr. Breese in¬ 
formed us that the original plant of ‘'Early 
Rose’’ gave him several good sized tubers 
the first year, and stated that in his exper¬ 
ience. it a seedling potato did not do this 
the first season, it was not worth while to 
continue to grow it. 
Culture of Celery. 
Celery needs rich, friable, deep soil, and 
much moisture. It is very impatient of 
any check. The best of treatment will not 
restore plants that have been once stunted 
to a condition of free, tender growth until 
much time has been lost, and the season 
probably passed. It grows very slowly at 
first, and does not endure transplanting 
well when large. So, as it must have the 
whole season in order to attain large size— 
growing best when the air is rather cool 
and humid—it is customary to sow the seed 
in a small bed or frame in May, to set the 
plants out, four inches apart, as soon as 
they can be handled, and then lifting them 
to their final rows, where they must be 
much further apart,in ground that has been 
well manured for some such early crop as 
potatoes, onions or peas. The hot weather 
which ripens these also stops the growth of 
the celery. During this partial rest—in 
July—the celery plants can be lifted each 
with a good ball, or else carried with the 
roots in water or otherwise moist; and then 
if set neatly and rapidly, and watered free¬ 
ly, they will grow on without drooping, 
and the barbarous practice of covering 
them completely dark with boards need 
not be resorted to. If there are slugs in the 
soil, set bran to attract them to their death, 
or keep the surface rough and dusty, im¬ 
passable to them by frequent strewing of 
sifted dry coal ashes or charred rubbish. 
In growing the large sorts there is much 
advantage in setting them in compact rows 
—generally a double row, plants six inches 
apart—in the bottom of a narrow trench. 
Here they have cooler and moister air 
through August, and when the stems are 
large enough to be earthed up in order 
to blanch them it is done with less earth 
and labor. But the soil must be deep and 
rich, for it is absolutely necessary that the 
roots have prime soil to extend into. Fine 
friable soil or sifted ashes is necessary for 
the earthing up. It must only surround 
the stems, and not come in the way of the 
new* leaves shooting up out of the central 
plumule. Little rings of tin, of tw'o or 
three inches in diameter for medium 
sized sorts, are convenient to hold the 
stems erect ; for they naturally incline to 
spread, and are apt to break if bent much. 
The rings guide them upward, and are 
easily slipped higher when earthing, saving- 
time and trouble. The earthing should be 
deferred until a good growth has been 
made, yet it must be done while there is 
yet tw-o or three w r eeks of September or 
October growth, as neither the leaves nor 
the stems whiten merely by being kept in 
the dark—warmth and growth are requisite 
for it. Celery stored in a dark cellar at a 
ow temperature (just above freezing) will 
come out with the leaves of as fine a green 
as when put in, and stems equally un¬ 
changed. A grower on a large scale keeps 
ris celery by leaving the middle of three 
