the best and most productive. 
The question is often asked, ‘‘What va¬ 
rieties are best to furnish pollen for pistil¬ 
late sorts?’’ and the idea prevails with 
many that any perfect-flowered variety will 
answer. To produce the best results there 
are some varieties which we would never 
recommend for this purpose, There are 
some kinds having perfect flowers which 
do not furnish sufficient pollen to perfect¬ 
ly fertilize their own blossoms, especially 
in a dry time, which fact accounts for im¬ 
perfect berries and green ends often seen in 
some perfect flowered varieties, and also 
that some sorts are not *as prolific of ber¬ 
ries as blossoms. The Sharpless is one of 
these, and, from observation, we find it 
more productive when planted by the side 
of Finch’s Prolific, a strongly staminate va¬ 
riety. Wilson's Albany we have heretofore 
regarded the best pollen furnisher, and 
Finch’s Prolific, fully its equal in this par¬ 
ticular, we confidently recommend and be¬ 
lieve is destined to supersede Wilson's in 
every respect. 
Treatment of Plants. — F. E. Fassett 
& Bro. —When plants are received by mail, 
unpack carefully, place them in moderate¬ 
ly warm water and leave them there for a 
few minutes. If there is no danger from 
frost, plant them at once in the open 
ground, give them a thorough watering, 
shade and protect them from the full rays 
of the sun and from drying winds till they 
get established. Those intended for pot 
culture should be potted at once in pots not 
too large at first, and then shifted into 
larger pots as their growth demands, which 
will be when the roots begin to mat against 
the sides of the pot. The soil best adapted 
to most plants is a mixture of old, rotten 
turf and thoroughly decayed manure, in 
proportion of two-thirds of the former to 
one-third of the latter. If turf cannot be 
procured, good garden soil will answer. 
Some one wrote to Horace Greeley in¬ 
quiring if guano was good to put on pota¬ 
toes. He said it might do for those whose 
tastes had become vitiated with tobacco 
and rum, but he preferred gravy and butter, 
A good mother and an old slipper always 
make a spanking team. 
The Newer Potatoes. 
As the lp laniingfl~season”is B close at hand 
practical notes on the different varieties of 
potatoes are seasonable and interesting to 
many readers. Having for a number of 
years past, endeavored to test all the newer 
offerings and compare their respective mer¬ 
its, I can perhaps give some information 
concerning them which will be of value to 
the general public. 
EXTRA EARLY VARIETIES. 
For very early use the Early Beauty of 
Hebron is yet held in higher esteem than 
any other which is well known. Clark’s 
No. 1, is perhaps fully as early, but will 
not equal it in yield or quality. The Early 
Sunrise proved the most promising of any 
very early new variety in our trial grounds- 
last season. The only fault we could see 
in it was that its general appearance is like 
the Early Rose which will allow it to be- 
easily counterfeited. Among the very 
latest introductions for extra early com¬ 
petition may be named Boston Market. 
Early Gem and Early Harvest, but neither 
of them have as yet been tested by us suffi¬ 
ciently to warrant us in expressing an 
opinion of their actual merits. 
MEDIUM EARLY VARIETIES. 
Under this head we shall have to class- 
Pride ot America, Brownell’s Best, Ear¬ 
ly Telephone and Snowflake. All these 
are very fine potatoes, but they are all so 
very nearly alike that it is almost if not 
quite impossible to distinguish them. Any 
person who has grown one therefore knows- 
about what the others are, though the new¬ 
er ones should be more vigorous and pro¬ 
ductive than the Snowflake which has now 
had a run of several years. There are sev¬ 
eral new offerings, which should be classed 
as medium earty, which we have not yet 
fully tested. Most prominent among them 
may be named the Rural Blush, Vick’s 
Prize and Hall's Early Peachblow. Potato* 
fanciers should give each of these a trial. 
LATE VARIETIES. 
There are more candidates for public 
favor in this class for general crop than, 
either of the above. Among the hundreds 
which we have tested, the Belle and White* 
