AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
101 
Carter or Biscuit. —A roundish potato, with 
deep eyes, white skin and flesh, and with scarce¬ 
ly an exception, the best cooking potato we have ; 
but, like all the fine old varieties, they are liable 
to the disease. They yield about two-thirds as 
much as mercers, but when raised on light soil 
will sell for moie money, being worth $3,50 
per barrel. They are liable to be mixed with 
Junes, very much impairing their value. 
Kidneys .— The old fashioned Fox-eyed Kidney 
is a good potato, and one that sells well, but a poor 
yielder; has given way to the Long and Blue Pink. 
The Long Pink is a long, white-skinned and 
white-fleshed potato with a pink eye—a good 
yielder, and a first rate potato. It sells at 
$3 to $3,25 per barrel. The Blue Pinks are a 
roundish, blue-skinned potato, with white flesh. 
They are good yielders and keep well—sell at 
$3 per barrel. 
Peach Blow. —A good sized, white-fleshed pota¬ 
to, the skin parti-colored of red and white, one 
end being red, the other white. It is a first-rate 
potato, yields more than Mercers, keeps well, and 
on sandy loam, is free from disease, and is one of 
the very best new varieties, cooking dry, white, 
and mealy ; worth $3,50 per barrel. 
Prince Albert —A long kidney-shape, white skin, 
and white-fleshed variety, free from disease, keeps 
well, fair yielder, but a poor potato to cook, 
boiling wet and soggy. This is a fancy sort 
little known as a market potato ; its freedom from 
disease being its greatest merit. [We esteem it 
very highly.—E d.] 
Yellow Pink Eye and EnglishWhite are round, 
white-skinned, yellow-fleshed potatoes, differing 
only in the color of the eye, which is pink in the 
one and white in the other. They are common 
varieties, but are in good repute as shipping pota¬ 
toes as they stand a sea voyage better than any 
other kind. They yield much more than Mercers, 
and are mostly free from disease—worth about $2 
per barrel. 
Western Red. —The name given to all the round, 
red-skinned yellow-fleshed potatoes coming to 
this market. They are common, and are used 
mostly for mashing by the hotels. They are the 
kinds sent South for seed which were returned 
here in the Spring as “ Bermuda potatoes”—the 
change of soil and climate making a great differ¬ 
ence in the quality. The Reds are good yielders, 
and on dry soil generally escape the rot—worth 
$1,62 to $1,75 per barrel 
Merinoes are old varieties and worthless in 
this market. They are replaced by the 
Californias which are no better, being a coarse, 
rank potato, and not saleable in a well stocked 
market.—worth $1, 25 per barrel. 
Black Mercer. —A long, smooth, purple-skinned, 
white-fleshed variety—in shape long and flat, 
They are a good Spring potato, but unless 
planted on dry sandy loam are liable to rot. They 
are large yielders, and make a good solid, late 
Spring potato. Worth $2,50 per barrel. 
Purple Mercer. —A variety not saleable on ac¬ 
count of cooking black. They are a dry, mealy 
sort, mostly free from the dry rot—worth $1,50 
per barrel. 
White Mercers are large, long, white-skinned 
and white-fleshed potatoes, good yielders and 
good Spring potatoes—worth $2 75 per barrel. 
Scotch Greys. —Round, blue-skinned, white- 
fleshed, slightly marked with purple. They are 
first-rate potatoes, cooking dry and yielding about 
the same as Mercers—worth $2 50 per barrel. 
Michigan Whites, are long, white-skinned and 
white-fleshed, yieldin? well, but poor table pota¬ 
toes, as they cook wet—worth $2 25 per barrel. 
Rock Whites, or Rock Kidneys, are a medium 
white-fleshed potato, growing large and round. 
They yield well and are in good demand as a ship¬ 
ping potato—worth $2 25 per -barrel. 
There are several other varities, both of the 
fancy and common sorts, but of little value as 
market potatoes. Among these are the Mam¬ 
moth Nutmegs, Early Sovereigns, Lady Fingers, 
Cowhorns, Cups, &c. B. Stephens. 
New-York, March 1, 1858. 
1 2 3 
Fig. 1. Improved Yellow Flat Onion— (No. 53). 
Fig. 2. Improved Brown Globe Onion— (No. 54). 
Fig. 3. Improved White Globe Onion— (No. 55) 
Onions, Peas, Carrots, &c. 
Our Foreign Correspondents are from time to 
time forwarding such choice seeds as appear 
there. We recently received from them eighteen 
parcels, with which came some specimens of the 
three varieties of onions represented above. 
These are (March 22) still “ sound as a bell,” and 
we think they are worthy of a trial here. Ac¬ 
companying them were parcels of seed which we 
shall offer in premiums, as noticed on a subse¬ 
quent page. The White Globe Onion, fig. 3, is of 
the form most desirable. The Brown Globe, fig. 
2, is nearly perfect, while the Yellow Flat, fig. 1, 
is an improvement upon the old flat varieties. If 
these flourish well here, as we think they will, 
they will be an acquisition. 
Peas. —We have, also, five new varieties of 
Peas not yet introduced here, which come highly 
commended. They are thus described to us : 
Mrs. O'Rourke (No. 56).—A new, early, dwarf, 
branching, blue Marrow Pea ; hight 21 feet. 
Eugenie (No. 57).—The earliest white wrinkled 
Marrow Pea in cultivation, podding from the bot¬ 
tom of the haulm to the top, with fine, large 
pods. 
Napoleon (No. 58) —The earliest blue wrinkled 
Marrow Pea in cultivation, podding from the bot¬ 
tom of the haulm to the top, with fine large pods. 
The above two Peas were originally saved from 
one pod Mr. Harrison, the raiser, describes 
them as follows :—“ Relative to my new Peas, 
the Wrinkled Blue and Wrinkled White. I beg to 
say that they are very superior to those I sold last 
year (meaning Climax and Alliance); they are 
stronger in habit, much truer and better filled in 
the pod—on an average two more Peas—also, 
better croppers; my average growth this year 
was nearly ten quarters per acre. The above 
range from 21 to 4 feet. 
King of Marrows (No. 59).—Undescribed, but 
commended 
Blue Sickle Pea (No. 60).—Undescribed, but 
commended. 
The olher seeds are : 61, Waite’s Bedfordshire 
Prize Cucumber—very long, slim, and much 
esteemed, growing freely in the open ground ; 62, 
Waites White Cos Lettuce ; 63, London Particu¬ 
lar Long Scarlet Radish ; 64, Extra Red Round 
Turnip Radish ; 65, Waite’s Large Cabbage Sa¬ 
voy ; 66, extra London Curled Parsley ; 67, In¬ 
termediate Carrot, very fine flavor ; 68, Purple- 
top Scotch or Bullock Turnip ; 69, Green-top do.; 
70, Waite's London Purple-top Swede Turnip. 
Nos. 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 and 63 will all 
reproduce their seed the first year. We shall wait 
the result of this year’s trial, and add to our next 
Annual Seed Distribution as many of the above 
varieties as prove valuable, particularly of Nos. 
53, 54, 55, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70, since these 
cannot be multiplied here this year. We hopa 
that those obtaining these seeds in accordance 
with our proposition, will take particular note of 
them and let us know the results. 
Culture of the Field Seeds Distributed. 
The directions for Garden and Flower seeds 
are given on page 118. 
White Sugar Beets, (1).—This and all other ■ 
varieties of beets require a deep, rich soil. The 
seed may be sown as soon as the ground will 
work well, though the middle or latter part of May 
will do quite as well for this variety, when de¬ 
signed for Winter keeping. Put in rows about 
2 feet apart and the seeds about 5 inches apart, 
to be thinned out alternately to 10 inches, if ail 
the plants grow. Cover about £ to 1 inch deep. 
A little bone dust (unburned), worked deeply in 
the soil below the drills, has a marked effect. 
This variety is mainly adapted to feeding, except 
where sugar is made from it, though they are 
frequently cooked for the table during Winter. 
King Philip Corn (2) —This variety grows small 
but rapidly, maturing in 85 to 95 days uridei 
favorable circumstances. It is admirably adapted 
for short seasons, and for late plant ing, as, for ex¬ 
ample, when the larger varieties have been killed 
out from any cause. Cultivate like other varieties, 
only that the hills may be considerably nearer 
together, as the stalks are small and low, and do 
not shade the ground so much as the larger kinds. 
It ears well, and by closer planting will produce 
as much per acre as most of the other kinds—and 
even more of sound, heavy corn than many others. 
Slowell's Sweet Corn (3).—Plant at the ordinary 
distance of field corn, and quite as early. It is 
a slow grower and ripens late. In addition to 
its good quality, and large ears and kernels, it is 
so slow in maturing as to give a fine succession 
of excellent green corn, and it has been errone¬ 
ously called ‘‘ Evergreen Corn.” Owing to its 
hybridization with other varieties, and late ripen¬ 
ing, it is often difficult to secure a supply of good, 
pure seed, in Northern localities. If planted by 
itself on a warm soil, the seed will mature well. 
White Poland Oats (4).—This differs mainly 
from other varieties in its large kernel and great 
weight (38 to 42 pounds to the bushel). Sow in 
good soil as early as the ground will admit. If it 
is desired to make the most of the seed, put in 
drills, 8 or 10 inches asunder, the seeds 2 or 3 
incites apart, and hoe once or twice. 
Chinese Sugar Cane (5) —By all we can gathei 
from last years' experience, we would say that 
this is very like Indian corn as respects soil, ma¬ 
nuring and cultivating ; but plant as soon as the 
soil is dry and warm ; cover very lightly. We 
prefer drills, running north and south, 3] to 4 feet 
apart, the seeds pretty thick, to be thinned out to 
6 or 8 inches when well started. On a large scale 
it is perhaps better to put in hills, like corn, to 
admit of plowing or cultivating both ways. It 
comes up like grass or oats, and grows slowly at 
first, but pushes ahead rapidly in July and August. 
To be sure of ripening seed north of 40° it is well 
to start a quantity of seed in a box, and transplant 
when the weather and soil will admit. A con¬ 
venient mode for this and other plants is described 
under the head of “ How to Start Early Plants.” 
Ashcroft's Swe.edish. Turnips (6). 
River's Sweedish Stubble Turnip (7).—Both ol 
these are late varieties and may be sown as late 
as July, or nearly a month later than the common 
ruta-bagas. They may follow very early potatoes, 
cabbages or peas. We should advise planting 
generally after the middle of June. See notes o, 
our experiments with them, on page 292, vc XVI. 
