1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
635 
THEMYSTER 10US SEEDLING POTATO 
PLOT OF THE R . N.-Y. 
Our readers are requested to refresh 
their memory as to the peculiar deport¬ 
ment of our little plot of seedling pota¬ 
toes growing in the garden. It is not 
over 40x10 feet. The vines seemed to 
suffer from the tornado and the hail¬ 
stones as did those in the field. All of 
the stems were bruised, many of them 
broken, while all of the vines were 
twisted so that it appeared they could 
not recover. But they at once began a 
beautiful growth that finally became 
thicker, closer and of a more vivid green 
than anything of the kind we had ever 
seen. It will be remembered that the 
vines were well dusted with Fungiroid. 
After every rain they were thoroughly 
dusted. Whether this remarkable second 
growth of vine was due to the Fungiroid, 
wholly or in some measure ; whether it 
was due to the fact that a heavy Crimson 
clover sod was spaded under two years 
ago, wholly or in part, we may not say. 
The potato vines in our experiment field 
(67 different varieties) did not recover at 
all. Some lived longer than others, but 
not one kind recovered. These vines 
did not receive Fungiroid, and they were 
not planted upon a Crimson clover sod. 
Another odd thing in connection with 
the seedling plot is that while last year, 
some of the vines died early, some in 
mid-season and others late, this season 
all were green and vigorous alike, as if 
all were late kinds and needed the entire 
season for maturity. Thus they were 
when the potato beetle visitation com¬ 
menced August 21. Nothing of the kind 
has ever been known to the writer who 
has had to deal with the potato beetle 
every year since its arrival East. Greatly 
interested in the outcome of this seed¬ 
ling plot, so beautifully green, fresh and 
vigorous—the vines were so thick that 
they could not fall over—we determined 
to pick off the beetles as fast as they came 
since Paris-green was no longer effective 
against such great and ever-increasing 
numbers, and for this purpose made it 
the work of one man to go over the vines 
constantly ; that is after picking them 
from north to south, he would at once 
pick from south to north, and so on. 
Strange as it may appear to those who 
know nothing of this unprecedented 
beetle invasion, the man seemed to make 
no progress. The beetles (and grubs as 
well) came faster than he could pick 
them ; came from every direction. They 
were so thick in the paths, upon grass, 
upon the soil, that one could not step 
without crushing from several to a dozen. 
The tomato plants were stripped of 
leaves and the tomatoes destroyed. Such 
plants as the Matrimony vine (Lycium 
barbarum), Alkekengi and all others of 
the nightshade family were (and are 
August 30) stripped of every leaf. Well, 
to-day (August 30) we gave up the fight 
and the seedlings, already greatly 
harmed, were given up to their voraciou i 
enemy. 
Among the seedlings were two hills 
of Carman No. 1. As there seemed no 
reason why we should leave them any 
longer, and feeling a curiosity to learn 
how they would yield after so long a 
season of growth and the check caused 
by the tornado, we dug them. The soil 
was cracked and well raised above the 
two hills. Here is the amazing yield : 
There were eight tubers which weighed 
5% pounds; 13 medium-sized tubers 
which weighed 3% pounds; there were 
but seven small ones weighing only one- 
half pound—or 9)^ pounds for the two 
hills. All the seedlings were planted 
3x1 foot apart so that the yield per acre 
may readily be computed as 1149.50 
bushels. None of the tubers had prongs. 
All were of about the same shape, but 
the eyes were more sunken, or, rather. 
the surface was more hilly than is usual 
with this variety as we have seen it. A 
severer check would perhaps have in¬ 
duced a prongy second growth. As it 
was, the effect of the check is shown 
merely in a less even surface. Two 
of the larg-est tubers were “ hollow- 
hearted.” . 
It is in this same plot, our readers are 
requested to bear in mind, that there 
are 11 hills of a seedling of the R. N.-Y. 
No. 2 one plant of which yielded 157 
small tubers. The vines of this variety 
died early last year—among the earliest. 
This year the vines were of the thriftiest 
and were thoroughly green and vigor¬ 
ous when given over to the potato beetle. 
We anticipate with much interest the 
yield of the 11 hills, and we trust our 
readers are equally interested. The 
question we at present want them to 
study is, What has produced this won¬ 
derful growth of vine; what has given the 
vine its vivid, emerald-green color ; what 
has caused so great a yield of tubers; 
assuming that the seedlings will yield 
as well as did the Carman No. 1 ? What 
part did the Fungiroid take; what 
the Crimson clover roots and stubble 
of two years ago? We may say that 
this plot has received liberal quantities 
of a high-grade potato fertilizer for 
many years. It may be assumed that 
while the nitrogen has been taken up 
by the plants or has leached out of the 
soil, plenty of potash and phosphate re¬ 
mains. Did the clover roots furnish the 
needed humus and nitrogen ?. 
To give our friends some idea of the 
hordes of beetles—there are no larvae 
now — that are wandering over the 
ground, we may say that several pieces 
of potato were left in front of the barn 
this morning. A couple of hours later, 
we took the trouble to count the beetles 
upon one of these pieces about three by 
two inches in size. There were just 298. 
August 31.—The Mysterious Seedling 
potato plot continued. To-day we dug 
two hills of the Carman No. 3. There 
were but two hills and these were within 
10 feet of the No. 1. The result seems 
no less surprising. In the two hills there 
were but 17 tubers. The seven largest 
weighed 5% pounds ; seven others 
weighed three pounds. There were but 
three small tubers, one an inch in diam¬ 
eter ; one 1% and the third two inches. 
The entire weight was 8 % pounds, or at 
the rate of 1058.75 bushels to the acre. 
All were of excellent shape and of the 
same shape, much like that of the No. 1, 
but less “hilly.” Had we jrrepared land 
for a maximum yield, and the season 
had been favorable without any tornado, 
we could scarcely have looked for a 
greater yield. The vines were perfectly 
green and but for the horde of beetles 
would doubtless have continued to grow 
until frost. 
The Variableness of Quality. 
When the No. 1 was introduced our 
report was, “the whitest flesh we have 
ever seen ; quality, perfect.” When the 
Carman No. 3 was introduced, we did 
not allude to the quality at all. We had 
not noted that the flesh was particularly 
white, and we suspected without know¬ 
ing that the quality would probably be 
mediocre, if not inferior, because the 
tubers grew to so large a size. 
Now we have eaten them, both, the 
tubers dug but one day apart. We found 
the flesh of the No. 1 unusually white, 
though not the whitest we have “ ever 
seen” and the quality not of the best. 
The flesh of the No. 3 was whiter and 
the quality perfect, mealy, fine grain 
and of pure flavor. This difference in 
quality of the same variety as grown in 
different seasons we have often observed 
in the R. N.-Y. No. 2. Sometimes it is 
dry and mealy, sometimes close-grained 
and watery. But we have never before 
observed the difference in the color of 
the flesh. It is not owing to any change 
in fertilizer. We have used the same 
fertilizer for many years. 
ARMSTRONG A McKELVY 
Pittsburgh 
ANCHOR, 
Cincinnati. 
ATLANTIC, 
New York. 
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Philadelphia. 
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The voice came tearing down the road close¬ 
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