MOORE’S RURAL flEW-YORKER. 
(3>ro|!3. 
POTATO EXPERIMENTS AT COBNELL 
UNIVERSITY. 
In the Winter of 1871, Dr. Hexamer deliv¬ 
ered a course of lectures on the potato, before 
the Agricultural College of Cornell Universi¬ 
ty. He brought with him 1 '10 different varie¬ 
ties as illustrations of the lectures, and when 
he closed he left them with Mr. A. B. Ben- 
ham, the energetic manager of the University 
farm, by whom they were planted on the 
13th of May, 1871, and were dug on the 21st 
of October. One potato was planted of each 
kind, care being taken to select them as near¬ 
ly of the Bame state as possible, and each po¬ 
tato was divided among three bills. The soil 
was a light, sandy loam sloping towards the 
west, and on a clover lay. 
In the year 1872 they were all replanted on 
a plot of ground about 100 rods north of their 
position in 1871. The soil had been better 
manured, a little more gravelly, but about the 
same altitude and the same slope towards 
the west. They were planted on the 23d 
day of April, and dug on the 80th day of Oct. 
The results of each year's planting are given 
in the accompanying t able, which shows the 
weight of potatoes produced in each year, and 
the rank in productiveness held by each in 
the year 1872. 
In the previous year these potatoes were 
planted in 9 hills, in order to compare the 
products of the two years, I have, therefore, 
multiplied the production of 1871 by 3 in the 
table. I do not think that the experiments 
throw much light upon the relative value of 
the different varieties ; but they do show 
much that is instructive respecting their 
adaptations to different soils and conditions. 
For example, “ Granite State," which aver¬ 
ages 200 to 250 bushels to the aero in the gran¬ 
itic sands of New England, yielded % lb. in 
1871 and utterly failed to produce anything 
in 1872. i'he hills were 2 by 3 feet apart, and 
there wei-e, therefore, 7,260 hills on an acre, 
and the yield per acre was, therefore, only 
80 bushels in 1871, This variety is a very 
healthy one, a vigorous grower, is very mealy, 
and requires less boiling than any other va¬ 
riety that 1 have met with ; the only objec¬ 
tion to it is, that there is a core running 
through its longer axis, about the size of a 
lead pencil, which does not cook like t he rest, 
but remains hard and clammy. Yet tins po¬ 
tato, which in New England is so valuable, 
seems to be utterly worthless in the region of 
Ithaca. Several other specimens showed 
their want of adaptation to the soil of Ithaca 
by dying out between 1871 and ’72. These 
were No. 14, Poach Blow, which weighed 42 
lbs. in 1671, yielded nothing in 18?2. No. 84, 
White Poach Blow, weighed 48 lbs. in 1871 ; 
No. 86, London White, weighed 12 lbs. in 1871; 
No. 95, Mexican, weighed 45 lbs. in 1871 ; No. 
27, Early Snowball, which weighed 12 lbs. in 
1871. 
In 1871 the average weight of the 139 varie¬ 
ties planted, was 25 lbs. ; the 134 varieties 
planted in 1872 averaged 12.6 lbs. t think we 
may safely account for this deterioration in 
the main, by the neglect of their culture. Mr. 
Benham's time was much occupied in 1872, 
and the man to whose charge lie committed 
them, neglected them, so that when they 
were dug they were almost smothered in 
weeds; but how shall we account for the 
gain of certain varieties notwithstanding this 
gross neglect ? 
An inspection of the table shows that Early 
Rose was the first in rank in 1872, weighing 
38 lbs., which was 7 lbs. in excess of all other 
varieties ; in 1871 it weighed 27 lbs. , and was 
exceeded in productiveness by 66 varieties. 
It would be exceedingly instructive to know 
the exact causes that produced that change. 
Besides the Early Rose, the following varie¬ 
ties improved in productiveness in 1872 No. 
13, seedling of Mercer, gained 1 lb. ; No. 17, 
Royal Ashland Kidney, gained 3% lbs. ; No. 
18, Early Goodrich, gained 3}^ lbs. ; No. 20, 
Carter, gained 9 lbs.: No. 21, Ash Leaf Kid¬ 
ney, 4 lbs. ; No. 54. Nutmeg, gained 8‘-7 lbs. ; 
No. 65, extra Early White, 5 lbs. ; No. 98, 
Early Shaw, 7y, lbs. ; No. 106, Jones' Seed¬ 
ling, 9>£ lbs. ; No. 107, Mercer, 5 l 4 lbs. ; No. 
108, Early Golden, 5 lbs.; No. 113, Breeze’s 
Proliiic, 10 lbs.; No. 125, Coppermint, lbs.; 
No. 126, Amazon, Tibs.; No. 181, Early Queen, 
3 lbs.; No. 183, Philbrick’s Early White, 7 lbs.; 
No. 136, Mereen’s Seedling, 2% lbs. There is 
nothing capricious in the works of nature; 
every thing, both great and small, is governed 
by fixed and unalterable laws. It would be 
very interesting to learn the nature of the 
laws by which the increased production of 
these varieties was effected, while the largest 
number deteriorated, and it is to be hoped 
that the experiments of 1873 will throw much 
light upon this most interesting question. 
The gross weight of the potatoes from No. 
1 to No. 85, In 1872, was 259‘< lbs.; No. 36 to 
No. 69, 362 lbs.; No. 70 to No. 103, 491 4 lbs.; 
No. 103 to No. 130, 503 lbs.; No. 107 to No. 140, 
72 lbs. 
They were planted in rows in the order of 
the numbers, and this progressive increase in 
productiveness as the numbers advance seems 
to indicate an increasing fertility of the soil 
from north to south, though nothing of the 
kind ws* indicated to the eye. 
If this table is without value in all other 
respects, I think it will be admitted by all 
that it discloses our ignorance of the subtle 
laws which regulate tile growth of potatoes, 
and it is to be hoped that the study or it by 
philosophical farmers will lead to experi¬ 
ments and discoveries which will cast a broad 
and steady light, upon our future practice. 
It is, perhaps, proper to ment ion that there 
were two hickory trees on the plot between 
Nos. 1 and 35, which probably diminished the 
yield. c - 
Table showing the Weights of various kinds of Potatoes 
in the years 1871 and 1872, and their Productive Rqrik 
in 1872, and the University number of each, 
ssi 
WHY WE LACK GAEDENEE8. 
oS 
Name op Potato. 
109 
Hi 
113 
128 
117 
71 
C3 
1 W 
189 
07 
70 
U 
65 
24 
127 
90 
ICC 
oiS 
c§ 
3 |>.S 
Early Kune. 1 
Klutf ot Potatoes... * 
Bruuse’s Prolific. 8 
Cuxco. 4 
Early INirplu. » 
Black Diamond. 5 
Red St.re-.nlc. J} 
Concord. 7 
Monitor..... 7 
Qultutiy’i Seedling. 7 
Emu; Pinkeye. 7 
Early Prince. •••• 7 
Extra Early White. 8 
White Chili. 8 
Slacker Kuaset...... 9 
A ndec. JO 
Nova Scotia. 10 
72 Early Stove os...... 12 
80 Pigeon Eye...... 12 
91 milklp.v '* Seedling.. 12 
28 New Jersey Monitor. 18 
122 Titicaca -. }2 
88 Climax. Ja 
126 Copper Mine,.. 13 
1 K> Wnlto Mercer.... 13 
76 WorWHieT Seedling. 14 
77 Fonunuilrn Rod..... 14 
82 Wild South American. 14 
120 Am8*OD . 14 
0 Lapstoac Kidney. i; 
79 Pnt4'r»oU’s> Albert,. 14 
120 Oalia*. I? 
7 State of Maine. l*> 
86 Western Hod. }■< 
trj Irlab American. lt> 
■:« Strawberry. 
vi t)yright... . 
08 Old Kidney. 
itw Fancy Hoa,. . 
0)3 Bluo Mercer. 
*0 p» lo Bluinh Pinkeye. 
lbi Mercer. 
12 Maine Mercer. 
47 Utica Pinkeye. 
6'j Purple (.'bill. 
ltte Early Ooldcu.#.. 
110 King or the Barites. 
68 Blue Pinkeye. 
116 l’eerH>»»... 
10 White Clinton—.. 
lie. Gurnet Cli111... 
25 Early Henry. 
66 Kiisipberry Leaf.. 
bi Early Cottage. 
69 Early Peach Blow.... 
188 Nauaetnond. 
h Western Prince Albert. 
11 Merino... . 
10 body Finger. 
81 Hough and Beady. 
78 Prairie Flower. 
U Calico... 
68 Burly Victor. 
Snowball... 
Carter. .. 
New Kidney.,. 
Excelsior... 
Chili No. 2... 
.luokeon White. 
Burly queen.. 
Burly Wendell.. 
New Hartford.... 
Willard.. 
.1 ones' seed ling.... 
Uulkloy'a Monitor. 
Early Shaw. 
Seedling of Mercer. 
Aab Leaf Kidney. 
Bermuda... 
Burly .tune.. 
Buckeye. 
Purple Mercer... 
Gleawn....... 
Phllbrlclc s Early White. 
While Hock. 
No Blow. 
Early Sovereign. 
Grout Wpstom. 
Rochester Seedling. 
nbuuatigo.. 
lliiri.iou... 
Early IXandBworth. 
Moreen'® Seedling. 
White Apple. 
Burly Pinkeye. -••• 
V under veer's Mnnhasset. 
Chonery. . 
Peach Blow...... 
Michigan Peach Blow... 
Cow Horn.. 
Old Red. 
Blanche.... 
Seedling Rook........... 
Nutmeg... 
New Jersey Monitor.. 
Royal Ashland Kidney. 
Early Mohawk. 
Prince of Wales... 
Shaw.-. 
Early Goodrich. 
Weuterrt Chief. 
Black Kidney.. 
Dover. 
Chill No. 2... 
Momi’e Pride. 
Pinkeye Rusty Coat. 
Ohio Mercer. 
Lincoln Hod... 
Cherry Blow. 
Michigan White Sprout.. 
Sen Beach.. 
Goodrich Seedling. 
Seedling from South America 
Mountain Pine Pinkeye. 
Early Indiana. 
Imported Ashland Ktdney... 
Holbrook... 
Dana's Seedling..... 
Central City. 
Michigan Red. 
20 
24 
;w 
48 
121 
181 
129 
60 
Mi 
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132 
03 
13 
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U 
67 
85 
111 
188 
30 
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98 
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43 
81 
101 
119 
28 
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It 
32 
94 
134 
54 
124 
17 
41 
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29 
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101 
105 
112 
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61 
76 
87 
15 
118 
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19 
65 
36 
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83 
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3 
S. B. Parsons, President of the Rural j 
Club, being unable to attend the anniversary j 
Dinner at Dklmonico’s, Feb. 26, forwarded 
the presiding officer the following communi- : 
cation, which is wort h reading : 
I much regret that iny unavoidable absence 
in Florida will prevent my being with you , 
on the 28th, to recognize personally the honor 
you have bestowed upon me. 1 cheerfully, 
however, comply with your request to leave 
with you some subject for discussion, and in 
its results I know uf nothing more important 
than Horticultural Education. 
The object of our Club in its frequent 
meetings is to gather within the circle of our 
social influence all earnest love is of rural life 
and work Our whole city is full of such 
lovers—of old men and young men—whose 
hearts daily grow lighter as they leave the 
cares and anxieties of city life for the bright 
and quiet freshness of country homes. And 
those, too, who rarely go to the country, are 
being educated into a desire for country life 
by the flowers, which to the amount of mil¬ 
lions are annually sold in the city. T have 
known an intelligent city lawyer call a 
Dahlia a Rose ; but I will venture to assert 
that not one of the young men who pur¬ 
chase, or the maidens who receive the beau¬ 
tiful flowers, sold in our shops or on our 
streets, can be found who cannot name them 
all, and often discuss eloquently upon their 
charms. 
To gather these together under the genial 
influence of a social dinner is the object of 
our Club ; and we have, I believe, the honor 
to be the pioneers of a new movement 
among all the Clubs; our table alone is 
graced by the presence of fair and cultured 
women, and by that grace must succeed. 
It has always been a matter of great sur¬ 
prise that while Boston and Philadelphia 
have their successful horticultural society, 
New York lifts been unable to sustain any 
association for the encouragement of rural 
art and taste, and this with thousands of our 
business men in possession of country homes. 
I conceive this to be owing to two causes— 
one, the engrossing nature ol' active business, 
which will allow little thought to lie given to 
fruits and flowers ; and the other, the great 
scarcity of intelligent gardeners. The whole 
country is flooded with laborers who profess 
to be gardeners, without the least knowledge 
of horticulture. My occupation bus brought 
me frequently in contact with such, and I 
am often amazed that employers are so blind 
to their ignorance. On the other band there 
are men who thoroughly understand their 
profession and who are dally hurt by the 
knowledge that their skill is not appreciated. 
If you will allow me this opportunity 1 
would like to put in a plea for this class, for 
1 cannot help hopiug that it is reserved for 
our Club to bring in a higher civilization, to 
imitate nature by developing art, to cultivate 
the esthetic elements of country life, and to 
surround country homes with the highest 
constituents of natural beauty. 
I think it is safe to assert that as an art 
gardening is higher than either painting or 
sculpture. The sculptor must have a quick 
perception of form, u knowledge of anatomy, 
and a power to throw his ideal into material 
forms. The painter needs these with an 
added appreciation of the effect of colors. 
The gardener needs them all, with the excep¬ 
tion of anatomy, and also needs much more. 
He must have an intimate acquaintance 
with ail known trees and shrubs and flowers; 
must be familiar with their forms at full age 
and with the shades of color in their foliage, 
must know whether then- roots grow on the 
surface, like the Elm, or deeply, like the 
Hickory ; aud must know, also, tbe nature of 
the soil which they require. He must be, 
also, a good surveyor, understand thoroagh- 
ly the principles of drainage, and have a 
sufficient acquaintance with vegetable phys¬ 
iology. 
He should also know, like the sculptor, 
how to materialize his ideal—how to make a 
gay, charming [jlace, a quiet, subdued one, 
or a park of baronial pretensions. He 
should have a quick eye for natural beauty, 
and an ability to harmonize his plans with 
the general features of the country in which 
they are executed. He should also have a 
quick imagination, and a readiness to look 
forward into the vista of half a century and 
see what then will be the development of his 
plans ; what forms his groups will then have 
assumed, and what then the shape of the 
noble trees which he planted when saplings. 
A gardener should also be a rural archi¬ 
tect ; for it is essential that entire harmony 
should exist between the dwelling and the 
grounds, and that the plans for each should 
come out of the same brain. He should 
know the relative strength of different woods 
and stone aud brick and Iron, and should be 
familiar with all the appliances of luxury 
which science has unfolded for man’s pleas¬ 
ure. 
He should be able to take the cream from 
all science and, uniting it with the highest 
kind of art, make himself an artist as much 
superior to the painter or the sculptor, as the 
majestic tree, or budding loaf, or brilliant 
flower, are superior to the pigments or 
marble wit h which they work. These rnate- 
rialze their ideal through dead matter ; our 
artist does the same through living, growing, 
vital forms. The work of one remains the 
same through centuries, that of the other 
develops new beauty every year. 
The year before Columbus discovered 
America, he walked about, the Escurial 
gazing upon its beautiful pictures. In the 
country of his discovery a young oak was 
there lift ing up its forehead to the sun. The 
pictures are now the same that they were, 
or have grown dim by age, while the young 
oak has budded and grown year by year into 
a sturdy tree whose wide-spreading branches 
cover my grounds with their pleasant shad¬ 
ows. Is not he the highest artist who works 
with these living, growing, vital materials ? 
You will say, “Who is sufficient for these 
things ? and where will you find these artist- 
gardeners?” I know more than one who 
approaches my ideal very closely, and many 
more young men who would prepare them¬ 
selves thoroughly for this kind of garden art 
if they could meet with encouragement. But 
what are the facts i Gentlemen of large in¬ 
come, with country places, the proper man¬ 
agement of which would give more pleasure 
to a whole family than anything else, are 
unwilling to pay more than $80U or $1,000 per 
year for a good gardener, whose knowledge 
is the work of half a lifetimo. They will give 
$3,000 to a bookkeeper, whoso knowledge can 
be acquired in a year ; they will expend one 
to five thousand dollars in a camels’ hair 
shawl or a pair of horses, and yet would 
think themselves very extravagant if they 
gave $2,000 per year to a skillful gardener, 
who could produce for their use Muscat 
grapes and all other luscious fruits, and who 
could make their grounds aud gardens like a 
veritable paradise. 
Once establish the fuot, that a skillful gar¬ 
dener can be sure of 000 or $3,000 per year, 
and numerous young men would give their 
education that, direction. Wealthy men, also, 
who expect to leave their sons large fortunes, 
would give their sons u horticultural educa¬ 
tion, both as a means of producing enjoy¬ 
ment for themselves and as a profession upon 
which to fall back in case of disaster. Young 
men so educated, will never become 6/cise; 
the world is for them too full of delightful 
capabilities. 
But you will say, “ How is this education 
to be obtained ? What course shall be adopt¬ 
ed ? ” If 1 had the time of a boy at my con¬ 
trol, between the ages of fifteen and twenty- 
five, and assuming that at fifteen he has 
enough of Latin to read Virgil and enough 
of Greek to read Homer, I would place him 
for two years at chemistry and kindred sci¬ 
ences, in some scientific school, connecting 
with it the modern languages. His third and 
fourth year should be occupied by the gen¬ 
eral course in the same scientific school, where 
he would obtain u good knowledge of sur¬ 
veying, of architectural drawing, including 
linear perspective, or botany, mineralogy, 
geology, and civil engineering —all of which 
would be of great aid in his profession. For 
the fifth year 1 would place him with a skill¬ 
ful architect, where he could more thorough¬ 
ly apply the instructions he had received at 
the scientific school. 
The sixth and seventh years should be 
passed in some nursery establishment, where 
the variety is as large as possible and where 
his eye would be thoroughly educated to the 
peculiarities of each tree or shrub. This 
period should be marked by close reading 
and study in vegetable physiology, arbori¬ 
culture, and kindred subjects. The Winter 
h alf of tbe eighth year l would send him to 
the tropics, to the shores of the Amazon, to 
the Valley of Caraeeas, to the Passes of the 
Cordilleras, or to Central America, where he 
can see nature in the finest combination of 
grandeur and beauty. No one can thorough¬ 
ly appreciate the capabilities of plants un¬ 
less he has seen the wonderful luxuriance of 
tropical v egetation. No sight of my earlier 
days dwells so vividly in my memory as that 
of some of these scenes. The Summer half 
of the eighth year could be usefully occupied 
with the lectures at Edinburg on vegetable 
physiology. There is an excellent botanic 
garden, and the students have the oppor- 
