Entered according to Act or Congress, In the year 1886, by the Rural New-Yorker in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
drical, rather long. The tubers so varied in 
form and size that our illustration may not 
be typical. Eaten Dec. 2. Flesh nearly 
white, quite dry and mealy and somewhat 
nutty in flavor. See Fig. 21. 
Rose’s New Pt;rple Blush— an unfortu¬ 
nate name since we already have the Rural 
Blush. Mr. A. Rose (Penn Yan. N. Y.) writes: 
“It is a seedling from the Blue Mercer.” 
We planted eight pieces April 20, which 
matured August 13. The yield was 13 pounds, 
or at the rate of 536.25 bushels per acre. There 
were 82 tubers, 50 of which were marketable. 
The best iive weighed two pounds 12 ounces. 
The shape is, as shown in our careful illustra¬ 
tion from nature, oblong-flattened, often 
smaller at one end. The skin is light buff 
spLashed with purple. Very few eyes. Eaten 
October 36. Flesh nearly white, quality fair, 
but not so mealy as Early Rose. See Fig. 23. 
Dictator (Rand) from Thorbum & Co., 15 
John Street, N. Y. Planted April 15, six 
large pieces, each, as usual, having two eyes 
The yield was 16}£ pounds, or at the rate of 
of i >(>5.60 bushels to the acre. There were 56 
tubers, of which 41 were 
marketable. The best five 
weighed three pounds, nine 
ounces. Buff-white skin, 
roundish-oblong. generally 
somewhat flattened. Eyes 
medium. Good, solid-looking 
tubers. It is a late variety. 
Eaten December 29, Flesh 
dull white and not dry or 
mealy as grown in moist soil. 
*: This is always the case with 
gP potatoes of the Peachblow 
class as we take this to be. 
See illustration. Fig. 22. 
Perfect Peachblow.— 
From W. H. Rand, Shel- 
bourrte, Vt. Planted April 
20; seven pieces (two fair- 
y" sized tubers). They were beau¬ 
tiful, smoot hand russeted. 
. Mr. Rand writes that “they 
>- • * are from seed of the old 
White Peachblow. So far 
thej'have given great prom- 
The cost of the manure delivered was three 
dollars per ton, or nine dollars for the plot. 
The cost of the potato fertilizer was 848 per 
ton, or 84.80 for the plot. The guaranteed 
analysis of the latter was, ammonia 4.50 to 5 
per cent.; phosphoric acid 8 to 10 per cent.; 
jjotash 6 to 8 per cent.; magnesia, lime, soda, 
etc., forming the rest.. 
The season was unfavorable throughout. 
If potatoes were again raised on the same 
plots next, year without fertilizer or manure, 
no doubt the manured plot would outyield the 
fertilized plot, because if for no other reason, 
the nitrogen of the latter being soluble, has 
passed through the soil, while the farm man¬ 
ure will yield nitrogen for years to come. 
Wing (Neb.); Thos. Barret (Ills.); Prof. J 
W. Sanborn (Mo.); A. C. Gliclden , Sec. C. 
W, Garfield (Mich.); Director Dr. E. Lends 
Sturtevant , Jonathan Talcott , Col. F. D. 
Curtis , E. S. Goff , IP. W. Hawley , C. A. 
Green , and many others. 
[Concluded later.] 
(ftypcrimcnt (i)vcmml.o’ of the HUtal 
gteta-\!ovkcr. 
1. Best Varieties in many sections. 
Earliness, quality, keeping qualities, 
etc., etc. The most profitable potato 
all things considered. 
2. Rules for Selecting “Seed.” When 
selected. IIow treated? 
3. Soil. What preferred as regards 
location and character? Sod? Fal¬ 
low? IIow prepared? Implements 
used? 
4. How Planted? Implements? How 
many eyes? Whole 
potatoes? Rows how 
far apart? How deep? 
How far apart in row? 
How covered? When M 
planted? j p * 
5. What Fertilizers rap 
Used? Farm manure 
cs. chemical fertilizers /Mr.fff., 
as regards convenience Jp. •• 
and profit? How ap- 
plied? On surface, & 
plowed under, in hill, | ^ 
etc., etc.? Any in- %. ‘•• gj 
fluence of particular AVj 
fertilizers as regards .•§. i a 
size, shape, color,etc.: AY ty & j 
of tubers? 
6. Flat Cultivation vs . 
hilling. Which best 
with you? What cul- 
tivatiou is given dur¬ 
ing the season? 
7. How to Avoid 
Blight, rot, wire 
worm, scab, etc., etc. 
8. Diguing, Methods and implements. 
Sorted in field or storehouse. IIow 
long in field after digging? Use of 
small potatoes? Dug when ripe or 
left longer in ground? 
Marketing. When to sell. How 
packed? When to hold over? How 
to store for winter use? 
10. The Ideal Potato. What do we 
most need as regards size, shape, col¬ 
or and season? Views as to the im¬ 
provement of the potato. 
11. Average Yield? Profit per acre? 
Climatic advantages necessary? Is 
the market improving or not? How 
to fight insect enemies? 
STABLE MANURE vs. FERTILIZERS 
FOR POTATOES. TESTS OF NEW 
VARIETIES CONTINUED. 
MANURE vs . fertilizers. 
On no other crop have we had such telling 
results from the use of chemical fertilizers as 
compared with farm manure as upon potatoes, 
and this Las lieen the case during the past eight 
years without any exception that we now re¬ 
call. This seems to have been the experience 
of many other farmers. Upon oats and coru, 
and Vegetables of various lands, fertilizers have 
mix* > 
p ■ 
i ‘ 
t. # m 
TESTS OF NEW POTATOES CONTINUED 
soil, culture, etc. 
Subscribers should understand that these tests are 
made in a rich, moist, garden soil. The crop never 
suffers serkmsly either from drought or too much 
wet, as the laud Is well drained. Not only has farm 
manure been liberally supplied, but fertilizers of ev¬ 
ery kind have been used in abundance. Potatoes have 
The yield was 6?i pounds, 
or at the rate of 338.35 bush¬ 
els to the acre. Skin yellow¬ 
ish-white, smooth, often 
splashed with pmk. Few eyes. 
There were 85 tubers, of 
which but 10 were of marketable size. Shape 
round-oblong. 
Carman was received from O. H. Alexan¬ 
der of Charlotte, Vermont, who says that it is 
a cross of Beauty of Hebron on Early 
Vermont, t wo veal's old. Seven pieces were 
planted April 21. The yield was nine and one- 
quarter pounds, or at the rate of 319.78 bush¬ 
els per acre. The best five weighed two 
pounds two ounces. There were thirty-five 
tubers, of which twenty-nine were of market¬ 
able size. There were very few small, none 
very large. Skin, flesh-colored; few eyes. 
Shape, oblong, flattened. Shapely and smooth. 
Late. Eaten, Dec. 7. Flesh white. It is not 
as mealy as some, but quite dry and fine¬ 
grained. See Fig. 24. 
EMPIRE STATE POTATO. From Nature 
been raised on this plot for six consecutive years 
Trenches are dug one foot wide and stx inches deep, 
ami three feet apart, two Inches of soil are raked 
back In the trenches, and the seed pieces (two strong 
eyes each) are placed one foot apart. Two inches of 
soli are then raked over them, and the fertilizer is 
strewn evenly at the rate of about l.OtO pounds to 
the acre. The rest of the soli is thou returned to the 
trenches as loosely as possible. The cultivation Is 
then effected by hand cultivators, and hilling up is 
studiously avoided. 
Empire State. —Received from W. Atlee 
Burpee & Co. of Philadelphia, Pa., who claim 
for it that “it is the most prolific main-crop 
potato ever produced.” It originated with E. 
L. Coy of Washington Co., N. Y., who was 
the originator of the Beauty of Hebron.” 
It is further described as follows: “Skin 
white and smooth, eyes shallow, flesh pure, 
snow y-white and floury, peculiarly rich ami 
delicate iu flavor. Vines rank, tubers close 
together in the hill. It stands drought on ac¬ 
count of its deeply penetrating roots.” 
lie planted six pieces of this on April 15. 
The yield was ten pounds, or at the rate of 
484 bushels to the acre. The best five weighed 
five pounds two ounces. Some hills yielded 
very large potatoes, others were uearly fail¬ 
ures from some cause. We should look for a 
large yield of this potato in a favorable sea¬ 
son. There were twenty-eight tubers, of which 
seventeen were of marketable size. Skin 
nearly white, eyes numerous, not deep; cylin- 
occasioually failed to increase the crop, while 
farm manures in contiguous plots have produc¬ 
ed marked effects. The experiment which we 
now have to record is no exception, though all 
the conditions seemed favorable to a decided 
and impartial test. 
The laud (a sandy loam) had never received 
any chemical' fertilizers, and for 15 years at 
least,no manure of any kind. Two plots were 
measured off one-tenth of an acre each, that is 
132x33 feet. The first received three tons of 
stable manure, or at the rate of 80 tons to the 
acre iu October. The seed potatoes (Great 
Eastern) were cut to two eyes each and planted 
April 22, in drills two-and-a-lialf feet apart 
and 14 inches apart m the drills. Both plots 
were cultivated once aud hoed twice, the soil 
tying kept level without any hilling up about 
the plants. The yield was 24 bushels aud three 
pecks, or at the rate of 247.50 bushels to the 
acre, of which 80 per cent, weromarketable. 
The second plot received, instead of the 
stable manure, 200 pounds of the Mapes’ Potato 
fertilizer, or at the rate of *ne ton to the acre, 
the seed pieces, distance of plunting aud treat¬ 
ment being just the same as with the first plot. 
The yield was 274 bushels, or at the rate of 
275 bushels to the acre, of which 90 per cent, 
were marketable. The potatoes were smoother 
aud brighter ami less injured by wire-worms 
than those of the manured plot. 
CULTURE OF THE POTATO. 
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 
Dr. W. J. Beal , Pres. T. T. Lyon (Mich.); 
Prof. E. W. Stewart (N. V.); Peter Hender¬ 
son (N. Dr. a. C, Caldwell (N. V.); Prof. 
IP. IP, Tracy (Mieh.); It. F. Johnson (Ills.); 
Waldo F. Brown (O.); W. B. Jones (Ga.); 
Dr. T. H. Hoskins (Vt.); Sec. IP. I. Chamber- 
lain O.); Major H. E. Alvord (N. V.); T. V. 
Munson (Tew.); F. Grundy [Ills.); John M. 
Stahl (Ills.); Jtev. L. J, Tempi in (Col.); H. H. 
T. H. HOSKINS, M. D. 
I will briefly reply to the queries you send 
me. The best varieties with me are Beauty 
of Hebron, Pearl of Savoy and Snowflake. I 
grow some Alpha as an extra-early for home 
use, but it is not productive. Pearl of Savoy 
is the best early market potato I have had. 
Snowflake is not very productive, but the 
quality is best for a winter potato. 1 have 
grown last season a quantity of a Snowflake 
