54 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 25 
The R. N.-Y. Seedling Potatoes. 
THEIR HISTORY; MONEY 
PAW FOR THEM. 
It occurs to us that our readers may 
care to know j ust what the editor in chief 
of TiIk It. N.-Y. has made (in money) 
from the sa'e of the several potatoes that 
have originated at the Rural Grounds. 
There is no secret about it. That we 
have not told the story before, is be¬ 
cause it has never occurred to us to do 
so, and this, perhaps, because we have 
had from week to week matters that 
seemed to us more interesting and in¬ 
structive to our friends to talk about. 
Their cumulative and somewhat remark¬ 
able popularity may now be our excuse 
for speaking of what there would have 
been less reason for talking about while 
their reputation was still, in a measure, 
problematical. 
It is, perhaps, 16 years ago that we 
first sowed potato seeds—this rather to 
find out how difficult or easy it might be 
to raise seedlings than in any expecta¬ 
tion entertained at the time, of originat¬ 
ing a variety or varieties more valu¬ 
able than the best of those in the mar¬ 
ket at that time. Our first work was 
to plant 62 different kinds, intending 
to cross them and to sow the cross¬ 
bred seeds. This was a failure. We 
were unable to find any pollen. Just 
where we obtained our first seed balls, 
we cannot say. It may have been from 
several that formed on one or the other 
of the 62 kinds. At any rate, it was at 
about that time that we began to raise 
potatoes from seed. 
Year after year, we sowed seeds in 
February, transplanting the seedlings to 
small pots in early spring, and thumping 
them out with the ball of soil intact into 
plots of well-prepared garden soil. Year 
after year, the best tubers of the largest- 
yielding hills were selected and planted 
the next season, while other seedlings 
were grown from the occasional seed- 
balls that the seedlings yielded. So we 
continued with little hope of getting a 
variety superior to the Early Rose, 
Peachblow, Burbank, White Star, Beauty 
of Hebron and the best of the many new 
varieties which were then offered from 
year to year, by enterprising seedsmen. 
The Rural Blush was first offered for 
sale in 1882. It was not, as many sup¬ 
pose, one of our seedlings. It originated 
with Mr. E. S. Benham of Attica, N. Y., 
who sent us a bushel for trial the year 
before. We were so pleased with its 
fine quality and drought-resisting prop¬ 
erties, that we commended it to one of 
our seed firms, who at once bought the 
available stock, and introduced it, the 
name of Rural Blush being given in 
recognition of the part we had taken in 
calling attention to its merits. 
We continued to sow seeds and to 
select the shapeliest tubers from the 
most prolific hills, numbering each kind 
every fall as dug ; wrapping the tubers 
in paper, and entering our notes of 
progress in a book kept for the purpose. 
We were determined not to introduce 
any of our seedlings that, as they grew 
at the Rural Grounds, did not seem 
superior to any then in the market. 
There was no reason why we should. 
Our work in expeiimentatiou of all 
kinds, was carried on for the love of it, 
as well as in the hopes of adding to the 
prestige of The R. N.-Y., a desire only 
less intense than the writer’s devotion to 
his home and family. Surely the origina¬ 
tion and introduction of any plant that 
a year, or at most two or three years, 
would suffice to show only its inferiority, 
would neither satisfy his love of serving 
the public through experiment work 
nor further the real interests of the 
paper. It is generally an easy matter 
to make money by extravagantly and 
ingeniously advertising the assumed 
merits of any plausible method or de¬ 
vice, or tbe alleged marvelous value of 
any new plant. But just so sure as the 
novelty falls far beneath the intrinsic 
worth claimed for it, just so sure those 
who have deceived the public will fall 
in the public’s estimation. 
The R. N.-Y. No. 2 was the first potato 
that we felt confident would do us no dis¬ 
credit. A selected bushel was sold to a 
leading firm for just $200. It was named 
the No. 2 because it was an intermediate 
as to the period of ripening, and vie 
hoped, sooner or later, to produce a 
worthy companion of earlier maturity. 
The earlier variety was named the Car¬ 
man No. 1. Forty-eight selected tubers 
of this were also sold for $200. It is 
proper here to state that sample tubers 
of the Rural Blush, R. N.-Y. No. 2. and 
Carman No. 1 were sent free to thou¬ 
sands of our readers. Later came the 
Carman No. 3. About the same number 
of this—we have never raised seedlings in 
large quantities—were sold for $200. Not 
a tuber of any one of the three kinds was 
reserved for our own use. 
For some 10 years past, we have been 
raising seedlings from the Rural Blush. 
Until four years ago, none seemed to be 
equal to the parent. We finally selected 
(Continued on next page.) 
lUisrcUaM'ouiSi 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
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. A - , , ( 100 Bargain Collections. 
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Plant the Best Currants 
WHITE IMPERIAL excels all others in quality 
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PRESIDENT WILDER combines qualities that 
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S. D. WILLARD, Geneva, N. Y. 
FORD’S 
1896 
BOOK 
OF 
CHOICE 
TESTED 
GARDEN 
FLOWER 
& FIELD 
EEDS 
Largest yielding corn,oats 
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anil trees. Accurate des¬ 
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/■I 
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37 East 19th Street, New York. 
ESTABLISHED 1824. 
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ELLWANGER & BARRY, ROCHESTER, N.Y. 
Our New 1896 Catalogue 
of FRUIT TREES, PLANTS and VINES; COMPLETE LIST OF 
ORNAMENTAL STOCK—all hardy and reliable—mailed free. 
T. J. DWYER, Orange County Nurseries, CORNWALL, N. Y. 
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AND 
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42nd YEAR. 1000 ACRES. 29 GREENHOUSES. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON GO., Painesville, 0. Box 216 
y> 
fee' 
