The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-05-28
Prom he Fsrmen' Library.
RAISING POTATOES FROM SEED

washington, 1eh Jam Acao.
ckspaler "a, w ~ de 7ssfa,
cAaggsdAgdirs &c. from Ne Nsthzlaadss
sIR:-In reference 70 the seed Of he
Potaloe. about which you honored me
vi h inquiries. they have never been pre-
served, as 10 belie.ed, in sufficient guam
titles 70 be marketable article in his
country; in fact, they have been very
rarely saved BY farmers for their own
use; and 70 this may be attributed, in
some measure. our want Of new aud good
varieties. The eager temper end impa-
lieni habits Of our people, their love Of
change, and propensity 10 migrate from
place TO place, produced in great mea-
sure by the frequent and Infinite division
Of estates and imPoYerishment Of fami.
lies, prevents the adoption, in agrieullu-
raj matters, Of means 10 ends, which re-
quire years Of patient attention before
these ends can be cohsummaled. Hence
the desliiulion Of the country, since the
establishment Of our independence. Of 6ne
orchards and Of choice fruit, the rosses-
sion OF which, under The most favorable
circumstances, requires years TO realize,
and which, sfler all, 10 only 10 be had, with
certainty and abundance, by raising new
varieties OF fruit from the stones and seeds
ofpeaches, apples, peas, &c, So with the
poIaloe. The seed, a. you well understand,
is to be had from the Po.atoe.spple, grow
ing on The top Of the plant As in the
case OF fruit, there Is no security In this
that % like will produce like" The pro-
duct from pola,oe seed - various in CO.
Tor, shape, and qualities, and some years
must ciapse before the best varieties can
be established and their qualities consld.
cred permanent For this reason, no seed.
ling potatoes should be discarded ill AFTER
trial Of The third generation. nor prom
ising one be sooner trusted. II Is only
after the third year that full reliance can
be placed on The permanence OF charac-
eri.,ics as respects produc.iveness and
other qualities. .~'' .@
The chacac,erisiics 10 be sought in the
establishment, Of new variety are-lst.
Moderate size, which am persuaded, on
the whole, is most 10 be desired in ami
mails, fowls, vegetables, &c. ID. Regu-
lar shape; the eyes not deeply sunk. Sd.
Not bursting when boiled. 4th. Dry or
mealy when cooked. 9Th. An agreeable
taste. 9Th. Early in maturity. 9Th. Not
too luxurians ia the stems. 9Th. Produc-
tyeness. As with fruit from stone and
seed, so there is no end to the varieties
Of shape, size, colors and qualities to be
derived from the seed Of the same Pota-
,oe.spple. The roughness Of skin gen.
orally indicates dryness, the watery or
waxy Potatoe being commonly smooth
skinned. Thirty seeding varieties have
been gathered from spontaneous seeding
in garden where only one kind Of Po-
tatoe had been planted. There is no fact
in vegetable physiology better established
than tina. the soil has powerful influence
in changing the color, shape and quail.
ties Of the Polatoe, no less than those Of
grain and tobacco. observed this in the
case Of the famous Rohsn Potatoe, one
Of the humbugs which few years past
served 10 amuse a credulous public. so
tina, it sold in Philadelphia for OIL for
single tuber. The imported root was ve-
rylarge, and the quality waxy and coarse.
In two generations planted on stiff white.
oak land. MANFRED. il yielded very fine,
smooth. middle.slzed Potatoe. excellent
for table use. II is clear, then, that every
cullivator should raise Seeding Potatoes
:S and III r one witch ngaify sa.ssd . h:
10 endure.
Nothing in the annals of American
Horticulture is better established than the
origin Of the "Mercer Potatoe," raised
from seed planted in Mercer County, and
regarded as one Of the best aud most pop
ular varieties we have ever had.
There is no reason to believe that bet.
Ter Potatoes could be had from seed in
this country than in Europe nor is it
probable that they will ever be saved in
sufficient number to be on sale in the seed
stores. There is nothing more necessa-
ry than to gather the apple when ripe,
separate the seed from the pulp, or per-
haps to express the watery particles. leav-
ing the seed in the residuum of the apple,
and to preserve them until time for plant
ing, which had better, in the first in
stance, be in a hot bed. a'-#@~
i'm - -
With great respect, Sir, have the ho-
nor to be your obd't serv't.
zs.l.t- I g SKINNER