Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/790

 766 POTATO produce new potatoes in winter ; tubers of the preceding year's growth are kept as cool as possible, and in a dry place, with a view to retard vegetation; such sprouts as push are broken off, and in autumn the tubers thus prepared are placed in layers with light soil, in boxes, in a dark place where the tem- perature is from 50 to 60 ; in about three months a crop of small potatoes is produced at the expense of the large ones. Occasionally a new potato, or several, are found in the inte- rior of an old one; this is probably due to a growth similar to the one just mentioned, which takes place when the potato is so pressed upon by others that its comparatively soft interior offers less resistance to the devel- opment of the sprout or new tuber in this direction than there would be in any other. The potato succeeds best in a temperate cli- mate; in tropical countries it is superseded by the sweet potato, yams, and other plants, though wherever English-speaking people col- onize they endeavor to cultivate the potato. The number of varieties is now very large ; Dr. Hexamer, before referred to, keeps up a collection of over 300 named sorts as a stan- dard with which to compare new varieties. The varieties so much esteemed in England do not as a general rule succeed in the United States, while American sorts were considered as not worth cultivation in England until they were tried at the gardens of the royal horticul- tural society and awarded first class certificates without their names or origin being known. But few of the kinds in general cultivation before the advent of the rot, in 1845, are now to be found. (See POTATO ROT.) The Rev. 0. E. Goodrich of Utica, K Y., regarding the failure of the potato as due to a weak- ness resulting from long cultivation by divi- sion, which not only rendered it less produc- tive but more susceptible to diseases, com- menced about 1850 a series of experiments with a view to the introduction of more vigorous varieties. He procured a fresh stock from the native localities in South America, from which he raised thousands of seedlings ; his experiments in crossing and raising seed- lings were continued for several years with great care, and when he produced a variety of unusual promise he sent it to various persons for trial ; before he had seen the full results of his labors he died, without other reward than a few hundred dollars sent him as a testimo- nial. ' While but few of his varieties maintain a place in cultivation, most if not all the excel- lent kinds now grown are due to his labors. The great step in modern potato culture was the production of the early Rose, which is a seedling from one of Mr. Goodrich's very hardy and productive varieties, the garnet Chili, which has also produced other sorts of great value. The Mercer (also called Chenango and Meshannock), Carter, pink-eye, and other highly esteemed varieties of 30 or 40 years ago, are now scarcely to be found ; among the leading market varieties are garnet Chili, Jack- son white, peachblow, early Goodrich, and early and late Rose ; while these bid fair to be superseded by a new set, in which quality and productiveness appear to have reached their utmost limits; these kinds include Alpha, Snowflake, early Vermont, Brownell's Beauty, and others of the highest excellence, and mani- festing an improvement which the unselfish labors of Mr. Goodrich only rendered possible. Potatoes vary in earliness, form, size, color, the number of eyes and their elevation or depres- sion from the surface, the smoothness or rough- ness of the skin, and keeping qualities ; in the New York market round white-skinned varie- ties will sell more readily than those of different shape and color, though they may be of better quality. Bermudas are the first new potatoes that appear in our markets ; they are raised from seed sent from this country ; the western red and garnet Chili, both coarse kinds, grow in Bermuda in the winter, and come here in early spring; as the summer of the island is too hot for keeping them, seed potatoes are sent out annually. Following these our markets are supplied from Georgia and the Carolinas, then from Virginia, and so northward, keeping up a constant succession of new potatoes. Early po- tatoes may be essentially forwarded by placing the seed tubers in a warm place until they sprout, then cutting them into sets, taking care not to break the sprouts, and planting them in a frame without glass, but covered with mats or shutters at night and in cold days. As a farm crop more regard is had to productiveness and keeping qualities than to earliness; a good rich loam that has been highly manured for some previous crop, or a recently turned sod, is most suitable ; the use of fresh manure, though common, is regarded as inducing rot and a bad quality of tuber; ashes, salt, and gypsum are useful fertilizers, and ground bone is much used. Potatoes are valuable for preparing new land, or that which has become weedy, for other crops; for this purpose they are planted in hills three feet or more apart each way. On land in good condition they are often planted in drills about three feet apart, the sets being dropped a foot apart in the drill. The old plan of heaping the earth around the plant, or hilling, is abandoned except in cold damp soils. The crop is kept as clean as possible, but after the tubers begin to form the culture should be very shallow. The yield of tubers is said to be increased by picking off the flower buds, though it is seldom practised. "When the tubers are ripe the tops die. Numerous machines have been devised for digging potatoes, but none of them are in general use. For reasons already given potatoes should not be exposed to the sun when dug, but may be dried in small heaps covered with tops ; they are stored in pits or heaps covered with sufficient straw and earth to prevent freezing, or in cellars, which should be kept at as low a temperature as possible