THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 183 



the roots of the plants, a tremendoua change would be effected in 

 its po^ver to endure the assaults of cold and wet in those periods of 

 unfavourable weather which are the forerunner of potato disease. 

 The plan adopted in the experimental gardens at Stoke I^ewingtoa 

 was to lay down tiles to form tunnels, and to lay the sets on the 

 tiles, and cover them with earth from the spaces between the rows, 

 which for the strong growing main crop varieties should be four feet 

 apart. The potatoes are thus grown on ridges, with continuous air 

 spaces beneath them and depressed alleys between them. By this 

 plan the plant obtains a maximum of light and air, lodgment of 

 water at the roots is impossible, and in the event of a sudden lowering 

 of the temperature, the body of air imprisoned beneath the roots 

 renders essential service in preventing a corresponding lowering of 

 the temperature of the earth in which the roots are growing. 



The tile employed was made expressly for the purpose by Messrs. 

 Scales, of tlie Green Lanes, Stoke ISTewington. This tile is four 

 inches in depth and twelve inches in width, and nearly flat on the 

 top, and by laying it down end to end, hollow side downwards, a 

 continuous capacious tunnel or resei'voir of air is provided under 

 'every row of potatoes. 



The tile system of potato culture is unquestionably costly, for 

 these tiles cannot be laid down in lines, four feet apart, for less than 

 £i}G per acre. This is certainly a large sum, but, as was shown by 

 statistics in the course of the lecture, the system could be adopted 

 in the field culture of the potato with a fair prospect of obtaining a 

 much larger profit than by growing them on the flat in the usual 

 manner. The cost of tiles' was to be regarded as an investment, for 

 the amount of annual breakage need not exceed five per cent. 



Although the system may be adopted in the field, it will most 

 probably be found of the greatest value in the garden culture of the 

 heavy land, and in the preparation of stocks of the newer kinds for 

 distribution through the usual commercial channels. We have to 

 consider the requirements of an extremely valuable plant, and we 

 can aff'ord to increase the expense of cultivation to a considerable 

 extent, provided we can insure a plentiful production of sound tubers 

 in a season when disease generally prevails, and thorough trials have 

 shown that with the tiles this can be done. As yet few people are 

 really aware of the value per acre of an average crop of a new 

 variety, possessing sufficient merit to command a good price, as in 

 the case of the Early Hose, and others of more recent introduction. 

 As an example, let us take the case of some of the new sorts sent 

 out during the past planting season. The crop of Rector of Wood- 

 stock, wh'ich was sold at Is. per lb., was, at the rate of eight tons, 

 worth £896 per acre. The crop of Extra Early Vermont, which 

 sold well at 23. 6d. per lb., at the same rate of production, was 

 worth £2210 per acre. AVhen Early Rose was selling at one dollar 

 per lb., a crop of eight tons was worth £3,733 Gs. 8d. per acre. 

 The crop of Snowflake, an American variety, which was oflfered at 

 12s. per lb. this spring by the leading London houses, and sold well 

 at the price, would, at the rate of eight tons, be worth the enormous 

 sum of £10,752. It will thus be seen that the annual cost of the 



June. 



