THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



15 



shows that take place in autumn. At one of tbe autumnal 

 meeting's at Kensington last year this firm presented a collection of 

 fifty sorts, and at the Smithfield Club Exhibition in the Agricultural 

 Hall they brought forward a collection which we should think com- 

 prised nearly one hundred varieties. 



Very many experiments have been made in the cultivation of the 

 potato, and in many cases the results have been of immense value 

 and interest. Contrary to the long-cherished opinion, it has been 

 found that better crops can be grown with manure than without it, 

 and the potato proves to be similarly constituted with many other 

 plants in respect of at least one character, that it thrives best when 

 well nourished. A deep light loam is the best soil for this crop, 

 but we may safely say that any land on which a tuft of groundsel 



buttons' beeeshiee eidney. 



will grow will produce potatoes. We are now using a crop grown 

 last year on a piece of unmitigated clay, which had been thrown out 

 in making a foundation, and had no preparation whatever. The 

 potatoes it produced were a heavy crop of the finest quality. Deep 

 digging and plentiful manuring are, however, necessary prepa- 

 ratives, more especially as it is desirable to promote a rapid growth, 

 with a view to the removal of the crop as early as possible. There 

 is nothing gained by planting over close, in fact it is better to allow 

 too much room than too little, but a distance of four feet between 

 the rows, and of three feet between the sets, may be considered 

 sufficient for the productive main crop varieties, and half those 

 distances for the comparatively unproductive early sorts. The 

 potato is a most exhaustive crop, for in one ton of tubers 

 there will be of potash 11 lbs., soda 1 lb., lime | lb., magm>ia 

 1 lb., sulphuric acid 4 lbs., phosphoric acid 2£ lbs., chlcrine li lbs. 



