i88t.] notes from THE PAPERS. 221 



trees which finds favour with a certain section of French gardeners. 

 There is not one fantastic shape but which is founded on some wise 

 principle or other, but which nobody believes in but themselves — not 

 even real French fruit-growers. If all the fine-trained trees in France 

 were burned to-morrow, it would not make the smallest difference to 

 the future supplies of the Halles Centrales. If you want to see 

 fine examples of training, you have to seek them out like needles in a 

 bundle of hay ; but in a single journey from Dieppe through Normandy, 

 '• which produces the best farmers and best gardeners in France," you 

 will see how the fruit is grown, or where it comes from. It is like a 

 long railway journey through orchards and gardens. The vineyards 

 at Thomery, Asparagus farms at Argenteuil, and the market-gardens 

 round Paris, are old-fashioned institutions that have been carried on 

 with marvellous success for generations, by old-fashioned common- 

 sense people, who have nearly as much "science" about them as the 

 ordinary farmer in this country has, but more method and industry. 



Some of our great seed-firms seem to be going in for the " Hollo- 

 way Pill" and "New Blood Restorer" method of advertising their 

 Potatoes and other things. An advertisement like the following 

 would hardly be admitted into the gardening papers, but it has for 

 some time being going the round of the second-rate provincial prints, 

 week by week, in the " promiscuous paragraph " style. We suppress 

 names : — 



" Potato Planting. — The value of a good crop of sound floury Potatoes can- 

 not he over-estimated, and yet how few, comparatively, use the means to secure 

 it ! Planting the same kinds which our forefathers have grown from time imme- 

 morial, and without any change of seed, is called the ' custom of the country,' 

 and an unprofitable custom too, as many have found to their cost. The value 

 of disease-resisting Potatoes has been demonstrated in such a remarkable man- 

 ner, that we wonder at any lover of the national esculent planting any other. 

 It, however, needs caution in selecting these so-called 'Disease Resisters.' 

 The only Potatoes which can lay claim to practically resisting disease are 



and , the latter a new introduction this year. Of 



, every one speaks most highly ; the yield is prodigious, the quality Al, 



the waste nil. Indeed, so great is its reputation that other Potatoes sold as 



have been substituted for the real variety. Those who would have 



the true stock should go to direct, as Messrs do not supply other 



seedsmen ; and send for Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue of Seed 



Potatoes, which not only contains particulars of all the best kinds in 

 cultivation, but a complete list of those most suitable for early, medium, 

 and late crops. The Catalogue may be had gratis and post free, on applica- 

 tion to ." 



The Potato here so plausibly recommended by the party who has 

 got it to sell is not disease-proof, is not the best for general cropping, 

 is so very late that in some districts it hardly produces anything but 

 haulms, and is bad to eat, as a rule. 



