1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



125 



that it was a very valuable food product. In a 

 short time the guard were ordered to relax their 

 vigilance. Some potatoes were stolen by the 

 peasants, others followed, and finally the whole 

 crop was disseminated among the people of the 

 adjacent villages, and its excellence proved to be 

 so great as to remove all the prejudice in regard 

 to the tuber as an article of diet. Parmentier also 

 secured the attention of the nobility to the value 

 of the potato. On one occasion he appeared in 

 the presence of Louis XIV. with a nosegay of the 

 flower of the potato. The king inquired in regard 

 to the plant, and was easily persuaded to introduce 

 its cultivation into the royal gardens. The example 

 •of the sovereign was imitated by the courtiers, its 

 popularity was thus secured. 



Notwithstanding the efforts of those who appre- 

 ciated it, the potato grew in favor very slowly, and 

 did not become generally popular with all classes 

 till the beginning of the present century. But 

 when its merits were fully understood it soon be- 

 came one of the most important food crops in cul- 

 tivation. Such was the dependence of some of 

 the people of Europe or), the crop that when the 

 rot appeared and destroyed the crop, it left the 

 people in a destitute condition. 



The destruction of the old varieties by this 

 malady led to experiments in the production of 

 new varieties to take the place of those that had 

 seemingly lost their vigor. Mr. Goodrich took the 

 lead in the production of varieties from the seed 

 of the wild varieties. Though his success was not 

 eminent he laid the foundation for improvements 

 that have resulted in the production of hundreds 

 •of new varieties, many of them of ver\' superior 

 excellence. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Dangers of Plant Collectors. — When ad- 

 miring the great beauty of some rare plant, we 

 seldom think of the dangers and sufferings which 

 those often have to undergo who go forth into the 

 wilds in distant parts of the world to gather these 

 treasures for us. Mr. Maries went into China to 

 collect for Messrs. Veitch & Son, of Chelsea, near 

 London. One hot day he fell under a sunstroke, 

 .and obtained leave from some priests to live in the 

 Yellow Dragon temple. 



" It was a new place, and although newly 

 built was beginning to tumble down and look 

 old. Three fine gilt images were inside, and 

 the same drum, bell and triangle trio were played 

 .lit sunrise and sunset, all the prayers consist- 

 .ing of a single bow to the images, the priests 



being most ignorant men. They treated me very 

 well, but I had a suspicion they-were more robbers 

 than priests, particularly when I left ; I did not 

 give them enough money, and they laid hold of 

 my baggage, and not till I produced my revolver 

 would they let me take my things. The whole 

 tiine I was there I was afraid they would make an 

 attempt to rob me. The first night I stayed in 

 this temple I could not sleep, and I heard people 

 about the whole time. The second day I went 

 over the range of mountains to the side of the 

 Poyang Lake, and I was fully repaid with the 

 splendid scenery. After walking for about a mile 

 I passed over a swamp AVith nothing but coarse 

 grass and a large green Calanthe (?) growing in 

 clumps 2 feet and 3 feet through and 5 feet high. 

 It was growing by the streams that ran through the 

 swamp ; all the shrubs had been burnt the year 

 before, and scarcely the remains of a bush could 

 be seen. After this walk I returned to the temple 

 very tired, only having collected a few plants of a 

 very fine Niphobolus. Near the temple I noticed 

 one very fine Deutzia and some Weigelas having 

 several colored flowers. My second night in the 

 temple was spent without sleep, and I was quite 

 worn out, so in the morning I set out for the bun- 

 galow again. I walked to the Chinese village at 

 the foot of the hills, where I was fortunate enough 

 to get a chair from the priests at a temple there 

 and was carried to the bungalow, where I met a 

 lot of old English friends from Kuikiang." 



Warfare on Daisies. — The Pennsylvania 

 Legislature had an act before it this winter making 

 it unlawful for any one to grow "daisies." When 

 the bill came up no one knew what "daisies" were. 

 Yet whoever felt aggrieved that his neighbor grew 

 "daisies " was to have authority to enter his neigh- 

 bor's grounds without liability for trespass or 

 damage, and destroy them. Fancy the laughter 

 of the " daisies " at an act like this. 



Mr. V. DE NiEDMAN.— We are pleased to note 

 that our well-known botanical and horticultural 

 correspondent, Mr. Niedman, has graduated in 

 pharmacy in the Medical Department of Howard 

 University at Washington. 



Pleasures of Camping Life. — According to 

 the Contributor, of Salt Lake City, the pleasures 

 of camping out are very varied. 



"It was six years ago, and in the beautiful 

 month of July. A party of us, all young men, 

 were passing through Blacksmith's Fork Canyon, 

 on our way to Bear Lake Valley and Soda Springs. 

 All day the sun had scorched our faces, ears and 

 backs, only when, peradventure, we halted for a 

 few minutes in the birch or willow arbors that 

 fringed the roadway ; until now, as we entered a 

 small oval, formed by the receding mountains, his 

 face was suddenly lost behind a projecting spur, 

 around which the road trended. Here it was de- 



