August 11, 1863. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICtrLTUEE AJSTD COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



Ill 



LAUGE GEOWTH OF POTATOES AND 

 LETTUCE. 



I HAVE just dug up some Potatoes (they ai-e a pint sort, 

 imported from Belgiiun last yeax), and I find a great num- 

 ber of the tubers sprouting, some with sprouts '2\ inches 

 long. Is this common ? I imported also this year four 

 bushels of White Belgian Potatoes, some of which I have 

 dug up to-day. The haulm is something wonderful — over 

 6 feet in height, and the produce of seven plants 8 lbs. I oz. 

 My Belgian Pinks last yeai' averaged, when dug up about 

 this time, 8 lbs. to five plants or roots, and this on a clay 

 soil. The Potatoes, however, were planted in soot and 

 ashes, and earthed-up enth-ely with ashes. 



I have cut Lettuces in my garden this year, seed imported 

 from Brussels, of the following sizes and weights . — One 

 36 inches round, 2 lbs. 4J ozs. ; one 54 inches round, not 

 cut; one 40 inches round, 2 lbs. 2 ozs. ; one 52 inches round, 

 not cut ; one 42 inches round, not cut. — K. O. T. 



[We commend this to the notice of our gardening fiiends, 

 and shall be glad to have theii' opinion on the matter. Mr. 

 Kobson, to whom we forwarded the letter, says the produce 

 of the Potatoes is remarkably good ; but he erpects they 

 had plenty of room. 



The dry weather, however, has so reduced the size and 

 quality ot the Lettuce on hand, that not having weighed 

 any recently we cannot foi-m so good an opinion on them ; 

 but yours are unquestionably good. — Eds. J. of H.] 



SULPHUEED WATEE AS A SEMEDY FOE 

 VINE MILDEW. 



It may be useful to some of the readers of yoixr Jooi'nal 

 to detail the means which I have found to answer in the 

 prevention of this mildew. I have practised it for eight or 

 ten years, and have not seen anything like mildew. I think 

 it is also very useful to prevent other kinds of enemies 

 attacking the Vine, as I see my Vine leaves loot more 

 healthy than those of some I have seen. There are two 

 cases which I will mention : A friend of mine had to grow 

 flowers all the siunmer in what he called one of his vineries. 

 I went to see him about the middle of July before the 

 Grapes began to colour. The berries were very good, but 

 every bunch completely covered with mildew. I told him 

 to buy 2 lbs. of black sulphur-, and have two water-cans that 

 would hold about three gallons each, to put 1 lb. of siilphur 

 in each can, to add one gaOon of boiling water to each 

 pound of sulphur, and let it stand for an houi' or two. 

 Next, filling the cans with cold water, he was to let it stand 

 for about twelve hour's, and then pour the water oS into 

 other cans without any of the sulphxir with it, or as little 

 as possible. I told him to shut up the house early in the 

 afternoon, and syringe well with this sulphured water, so 

 that the bunches were well washed all over, then to fill the 

 cans with sulphiu' in them, with water again, and to use it in 

 the same manner, having the same siilph'.ir, for tiiree suc- 

 cessive days. I called on my fiiend a few weeks afterwards, 

 to see how the Grapes were looking, and was very pleased 

 to see that the mildew had disappeared, and the berries 

 were coloui-ing and swelling well, and he had a very good 

 crop, but of coui'se they were not so fine as if the remedy 

 had been applied sooner. I should state that he took all 

 the pot plants out tha,t were in full flower while he syringed 

 the Vines. 



The following year a gentleman wished me to look at his 

 vinery. It was not so bad a case of mildew as the other, 

 but the same remedy was used, and with the same good 

 success. 



Now, I treat my Vines the same, except that I use 1 lb. 

 of sulphur instead of 2 lbs. to the same quantity of water, 

 and I always apply the sulphured v/ater when the Grapes 

 are about the size of peas, and I have never been troubled 

 with the mUdew since I have done so. I think this is much 

 better than seeing a quantity of sulphur on the Grapes, or 

 all over the border or pipes. It would puzzle any one to 

 detect the remedy when this sulphured water is used. 



There is one thing I should lite to find a remedy for, and, 

 perhaps, some of the readers of your Journal could give me 

 some information. I have had two large lights of Melons 



looking exceedingly well and promising. A few days ago I 

 gave them air as usual ; all was right then, and the plants 

 looked as healthy and as promising as they had done before. 

 In the afternoon when I went to shut them up I found 

 under one light the plant with its leaves all drooping down, 

 not one leaf in its healthy state, and a day or two afterwards 

 the other Ught went in the same way. The plants had Melons 

 on about the size of a large apple, aiid since that time my 

 Cucumbers have gone oft' in a simUa.r v.'ay. How can this be 

 accounted for? — J. K. (A Constan- Reahee). 



[It is worth trying if this sulphured v/ater will act as a 

 preventive or ciu-e of mildew. It is believed by many, 

 judging from practice and not from science, that sulphur 

 does impregnate water in which it is kept, though chemists 

 say it is insoluble. Everybody knows that to prevent the 

 mange a roll of sulphur is put into the water which dogs 

 drink. As to our correspondent's Melon and Cucumber 

 plants, if he examines then- roots we think he will find them 

 decayed.] 



EOY.iL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 

 August 4, 1863. 



Flckal Committee. — On this occasion the entries of sub- 

 jects for examination were numerous. Messrs. F. & A. 

 Smith, Drdwich, sent a very fine collection of their superb 

 Balsams, for which a special certificate was awarded ; Bras- 

 sica variegata, and a seedling Pelargonium not in condition 

 for judgment. 



Mr. C. J. Perry had two seedling Dalilias, one of which, 

 Alesandi-a, a light creamy gi-ound faintly shaded with purple, 

 of fine form and gi-eat delicacy, was awarded a second-class 

 certificate. There is no doubt, should this flower be shoivn 

 again, it wiR attain a higher position. The other seedling 

 was a dai-k maroon of no particular merit. 



Mr.- Elkington, Bucks, showed tv/o seedling Picotees of 

 promising qualities. Exhibition, a heavy-edged flower, with 

 remarkably pu.re white ground, was commended ; Duke of 

 Buckingham, a heavy pui-ple-edged, will probably be again. 

 exhibited. The flower was small but distinct. 



Ml-. BuU exhibited three Ferns — Hymenostachys elegans, 

 a small Pern with pellucid fr-onds in the form of Blechnum, 

 with spear-shaped fertile fr-onds, first-class cei-tificate ; Hy- 

 menophyllum crispatum and H. flexuosum, two plants of 

 no pai-ticular recommendation. 



Mr. Chater's seedling Hollyhocks were exceedingly fine. 

 Cherub, a rosy salmon, fine, full flower, medium size — first- 

 class certificate. Mr. Chater also exhibited eight other 

 seedlings of fine quality, but not svifficiently cUstinet from 

 well-known good varieties. Among them we noticed Eev. 

 H. H. Dombrain, a dingy yellow, with the base of the florets 

 shaded with rose ; Kev. J. Dix, bright ruby red, a loose 

 flower; Princess Alice, a bright rosy pink. 



Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Lamg, sent four very fine seed- 

 ling Hollyhocks, one named R. B. XJUet, a bright light red, 

 very fuU and weU-foi-med flower— fii-st-class certificate ; Mrs. 

 Binning, a deep rosy pink, fine-formed flower, medium size, 

 distinct— first-class certificate ; Magnificent, very similar in 

 colour to R. B. TJUet, with a broad guard leaf— a very noble 

 flower ; Countess of Craven, delicate rose, fuU flower, and 

 distinct ; Cams, a deep purplish-rose. Messrs. Downie,^ 

 Laird, and Laing, also sent a collection of single flowers ol 

 Hollyhocks, which received a special certificate. We must 

 here remai-k that it would be both to the interest of the 

 exhibitor as well as of advantage to the flower if seedling 

 HoUybocks were brought before the Committee m spikes 

 instead of three single blooms. It must be evident to all 

 florists that this is the only legitimate way of judgmg the 

 seedling Hollyhocks. 



Mr. E. P. Francis, Hertford, exhibited his dwarf scarlet 

 Pelargonium, Mrs. Cowper, wliich was commended at the 

 July Great Show, and from maintaining its good chai-acter 

 was now awarded a second-class cei-titicatc. This variety 

 much resembles Waltham Pet, but is not so bright in colour, 

 although the flowers are not of so good form. 



Mr. G. Smith, of Hornsay, sent a distinct and good vane- 

 gated sport from Stella. The variegation is clear and distmct, 

 tlie flowers as brilliant as SteUa. This wiQ form an attrac- 

 tive bedding plant. It was commended. He also had a 



