Angaxl 22, IMT: 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDEIiTER. 



133 



Rose, from Rosa. This last roniintls me that Roselaml, a very 

 fertile district between Fowey and the Fal, is so called not 

 because it is " the land of Hoses," but from the Cornish, Hose, 

 a valley, and Ian, an enclosure. Some places, however, pro- 

 serve in their names records of that for which they were onco 

 famous. Thno, Rnsncarnr, is literally the valley of Alders ; 

 Nansavallt-n, the valley of Applo trees ; lioeevaili-n, the Apple 

 valley ; and Tivralhn, the Applo town. j 



Hundreds, or, rather, thousands of acres of the nine miles 

 of which I commenced speaking, are devoted year after year to I 

 growing early Potatoes, and early Broccoli, for the supply of 

 London. The seed Potatoes are bought during October and 

 November in the colder districts about Axmin=ter and Glaston- 

 bury, for the Potatoes grown near this southern line of coast , 

 are found to vegetate earlier than is desired. The Potatoes ; 

 purchased from the more backward districts are placed in single 

 layers upon shelves in an outbuilding, where they remain until 

 they have sprouted, and are ready for planting in February 

 anct March. The ground is dug, tho sets, with the sprouts 

 uppermost, placed at the bottom of the trench, covered with a 

 little earth, guano at the rate of 8cwt. per acre sprinkled over 

 that, and then earth added, so as to cover the sets fully H inches. 

 The plants are never (artlicd up, because it is found, as the 

 Editors of " our Journal " have always contended, that tlio 

 tuber-bearing fibres are disturbed by the hoe, and the pro- 

 duction of tubers ranch retarded. The earliest time I could 

 hear of at which a crop was taken up for market, was the first 

 week in May. The rent for the soil on which Potatoes, Broccoli, 

 and JIansold Wurt/.cl are grown here, varies from £8 to £10 

 per acre. The Cornish acre, which is the measure still acknow- 

 ledged, is about one-sixth larger than the statute acre. Po- 

 tatoes cost about £35 per acre for rent, seed, and labour, before 

 any return is obtained. Tho yield is from 250 to 300 bushels 

 per acre. I was shown a one-acre field at Gulval.the produce 

 from which, being exceptionally early and abundant, sold in one 

 year for £130. 



So soon as the ground is cleared of Potatoes, it is ploughed 

 and manured for a crop of either Mangold Wurtzel or Broccoli. 

 The manure preferred is a compost prepared by placing sea- 

 weed, stable manure, and the shelly sea sand of the coast, in 

 alternate layers. It Mangold Wurtzel is grown it is used by 

 the grower, or sold for stock-feeding in the neighbourhood, 

 realising from £15 to £20 per acre. 



The Broccoli grown is tho " Penzance White," and even on 

 the day I write this (August 13th), I have seen it being planted 

 on ground from which a late crop of Potatoes bad been taken. 

 For the earliest produce, however, the Broccoli plants are in- 

 serted immediately after the earliest Potatoes have been taken 

 lip, in May and .luna. The seed for these earliest plants is sown 

 in February and the beginning of March. About '.IGOO plants 

 are required for a Cornish acre. The earliest heads arrive in the 

 market at the commencement of December. The average price 

 at Penzance is one shilling per dozen, but at the utmost not more 

 than half that price is obtained if sent in large quantities to 

 Covent Garden Market. They are sent thither in crates hold- 

 ing each about ten dozen Broccolis, and weighing 2J cwts. I 

 saw fields that had every year yielded a crop of Potatoes and a 

 crop of Broccoli for the last quarter of a century. 



The land gradually rises from the shore, and the earliest 

 crrips are raised in the fields situated between that and an 

 elevation of less than 100 feet. Higher elevations are more 

 liable to checks and failures. Violent south-westerly winds 

 injuring, and even destroying, the stems of the Potatoes are 

 most dreaded. The Potato disease has visited the neighbour- 

 hood of Penzance this year very severely. 



In tho neighbourhood of Marazion is grown what is locally 

 known as " the Marazion Turnip." It is certainly the most 

 sugary I ever tasted. Its bulb is a very flattened globe, the 

 largest about G inches in diameter, flesh white, skin at first also 

 ■white, but becoming yellowish when the bulb attains its full 

 eize. Excellent as I thought that I tasted, yet this being a 

 very late one, was said not to equal those which are in perfec- 

 tion as early as March. Whether this Turnip would be equally 

 excellent if grown elsewhere, or whether that excellence de- 

 pends upon tho light shell-manured soil, and mild, moist 

 climate of this vicinity, deserves to bo practically determined. 



Many Apples were known half a century since, which had the 

 reputation of being raised in Cornwall. Of these were Borlase's 

 Pippin, said to have been produced by one of the B^rlases of 

 Tieluddero ; Blade's Pippin ; Blanchet ; Hasling ; Jany-gimb- 

 let ; Stubbart ; Whitesour ; Bel-bone ; Jacky- Johns ; Cobble- 

 dick-longer-akins GiUiflower, believed to have been first pro- 



duced in the Polwhele Orchard, is still one of our best dessert 

 Apples ; Cloth-of-Gold, which once existed there, but was gone 

 as long since as 1816; Blue Pippin, then well known in the 

 Penzance market, but now never seen. It was a good dessert 

 Apple, ripe about Christmas ; yet although the fruit is not in 

 tho market, a few trees in a state of decrepitude are still in the 

 neighbourhood. The Godolphin was also then in the Helston 

 market. This last-named was raised in Lord Godolphin'a gar- 

 den, at St. James's Park, in this county. The chief dessert 

 Apples I see in the fruit market are "the Stebbutt ;" and the 

 well-known Devonshire Quarranden. Cider, for home con- 

 sumption, and of surpassing excellence, is made in some dis- 

 tricts of Cornwall. About thirty years ago, I am told that, tho 

 cider made from an Applo called tho Dullling, was preferred, 

 but my informant could not say whether that variety is stiU 

 employed. — G. 



AUSTRALIAN SPIN.\CH. 



The above new vegetable (Chenopodiam auricomum), which 

 wo introduced this season to this country, we have growib 

 rather largely, and, perhaps, a few remarks on our mode of cul- 

 tivation, and experience of the plant, may prove useful to those 

 of your readei-s who may be inclined to give it a trial another 

 season. 



Our first sowing in the open border about the middle of 

 April, was a failure. On the same day, however, we sowed a 

 quantity under glass on a slight hotbed. The seeds came up very 

 thickly, and when the seedlings had made their second leaves we 

 h.ad the plants pricked out into boxes, and kept near the glass. 

 After making some growth, and all danger from frost being 

 over, we planted them out on a piece of well-mantued grormd, 

 about 18 inches apart, watering occasionally afterwards with 

 liquid manure. The young plants when put out were but puny- 

 looking, about 2 inches high, and with stems not much thicker 

 than needles. The plant is of exceedingly rapid growth, and in 

 fine weather it was astonishing how quickly it increased in 

 size. There are many plants fully 5 feet high, and still grow- 

 ing, with the appearance of flowering. 



Our second trial was in the open border in the first week of 

 June, and was successful ; almost every seed seemed to have 

 germinated. This sowing is now yielding us an abundance of 

 I leaves. The leaves can be gathered when the plants are about 

 18 inches high. In a few days they throw out fresh leaves, 

 I which are again ready to gather, and so continue throughout 

 ' the season. If we are correct in our estimate of it, this Spinach 

 j is likely to prove a valuable addition to our vegetables on 

 I account of its flavour, its productiveness, and its not having 

 a tendency to run to seed. The flavour is similar to that 

 of the Spinach of our gardens, but whether it has " some- 

 thing in it more refined, and less grassy in taste," we will leave 

 you to judge, and herewith send you a dish for trial, with a 

 sjiecimen or two of the plant for your inspection. We are of 

 opinion that the plant should be treated as a half-hardy annual 

 with us in Scotland, although, perhaps, it may prove otherwise 

 in the south of England. 



In regard to cooking, it requires more time to boil than our 

 Spinach, and we also think it requires more attention in the 

 beating. We have had it put among warm water to bleach, and 

 then boiled as ordinary Spinach. — Stc.vrt ife Mein, KcUo, W.B. 

 [By a report in another column, it will be seen that the 

 Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society has under- 

 taken to try its merits.] 



THE SNOAAI' MESPILUS. 

 Tnis fine ornamental tree (Amelanchier botryapinm), is 

 not half so generally grown as it deserves to be. Its nume- 

 rous blossoms, rendered all the more attractive by the coloured 

 calyx, attract the attention of all observers. It flowers in April 

 and May, or rather in the latter month only. It is usually 

 worked on the Thorn, and I suppose will attain the dimensions 

 of that general favourite. In the autumn, when your readers 

 are re-arranging their shrubberies and lawns, let them not 

 forget to give a place to this tree. — J. B. 



Peaiice's GABnENER's Delight Pea. — I observe in your re- 

 port of the Royal Horticultural Society's Fruit Committee, of 

 August 6th, the following statement: — "Mr. Poynter, of 

 Taunton, sent two varieties of Peas, one named ' Pearce'B 

 Gardener's Delight,' which proved to be Ne Plos Ultra." I 



