January 16, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



43 



9 to 12 bnnchea. In the third season after planting the per- 

 manent Vines would be able to carry a crop of twelve bunches 

 each. They would, I have no doubt, support double that 

 number ; but it is better to crop lightly at first, as the young 

 rods will have to make wood that season. — J. Douglas. 



NOTES ON SOME VARIETIES OF THE 



POTATO. 



As planting time is approaching, in fact come, to those who 

 have warm nooks and corners, allow me to state my experience 

 of some of the leading kinds. Being located in one of the best 

 Potato-producing districts, with a soil that can hardly be sur- 

 passed for producing them to perfection, I have thus had an 

 opportunity of growing, seeing, and proving many kinds under 

 favourable auspices ; and I have paid attention to the subject 

 for nearly half a century, collecting materials, very hetero- 

 geneous I must say, on the management, cause of disease, 

 and preventives, enougJi to supply an editor with clippings 

 and anecdotes for several years ; but as the cattle and Potato 

 plagues have alike set all our knowledge and writing at 

 defiance, and proved one nostrum after another useless, I shall 

 not vex you with extracts from my Potato hihlinthiquc, but give 

 a list of sorts and their qualities as proved here (Somersetshire), 

 on a fine, deep, sandy loam — a soil never too wet nor too dry. 



1. T17ii(c Clumpcr first, as being our great staple produc- 

 tion here, and a sort that resists the disease better than any 

 other kind that I have tried. The crops of it have been extra 

 fine this season ; and I have heard the growers say, that al- 

 though they lost one-third by the disease, yet they had a good 

 average crop left. This kind also keeps well until late in spring, 

 or, in fact, till the early kinds come in. It is a good-flavoured 

 sort, and boils dry, but having a yellowish tinge when cooked 

 it does not look so well at table. 



2. Grammar.— K red Potato, very like a Forlyfold, a great 

 cropper, and was cultivated largely at one time in this neigh- 

 bourhood, but having proved watery in the heart when cooked, 

 it has been abandoned. I think this is the sort called Gram- 

 part about London. 



3. Forti/fuld Earhj. — Our best early and best second early 

 sort ; white, mealy, and nicely flavoured. It requires a rich 

 soil to grow it to perfection. It is, par excellence, my favourite 

 Potato. When the size of a marble you can cook it, and it will 

 prove dry from beginning to end. It is rather subject to 

 disease. 



4. Forty fold Late. — Exactly like the Early in colour, quality, 

 and flavour, but is the best late-keeping sort I know. It is 

 very subject to disease, on account of growing so late in the 

 season. Perhaps the same as Covent Garden Blue. 



5. York Recent is unsurpassed for dryness and other 

 qualities. It comes in early, keeps late, and is fine all the 

 year round. The Dahnahoy planted alongside of it proved to 

 be the same. The seed was procured from Messrs. Lawson and 

 Son, who sent it out under the new name. The seed had 

 been evidently grown in that fine Potato district that lies be- 

 tween Musselburgh and Dunbar, on the Firth of Forth. 

 They looked a tine improvement on the Regent, but cultivated 

 together I could see no difference. 



6. Patterson's Victoria. — This has proved here to be one of 

 our best kinds, and apparently an improved Regent of a flatter 

 form, more like a Lapstone. It is mealy and excellent, finely 

 flavoured, and a great cropper. It grows late, and is therefore 

 subject to the disease ; one-third of mine perished. This is 

 just the sort for " Solanum," it grins through its leathery 

 jacket in fine style. 



7. Fluke. — Now so well known that description is useless. 

 Its thready appeai-ance when dressed is its only fault. 



8. Mona's Pride is an early sort any one might be proud 

 of having raised. Early, prolific, dry, and of fine flavour, I 

 think it the best of the Ashleaf familj'. 



9 and 10. Salmon Kidnei/ and Red AMeaf have been here 

 famous croppers, but only second-rate in quality. 



11 and 12. Royal Asldeaf and Imperial Asldeaf are two 

 worthless sorts when compared with others ; the names are 

 the only thing either Royal, or Imperial about them. 



13 and 14. Teleyraph and President are very good pig Po- 

 tatoes, and, like 11 and 12, the names are their best recom- 

 mendation. 



15. Myatt's Prolific. — A first-rate second early, mealy, and 

 finely flavoureJ. Produces good crops. 



IG. Napoleon. — A fine mealy Potato, fit for a Prince's table. 



17 and 18. Dean's Early Ashleaf and Dean's Royal Prolific 

 seem very good, but I have not seen enough of them yet. 



I'J and 20. PaUerson's Blue Round and Seedling Rock are 

 both so like others — viz., Jersey Blue and White Rock, that I 

 cannot see any difference. The last is, however, a fine Potato, 

 and does remarkably well in this locality. 



21. Handxn-orth Prolific. — The most dwarf Potato I know, 

 and the earliest. If its other qualities were equal to those, 

 it would be first-rate as an early sort. It might be improved 

 with Early Fortyfold. 



22. Cvford Early. — This is designated by one of your adver- 

 tising friends as " the best Potato out," and I endorse the 

 opinion so far as to say that it is one of the earliest, one of 

 the dwarfest, and one of the handsomest of its race ; it is also 

 mealy, but yellow-fleshed — a great drawback with many people 

 who prefer showy, laughing, mealy kinds, as " SoiANnii" says, 

 tempting you to eat them. 



I have stated my experience with a few kinds that I have 

 tried here from time to time, and described the kind of soil 

 they were tried upon. "D.,"of Deal, would have added in- 

 creased value to his article, page ■i(J2-3, Vol. XI., had he told 

 us the sort of soil his is, which I suppose is a good one, being 

 near the sea. — J. Scott. 



P.S. — On the morning of the 3rd, thermometer at 17' ; -ith, 

 thermometer at 12° ; 5th, thermometer at 10°. Snow G inches. 

 One o'clock, thaw going on fast. 



GARDENERS' EXAMINATION FOR HONOURS. 



Wr- are now enabled to give the list of the successful candidates 

 at the recent examinations of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 and it is very encouraging to see so many of the young men 

 who presented themselves come olif so well as they have done. 

 Although this is the first examination of the kind the Society 

 has held, it shows how large a per-centage of the young gar- 

 deners of the present day really devote their time to the ac- 

 quirement of a thorough knowledge of their profession ; and it 

 is also evidence against an opinion, which was becoming some- 

 what general, that the young gardeners of the rising generation 

 had no aspirations, and that the race of the Paxtons, Spencers, 

 and Thomsons was rapidly becoming extinct. We are informed, 

 judging from the papers sent in, all of which were more or 

 less liighly creditable, that if these examinations become pei- 

 mauent, we may look forward in future years to having a 

 much larger number of educated and high-class gardeners in 

 the country than we have ever had, and we shall know also 

 where these are to be found. We hear, also, that even those 

 who failed on this occasion gave such evidence of better things 

 .as to leave no doubt of their success on a future occasion. 



The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, on the report 

 of the Examiners, elected, on the 8th inst., Mr. K. C. Kingston, 

 Royal Gardens, Kew, and Mr. George Stanton, Berry Hill 

 Gardens, Taplow, M.aidenhead, to be Associate Members of the 

 Society. A medal has also been awarded to Mr. G. Stanton for 

 the highest number of marks in practical gardening. 



The following certificates have also been granted — viz. : 



GiUDENERs' Improvemknt SOCIETIES. — Any of the Gardeners' 



Mutual Improvement Societies who have joined the Royal 



Horticultural Society, will oblige by sending to The Jouenai, 



OF HonxicuLTURE Copies of their rules and by-laws for the 



} guidance of young societies. — Taplow. 



