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JOUENAIi OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 11, 1869 



I have some hnndreds by this method, and only this week took 

 up a fine plant of MrE. Rivers, which gave me three such own- 

 root plants, and still left me a good — Manetti. 



■\VINTERING PELARGONIUMS. 



Mk. Luckhtjest has in some measure misinterpreted my 

 remarks. No doubt, as I think I said in my last, a Pelargo- 

 nium is about the easiest plant of any to winter, and the most 

 accommodating ; but my object in advocating a warmer and a 

 more generous treatment than the plants usually obtain is to 

 insure their being in bloom, or well-set with bloom, when they 

 are finally bedded-out. The plan which Mr. Luckhurst recom- 

 mends of planting-out in beds with flinch boards at the sides, 

 and covered at nights with thatched hurdles, may do very well 

 in Kent, but in Yorkshire the hurdles would have too often to 

 he on the whole day through, and the plants grown in the dark ; 

 moreover, when the plants are lifted at bedding time, all the 

 roots are broken, although undoubtedly it is a much better plan 

 than keeping them in cutting pans ; but at the best it is again 

 hut a makeshift. 



It Mr. Luckhurst had as many requests as I have for cuttings 

 of Pelargoniums, especially the newer varieties, he would find 

 that taking cuttings in August would very materially interfere 

 vpith the beauty of a flower garden. If one merely bedded and 

 propagated the older varieties there would be less difficulty in 

 the way of early propagation. 



Those who have orchard houses and vineries at rest can, no 

 doubt, manage very well to winter Pelargoniums without extra 

 plant houses, but what I do find fault with gardeners for is, 

 that having cool vineries and orchard houses, they still prefer 

 to winter Pelargoniums in damp and cold pits ; and only lately 

 a friend, who, from his own experience, is equally with myself 

 an advocate for keeping Pelargoniums growing during the winter, 

 told me in a letter, that because he had fires in his plant house 

 during the damp weather in November and December, some 

 neighbouriug gardeners said ha would make his Pelargoniums 

 too tender to live through the winter. 



Mr. Luckhurst's plan with silver sand is, no doubt, a good 

 one. Another very good plan not generally known is to put 

 some lumps of quicklime in pots or pans about the frames, 

 and remove them when it is slacked, which it will be by absorb- 

 ing the moisture from the air. — C. P. Peach. 



heat of the drawing-room. One always hails a really new and 

 good addition to our gardens, but a winter-flowering plant to 

 me always has a double claim. — J. Bust, Bridge Castle. 



GESNERA (N.^SGELIA) EXONIENSIS. 



This is truly a gem. It is not often we see such beautiful 

 foliage and flowers combined. It is one of the finest plants 

 I know of for table decoration, as the rich, dark, velvety hue 

 of the leaves, and the bright colour of the flowers, contrast 

 admirably with a white tablecloth ; under the chandelier as it 

 stands amongst the glittering silver and glass, it is, indeed, 

 perfection. For the decoration of the conservatory or stove it 

 is also most valuable. 



I have a specimen about 2 feet through, with upwards of a 

 dozen spikes of magnificent flowers. It is as fresh and beautiful 

 now, in February, as it was at Christmas. The flowers are of 

 an intense orange scarlet, with a yellow throat. The leaf is of 

 a very dark velvety texture, studded all over with minute red 

 hairs, almost like plush. 



I remember some years ago when I first saw Gesnera Suttoni 

 how much I admired it. This year I have had several other 

 varieties growing side by side ; they have done flowering for 

 Bome time, but G. exoniensis is as fresh as ever. 



When I received my plant several of the leaves were some- 

 what damaged with the journey. I took three of these off, and 

 cut the stalk of the leaf about half an inch from the base. I 

 next took three small pans and half filled them with crocks, 

 on these put about 2 inches of peat, and filled up with silver 

 sand. I then placed the leaves on the sand and pegged them 

 down. From these I have now more than a dozen nice young 

 plants, and by next winter they will be strongly established. 

 I mention this merely to show how easily it can be increased. 



I am growing mine in our stove, side by side with Dale- 

 champia Eoezliana rosea, in full bloom ; and hanging over it, 

 on one of the supports of the stove, is Thunlergia Harrisi, 

 producing masses of bloom, its lovely blue flowers contrasting 

 most pleasingly. — F. P. L. 



I Esow of no plant its equal for winter dinner-table de- 

 coration, and it has also the great merit of standing the dry 



BIRMINGHAM POTATO SHOW. 



The Council of the Bii-mingbam Cattle and Poultry Show have at 

 all times manifested a desire to adopt as perfect a system of classifica- 

 tion as possible in tlieir prize lists ; and a further aud useful step in 

 this direction was taken last year, when separate classes were for the 

 first time opened for named varieties of Potatoes. The question as to 

 the best plan of exhibiting Potatoes has uudersone considerable dis- 

 cussion in some of our horticultural journals without producing any 

 general agreement ; but a course has been adopted at Birmingham 

 which will hereafter, we feel satisfied, be almost universally followed. 

 It had become evident that the simple old divisions of " Konnd " and 

 " Kidney " sorts were most unsatisfactory, as must, indeed, be every 

 attempt to classify Potatoes under particular forms ; while, with the 

 number of well-known varieties in cultivation, the advantages of jlassi 

 fication by name are obvious. 



The entries numbered sixty-six, of which sixtj'-three were sent; and,, 

 bearing in mind the drought of the past summer aud autumn, the 

 collection was an exceedingly good one ; aud a few remarks on the dif- 

 ferent varieties for which prizes were offered, now that the planting 

 season is approaching, may be useful to some of our readers. 



There were eleven classes for named Potatoes as follows : — Ashleaf 

 Ividney, Eivers's Eojal Aableaf Kidney, Gloucestershire Kidney, 

 Daiutree's First Early, King of Potatoes, Wheelers' Milky "White, 

 Flukes, Dalmahoy, Eed Kegent, Paterson's Victoria, Skerry Blue, 

 and an extra class for any other named varieties. Of course, in pre- 

 paring a Ust of this kind there will always be some difference of 

 opiuion as to the sorts which should be selected ; but the Birmingham 

 list, we think, included the bejt kinds in cultivation at the present 

 time, and most of which have been extensively gi'own for many years. 



The first, the Early Ashleaf, is not now so often seen as it was ten 

 or fifteen years ago ; but it is most desirable that its cultivation should 

 be kept up, as there is nothing superior, if equal, to it in quaUty, when 

 well grown. There could be no hesitation aboirt Eivers's Eoyal Ash- 

 I leaf, which is a favourite in nearly all parts of the country. It is a 

 great cropper, and succeeds well ou all descriptions of soil. The 

 same may be said of the Gloucestershire Ixidney, which was, we be- 

 heve, sent out sixteen or eighteen years ago, and the demand for 

 which is increasing every year. This Potato does well on strong soil, 

 which is not the case with all our early varieties. Daiutree's First 

 Early is a round Potato, something hke the old Fox's Seedling, but 

 larger. It is a good cropper, the tubers vei-y regular in size, of excel- 

 lent quality, and very useful to follow the kidneys. We have fre- 

 quently advised cottagers to gi*ow this Potato for use before the later 

 kinds are in a fit state for cooking. The King of Potatoes has been 

 very extensively and successfully grown, but it has not been coming 

 so true as we should hke to see it during the last few years ; and we 

 object to sorts which produce rouuds and kidneys from the same root- 

 When first sent out the produce was very regular, aud, with some care 

 in the choice of seed, it may agaiu become so. 



The next on the list is Wheelers' Milky White, first introduced by 

 Messrs. Wheeler tt Son, of Gloucester, three or four years ago, and 

 the most valuable addition which has been made to our second earUes. 

 The Milky White is of the finest possible quaUty, really miUry white 

 in appearance, crops well ou light or on strong soils, and remains in 

 perfection up to Christmas, or even later if carefully stored. Of the 

 Fluke we need say but little, as it is so well known and appreciated. 

 We may, however, mention that the true Fluke is not a large Potato, 

 but very uniform in size. There were two or three lots of the Queen 

 of Flukes sent to Bingley Hall, which were not passed over by the 

 judges, as the prizes were offered in general terms ; but another year 

 it may be fairly required tfiat none but the original Fluke shall be 

 admitted to the class. 



The Dalmahoy is not so well k-nown in England as it deserves to be. 

 It was raised at Dalmahoy, in Scotland, about, we believe, twelve 

 years a^o, and has, we understand, to a considerable extent displaced 

 the White Eegent, ou which it is a great improvement, in that part of 

 the kingdom. The Dalmahoy is a late white round Potato, the slim 

 being rather tough, of excellent quality, and a large cropper, the 

 tubers being uniform in size. The Dalmahoy is more vigorous in. 

 growth than the White Eegent, and has been found to be productive 

 in districts where the latter has proved a comparative failure. We 

 beheve that a large portion of the Potatoes now sent from Scotland to 

 the London and other markets under the name of Eegeuts are in reaUty 

 Dalmahoys. The Eed Eegeuts in many cases proved a sad failure in 

 the past year, and particularly in this neighbourhood ; so mnch so,, 

 indeed, that we do not expect to see them extensively gi-own agaia for 

 some time to come, especially as there are many other late varieties 

 of much greater value. This Potato is also losing its original fine 

 form. We have seen, at the Sparkenhoe Club and other shows, speci- 

 mens as round as a cricket ball. 



As Milk-y White for a second early, so Paterson's '\'ictoria for a late 

 crop is one of the most admirable additions to our Potatoes. It was 

 sent out a few years ago by Messrs. Paterson, of Dundee, Mr. Pater- 

 son, sen., as many of our readers are aware, having given much atten- 



