Fi'britary 0, 18C8. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



109 



first, that T do not epcak aa a market gardener, do not take 

 into account the cost and productiveness of the crop, but what 

 is best suited for a gentlemnn's table — that is then, that I place 

 flavour uii J quaUty lirst, appearance second, and proiliictivoness 

 third. The second point is that to which I have already al- 

 luded — that I do not hold up auy variety as free from disease. 

 Perhaps I should add that I grow my Potatoes in two separate 

 places.— one is an enclosed garden with rich friable loam, the 

 other an open field with a somewhat heavier foil, but dry and 

 open ; and that hence, probably, my estimate is very different 

 from that of others. 

 The varieties thus grown were — 

 wHF.rns 



VARIETY. OROWV. WHERE OBT.VINED. 



1. Koi'ly Ashlcaf Garden Home-grown. 



•J. Myalt's Prolific AsMeaf ditto ditto 



3. Early Don Field Downie, Laird, & Laing. 



4. Coldstream Early ditto Hogg & Kobsrtson. 



5. Ross's Early ditto Mr. Thomson, Diom. 



6. Lapstonc Garden Sutton & Sous, Reading. 



7. Late LapstoueorDaiii- 



trce's Seedling ditto Home-grown. 



8. Milkv White Field Wheeler & Son. Gloacoster. 



9. Yorkshire Hero Garden Rev. W. F. Radclyffe. 



10. Feuu's Onwards ditto Mr. Fenn, Woodstock. 



11. Premier ditto ditto Thome-gl-own 



12. Salmon Kidney Field Rev. W. F. Radclylle, and 



13. Coomb s Favourite (iarden J. Dickson & Sons, Chester. 



14. Patersou's Victoria ditto E. Banks, Esij., Sholden. 



15. Silver Seedling ditto ditto 



1. Kartij Ashleaf. — There is little need to say anything about 

 this well-known totato. Its only fault is that it is a poor 

 cropper ; but I am told that Veitch's Early Ashleaf is of the 

 same quality and mtich more productive. Much dependance 

 can be placed ou it for the first new Potatoes. 



•2. UijaU's Prolific Asldcaf. — kn excellent Potato, Tery nearly 

 of the same quality as the preceding, and a very good cropper. 

 It is extensively grown about here by the market gardeners, 

 and always commands a ready sale. Those who, like myself, 

 prefer Kidney Potatoes, will give it preference to the early 

 Round Potatoes. 



3. lUii-li/ Don. — I received this from Messrs. Downie, Laird, 

 and Laing, and consider it to be au excellent Round variety. 

 It comes in about the same time as Myatt's Prolific Ashleaf, is 

 very prolific, vfhile in colour, very floury, and of excellent 

 flavour. 



4. Coldstiram Earhj. — Another Eiund Potato, very similar to 

 the foregoing, equally mealy, and well flavoured ; it is also 

 very prolific. 



5. Ross's Eiidij. — This was very kindly sent to me by Mr. 

 Thomson, of Drem, with a statement that, as he had to supply 

 Potatoes for baking, he had found this to be the best variety 

 for that purpose. He advised me to plant some large tubers 

 whole, and said that I should be astonished at the result. I 

 did so, and certainly the fine large tubers clustering round the 

 stem were a sight. It keeps well, and is especially desirable 

 for baking. 



6. Lapston:'. — I see nothing to alter as to what I have already 

 said concerning this, the best of all Potatoes. It doubtless 

 requires, to grow it in perfection, a light rich soil and a good 

 climate, and would not probably succeed well far north ; nor 

 does it like wet. I have grown it very successfully this year, 

 and have no hesitation in saying that there is no Potato that 

 comes to my table at all comparable to it. For a main crop 

 it is especially dependable. 



7. Late Lapsioue »#■ Daintrce's Seedling. — This partakes very 

 much of the character of the preceding, but is not equal to it 

 in flavour. I may be wrong, but it seems to have a little of 

 the Fluke blood in it. and all that race I think very little of. 



8. Milktj U'liiti'. — This now-celebrated Potato needs no com- 

 mendation of mine. It well deserves its name, for it is the 

 very whitest Potato grown. It is also prolific and a fair keeper. 



'J. Yorkshire Hero. — I do not see, either in growth of the 

 haulm or in the tuber, the least difference between this and 

 No. 7, and have heard the same remark made by other growers. 



10. Fenn's Onwards. — An early Potato, kindly sent to me by 

 " Upwabds and Onw.uids." The seed was Round, but the pro- 

 duce was pebbly — neither P^ound nor Kidney. It is exceedingly 

 floury, and so very delicate in texture that it is not easy to 

 peel it after it is boiled. It is, for a Eonnd early Potato, an 

 admirable sort. 



11. Premier. — An early Kidney Potato ; but I do not consider 

 it as good as Myatfs Prolific, and have discarded it. 



12. Salmon Kidnei/. — Known here as Deene Ilall Kidney and 

 Iri.sh Kidney ; the best of all late Potatoes. It is veiy peculiar 

 in shape, being very full of eyes, but it keeps good up to the 

 middle of June. 



13. Coomb's Favourite. — This is nothing bnt a selected strain 

 of the Lapstone ; a very good one, but still nothing more than 

 this. 



14. Paterson's Fictorm.— The beet of all Mr. Paterson'a much-, 

 vaunted seedlings, bnt withal no great thing. It is large, 

 rampant in growth, prolific enough, but not mealy — in fact, 

 like all Mr. Pater.son'.s, it is a field and not a garden Potato. 



1.5. Sili-cr Seedling.— X beautiful-looking Potato with a silvery 

 skin, hut watery. 



Such is my e.stimate. And now to the practical results. 

 Plant early, and take up early. The disease generally comes 

 on about the first week in August. If the weather be fine after 

 that I should have no hesitation in leaving the Potatoes in the 

 ground until September ; if it set in wet I should bo equally 

 determined in taking them up. They will make no growth 

 after the haulm is attacked by dipease ; and they will not be 

 injured if taken up on a dry day and well limed before being 

 stored. For my own use I intend for the future to grow the 

 old Ashleaf, to be followed by Myatfs Prolific Ashleaf, Lap- 

 stone for the main crop, Salmon Kidney for late crop, and 

 Ross's Early for baking. 



I hope it will be distinctly understood that I only speak 

 from my own experience, and that I believe locality and soil 

 have a great effect on Potatoes, as with fruits, vegetables, and 

 flowers of all kinds, varieties which succeed in one locality 

 being utterly worthless in others. A notable example of this 

 occurs in a contemporary a week or two ago, in which an 

 amateur writes from Ireland of Lord Maeaulay Rose as a flabby, 

 dingy-coloured, badly opened, badly constitutioned General 

 Jacqueminot, while we regard it as one for which Portemer 

 deserves a medal for raising. — D., Deal. 



UNCOVERING ROSES. 



Following Mr. Radclyfie's directions, I covered my Roses in. 

 December with fern, and placed stable litter over that. We 

 have had a most unusually mild season, and the Koses so far 

 need not have been covered at all. I examined some of them 

 the other day, and found them all making fresh shoots under- 

 neath the covering. Culine Forestier has shoots 3 inches long. 

 Would it be well, as long as the weather continues mild and 

 wet, to uncover them gradually, replacing the covering when 

 the cold spring winds commence? I am afraid of the young 

 tender shoots rotting-off beneath the mass of damp covering. 

 -Q.Q. 



[The season is comparatively mild, and Roses are forward 

 kere. I presume the Roses covered with fern are Teas and 

 Tea-scented Noisettes. They may be uncovered this mild 

 weather gradually ; and if the frost return severely, they must 

 be covered again till danger is over. I do not anticipate any 

 more frost severe enough to injure Roses. In a few days I 

 think of taking oft' the Asparagus haulm — a capital protection — 

 from my Teas and Tea-scented Noisettes. If the new shoots 

 are rotted " Q. Q." must have excluded the air, which should 

 never be done. The Roses have three eyes ; and if the centre 

 eye, which breaks first, rots off, or is killed by the frost, it is 

 of no consi-quence. The two other eyes will break in due time, 

 and the best branch can be suffered to remain, and the other 

 may be shortened back, 



Celine Forestier here has a new flower foi-med. Roses wiU 

 be early this year. The National Rose Show in my opinion 

 is fixed too late, especially for amateurs and nurserymen who 

 have small stocks. Hence the large stockholders carry off the 

 prizes every year. In 18C1 Mr. Turner wrote to me saying 

 (June '201. "I am bloomed out." This does not conduce to 

 national Kose-growing, the main object for which the Society 

 was originated by the Bev. S. Reynolds Hole. — W. F. Eadcltffb.1 



THE SEED PODS of ODOXTOGLOSSUM GRANDE. 

 A PL.iNT of this Orchid, after producing five spikes of bloom 

 in 1866, showed a pod, which grew to the size of a hen's egg. 

 This continued ou the plant all last year, and the blooms of last 

 year have produced another pod, both of which appear quite 

 green at this time, and have no appearance of ripening, 

 although the plant is in robust health and preparing to bloom 



