422 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 21, 1865. 



silver claret jug. I am sure that Mr. Paterson will duly appreciate 

 these haudsome pic'sents, and will be prond of them, not only for their 

 ■value, hut as beiii;^ au expression of the feelings of the gentlemen who 

 presented them to him, and they will go do^^-n to his posterity as heir- 

 looms. 



Mr. Patekson said he was almost unable to find words to reply to 

 the toast which had just been proposed, and the substantial present 

 which had been given to him. ^Vhe^ a boy he begau to experiment 

 on the Potato plaut, but he never thought the time would come that 

 his experiment would an-ive at such a result. He was then in his 

 father's .service, and for eight years he was his father's manager. As 

 they knew, he was a market gardener, and thus he had ample oppor- 

 tunity for conducting his experiments. The Potato, like all other 

 plants aud animals, was subject to diseases, and required careful atten- 

 tion and renewal. (Hear, hear.) The method of procedure he adopted 

 was to Bclect the finest and healthiest kinds, and cultivate them. 

 (Applause.) He begged to thank them for the honour they had done 

 him, and he hoped their valuable present would continue in his family 

 KO long as they bore the name of Paterson. 



Mr. Geobge P.\terson also replied. He was sure all present who 

 Imew him would believe that he highly apjn'eciated the honour which 

 had been done him ; aud he could Mssure them, if it was the will of 

 Providence that this valuable present should fall into his hands, he 

 would value it as one of the mo^t cherished articles in his possession. 

 As he was not much accustomed to spealdng, his father had di'awn up 

 a pii^^'V narrating the progress aud result of his experiments, which he 

 woulu read to them. He then read as follows : "■ From early life I 

 have taken a deep intea-est in the Potato plant. My father being an 

 extensive cultivator of fruit and vegetables in this quarter, it gave me 

 a favourable opportunity of observing the cultivation of the Potato, 

 from tlie delicate garden variety to the strongest kiuds under culture 

 in this countiy. My notice was first attracted by some of the earlier 

 sorts weakening in constitution, aud in the course of a few years becom- 

 ing almost extinct or worthless as a useful and paying crop. I nest 

 turned my attention to the more robust field varieties then grown, and 

 with the like result. I then fonued an opiuion (from which I have 

 never had cause to depart], that the Potato plaut was only de- 

 eigned to seiTe its generation, the same as in animal life, and that 

 without a constant and successive renewal from the seed or apple it 

 "was quite probable this most valuable esculent might be lo^t to man- 

 Irind altogether. About forty years ago a disease tei-med curl attacked 

 the plant, causing it to become quite stunted both in haulm and tuber, 

 and ever since then the plant has been liable to \-isitations of disease 

 iu one shape or other — such as soft rot in the ground, decay after stor- 

 ing, and some seasons it was not only difficult but almost impossible 

 to find a regular braird, while whole fields were a total blank through 

 this cause. Evei"y preventive and restorative I could conceive I tried 

 in order to regenerate the plant, but with little satisfaction. In 1846 

 ■we had the first visitation of the fatal lilight, which nearly destroyed 

 the whole crop of this countiy, and which has since then annually 

 manifested itself aU over to a greater or less extent. In 1847, in con- 

 junction with Professor Johnston (who was commissioned by our 

 Goverment to inquii-e into the cause of the epidemic, and if possible 

 find an antidote), and other .scientific gentlemen, we made various and 

 extensive expeiiments in order to attain the end in view. As to the 

 cause, many conjectures were put forth, but as to the remedy that 

 never was arrived at. My own conviction regarding the Potato blight 

 is that there is no direct cure for it, but that it is entirely an atmo- 

 spheric action in the plant, it having the seeds of disease within itself, 

 and that it will be always more or less subject to it. Before arriving 

 at this conriction, I planted j-ear after year all the varieties I conld 

 obtain from the coldest and warmest countries, used all the manures 

 I could think of, tried by different processes of planting aud lifting, 

 J)y preparing the gi'ound and seed, to arrive at some satisfactoi-y result. 

 During the growing season, I have microscopically examined the gro\vth 

 of the plant in all its stages, and I have remained in the field in July 

 (the giYjwing season), when the blight would overtake the plant 

 with virulence, during sultry weather, and seen the moisture evapo- 

 aate from the hanlm, and the disease became stayed, and no recur- 

 rence of it took place until the like weather returned. From that 

 time I determined on can-jdng out my original idea of raising and im- 

 proving seedling varieties. The York Regent was the first Potato 

 that answered in this quarter after the blight, iu preference to varieties 

 from Archangel and other cold climates ; then followed the Mliite 

 Rock. This variety took my especial attention. With its strong 

 xobust constitution and rigorous habit, it proved the ablest variety 

 to resist the disease of any theu gi'O^vn, but from its rough appearance 

 and its then inferioiity in quality, fai-mers wonld not take to it for 

 years. Now it has become one of the most useful vai-ieties grown, and 

 of excellent quality. In 1854 I obtained fi'om almost every country 

 Tprhere the Potato is found a collection of the best sorts, and planted 

 them side by side in the open field, in order to get as complete and 

 fresh a variety as possible. The experiment was successful. Thi'ough 

 the agency of insects aud othenvise there was a thorough mixture, aud 

 from the seed or apple then produced spnmg these improved varieties 

 which I have now given out to the public. Through the mediutu of 

 the newspaper press and othei-wise, public attention has been vei-y widely 

 directed to my experiments, and orders for seed have been received 

 from many parts of the world. We have stmt considerable quantities 

 of it to Australia, New Zealand, India, Geimany, France, Russia, 



Denmark, Sweden, &c." Mr. George Paterson theu continued — I 

 would like to mention to you an incident illustrative of the necessity of 

 particular attention and care being given to the cultivation of "the 

 Potato. Five years ago my finn selected from among our seedlings a 

 quantity of a blue variety, which jnelded largely, and promised well. 

 One fault, however, they had, aud this was, that while they were blue 

 without, they were also bluish within. On this accouut we almost 

 gave up the idea of cultivating them longer. "VVe resolved to give them 

 a last chance ; and by mere accident in cutting them down for seed, I 

 observed that some of them were quite white iu the inside, though out- 

 wardly they appeared similar to the others. It struck me at once 

 that here I had discovered a distinct variety of the blue Potato — a Potato 

 which would become vei-y valuable, I determined to experiment on 

 it. I got out of the heap, after careful examination, a basketful of 

 these Potatoes. "We planted them ; and at the end of the season we 

 found that they turned out a large crop, and first-rate in quality These, 

 gentlemen, are now Paterson's Blues — (applause) — and 1 think they are 

 destined to take a lead in the Potato field ; aud now we have at least 

 ItX) tons of them. The other Blues from which they were taken were 

 at last rejected as faulty, as were many other varieties which we raised. 

 Well, gentlemen, this accidental discovei-y of this fine bine variety 

 shows that there exists gi-eat necessity for careful obsenation in the 

 cultivation. How many good kinds have been lost to us from the want 

 of care aud attention. Many who have devoted much time and labour 

 to the subject have given it up at last as vain. There is in the veget- 

 able, as well as in the animal Idngdom, a predominance of the inferior 

 over the superior; and no wonder that, in ti-^-ing to raise the breed, one 

 retires from the task in despair. But after all, iu my opinion, the 

 task is not hopeless. Here I am led to make a remark. To me it 

 seems that this matter of the cultivation of the Potato is one which 

 might properly enough command the notice of a paternal Goveniment. 

 We all know the value of the Potato to the farmer for feeding his cattle ; 

 we all know its value to mankind ; aud we know the awful calamity 

 which befel the countiy in IH-AG. when in one niglit the plant, through 

 the length and breadth of the land, was struck with the fatal blight. 

 Who knows how soon the scourge may come upon us again ? Con- 

 sidering this, would it not he desirable that the Goveniment should 

 take up the matter and appoint parties of expei-ience to adopt means 

 to preserve the Potato from degeuei'ating, and thus becoming more 

 liable to disease ? Even this season the blight in some districts has 

 been severe, aud the sooner steps are taken to avert it the better. It 

 is a public duty to obtain and keep up the best and healthiest varieties 

 from whatever source they can be got. The disease cannot, in my 

 opinion, be prevented ; but surely it is possible to mitigate it. (Hear, 

 hear.) He concluded by saying that no manure was absolutely neces- 

 sary^ for the cultivation of the Potato, but he advocated the use of a 

 little light manure. Guano was the best, aud soluble guano had been 

 found by them in many cases to do as well as Peruvian guano. 



Mr. Langlands, in proposing *' Success to Paterson's Seedlings," 

 said he was one of the first who understood and appreciated Mr. Pater- 

 son's endeavours to improve the Potato plant. For a long time Pater- 

 son and his Potatoes were a standing joke among the farmers. I 

 thought the thing a joke, I frankly aclmowledge ; but Mr. Paterson 

 persevered. Wherever there was a piece of bad land there Paterson 

 set do^vn his Potatoes. There was one field in particular, in my im- 

 mediate neighbourhood, which I noticed every time I went to Dundee. 

 I saw there was au appearance of Potatoes growing and that was all, 

 and I thought that little could come out of that field. At the end of 

 the season no one seemed to be coming to lift them, and I imagined 

 that it had been considered they were not worth looking after. But, 

 one evening when I was returning home, I saw dimly through the 

 mist several figures in the field, and they seemed to be digging. On 

 coming up I noticed my friend Mr. Paterson amid a coi-ps of Irish 

 labourers, and I said to him, " Hilloa, what are you doing there ? 

 Yon can get nothing iu that field.' He replied, " What do you say, 

 man ? Just come and see this !" Well, I thought I would just stop, 

 and on going into the field I saw him thrust his hand into several 

 shaws and bring out Potatoes which, for size aud promising appear- 

 ance, certainly astonished me. The crop was abundant, and from 

 that day to this I have been satisfied that Paterson's seedlings are no 

 joke : and though many a fanner was, like myself, sceptical about 

 them, I think every one has become a convert like myself. Having, 

 as I said, been converted, I have been growing Paterson's Seedlings 

 ever since, aud I refrain from telling you the yield of some of my 

 crops for fear that you would not believe me. — [Dundee C(ntrier.) 



REPORT ON THE BRISBANE (QUEENSLAND) 

 BOTANIC GARDEN. 



The following is an extract from the Report made to the 

 local Legislative Assembly, by Mr. Walter Kell, the Colonial 

 Botanist, and Director of the garden. It is dated, Brisbane, 

 5th August, 1865. 



'' Some tropical and semi-ti-opical trees and shmbs which have pre- 

 viously boi-ne fruit in these gardens, produce a more abundant crop as 

 they increase in size and age. Of these the Sweet-Sop (Anona squa- 

 mosa), the Cherimoyer (Anona cherimolia), aud Anona muricata, are, 

 perhaps, the most desirable for cultivation. The useful Jaco Tree 



