Gii 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 27, 1876. 



having a very handsome appearance. It is very mealy when 

 cooked, and of the finest flavonr. The tubera attain to a good 

 eize, exhibiting remarkable evennees, and are freely produced. 

 The haiilm is very short, ehorter than any other, and very dis- 

 similar to any I know. 



So thoroughly eatif tied am I with the Eterling merit of those 

 three kinds, that I shall add with every confidence Early 

 "White Kidney, certain that it will prove a fitting companion 

 for Early Market in firtt earlies. Not the least advantage 

 these kinds possess over older sorts is their refusal in highly 

 manured soil to grow into coarseness. Considering their ex- 

 tremely fine appearance, high quality, and fertility, they are 

 likely to have a long run of popularity for garden culture ; 

 whilst for field cultivation against kinds of their own season 

 I feel certain they would compare favourably, but to compare 

 them with Regents is the equal of comparing a mountain sheep 

 with a Leicester. There is room enough for Early Market, 

 Bountiful, and Rector of Woodstock from June to November, 

 at which season Dunbar Regent is at best a waxy lump. 



Taming from the newer to older sorts, Myatt's Prolific 

 Athleaf and Veitch's Ashleaf are the beet of the forms of this 

 type, being good alike for frame or forcing purposes as for 

 garden culture ; whilst as a second early I am run out, de- 

 signedly, of every sort but the Lapstone, to follow which there 

 is no better than Victoria, sometimes called " The Queen." 

 As well may "Danbar Regent " be called " The Kmg." 



I must crave a few words on disease. The fungus came 

 upon us very early last year in the form of the " curl." The 

 curl caused considerable alarm in Scotland and the northern 

 counties at the latter part of the last century. For this 

 grand curl discovery, advancing us no nearer a remedy for the 

 disease than did the offering and withholding by the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of Earl Cathcart's £100 prize, a gold 

 medal was justly given by the Royal Horticultural Society. 

 What a reward science obtains as compared with practice ! 

 (Let us hear no more of the non-recognition of science.) 

 Practice was represented by Mr. Thomas Dickson of Edin- 

 burgh so far back as 1806, who was not only cognisant of the 

 Ecw disease, but ready with a remedy — viz., employing as 

 seed-stock unripe tubers, and which, it is curious to note, was 

 one of the best means for the prevention of that disease so 

 disastrous to the Potato crop of 1815 and subsequently. 

 Science in this instance verifies but does not advance practice ; 

 and as the resting sporo is found to exist in the tuber tissue, 

 it is vain to hope for any remedy other than preventing the 

 spore from obtaining a hold of the tuber and manifesting itself 

 in " curl." This is secured by taking-up the seed-stock when 

 full sized but with the skin barely set. The ripening process, 

 which gives the tulers their esteemed farinaceous quality, 

 just commencing is thereby stayed, and we obtain produce 

 through which the mycelial threads of the f angus have not run, 

 whilst the tubers are for every purpose of growth better than 

 ripened sets, giving the most healthy and productive plants. 



Practice has also shown that seed had from a colder or more 

 northerly climate gives a stronger sturdier growth of plant, 

 increased yield, and higher quality than is obtained from seed 

 had from a warmer climate. Those who have had seed 

 Potatoes from Scotland for growth in the warmer parts of 

 England will have had gratifying proof of this. Change of 

 Boil also exerts conbiderable influence on vegetable growth, 

 and in none more than the Potato, and it is from these at- 

 tentions to the result of practice that we may expect freedom 

 from disease in Potatoes, of which I had none free the last 

 f eaion in earlies or second earlies, except Bountiful, nor can I 

 say the crop has been good or of high quality. — York Regent. 



LILIUM AURATUM SOWING. 



Mr. McIktosh of Duneevan, Oatlands Park, has ripened in 

 bis garden some seeds of those noble plants of the Lilinm 

 auratum, of which we published a drawing in our No. 757. 

 Seedlings may be easily raised ; and knowing that Mr. Douglas 

 at Loxford Hall had so propagated this Lily we asked him for 

 some relative information. He replies as follows : — 



"I had an exceedingly fine variety of L. auratum, which 

 appeared amongst a lot of bulbs that had been received direct 

 from Japan ; and wishing to increase the stock of it more 

 quickly than by the usual offsets from the old bulbs, one of 

 the best flowers was selected and the stigma dusted with pollen 

 from the anthers of the same flower. In due time a flue pod 

 of seed was obtained, which ripened about the end of Septem- 

 ber. The seeds were shaken out and kept in a dry place until 



April ; they were then sown in 6 or 7-inch pots, and the best 

 compost is one of turfy loam and peat with a little leaf mould. 

 The pots were filled up to within an inch of the top, and the 

 mould was made quite level ; on this the seeds were sown, 

 covering over with a quarter of an inch of fine mould. The 

 pots were then placed in a hotbed with a gentle bottom heat, 

 along with some pots of Gladiolus seeds. In two weeks the 

 Gladioluses were quite up or fast appearing aboveground, but no 

 signs of the young Lilies. Week after week passed and the 

 Gladioluses made rapid progress, but still no young Lilies. The 

 pots were examined, and the seeds were quite fresh. We kept 

 the soil moist, and the pots were moved about in cold frames 

 all the season until the following April — twelve months from 

 sowing the seeds. They were still fresh, and when the pots 

 were again placed in heat the young plants appeared. They 

 made nice little bulbs the same season, and have been now 

 potted off. With liberal treatment they will flower in three 

 or four years." 



NOTES FEOM MY GARDEN IN 1875. 



\'EGETABLES. 



If I could look with some little degree of satisfaction on my 

 little greenhouse during the past season it was very different 

 in the vegetable department of the garden. It was not merely 

 the plague of weeds which daily annoyed me, and for which 

 I could find no remedy, but that the peculiar character of the 

 season interfered with the quality and quantity of the crops. 

 Peas, for example, what a plague they were ! and yet I went 

 in for a good many sorts, hoping to gain some experience of 

 their value ; but the early sorts were completely spoiled by the 

 drying winds of April, May, and the early part of .June, while 

 the wet of July sent the later varieties growing at Buch a rate 

 that "Jack and the Peastalk " might have been substituted 

 for the old familiar Beanstalk, and as a consequence the crop 

 was considerably diminished. The sticks were not tall enough 

 for the Peas, which hung about in most admired disorder. 

 Of those which I had the following notes were what I was 

 enabled to make. 



Emerald Gem.— This has fuUy borne out its previous good 

 character ; nor can I at all understand why it should ba con- 

 sidered the same as Eanecroft Rival, for if there were no other 

 distinction its very robust growth would surely distinguish it 

 from that variety which was always described as delicate in 

 flavour and is excellent. 



Bijou (Suttonsl. — An early dwarf Pea of the Little Gem 

 type; and as that variety has considerably run out it will be 

 of great value in replacing it. Besides, the pods are larger 

 and better filled. 



First Crop Blue. — A second early, distinct, blue wrinkled 

 Pea. Flavour good. 



Best of All (Maclean).— I am further confirmed by this 

 season's experience that there is no Pea for a general crop 

 superior, if equal, to this for an amateur. Its length is about 

 what we want— 3 feet, so that we do not require very tall 

 stakes. How far it will bear comparison with Mr. Turner's 

 new Pea Dr. Maclean I do not know ; but all that I have seen 

 of the latter, and all one hears, makes it clear that it is a Pea 

 of first-rate excellence. 



Giant Emerald Marrow (Suttons).— This is without doubt a 

 grand Pea; and althougb, as I have said, the wet season at 

 the time it comes in — end of June and beginning of July, pre- 

 vented one's forming a thorough estimate of it, yet its qualities 

 are undoubted. It is very prolific ; the pods fill well, contain- 

 ing from eight to ten peas, which boil a beautiful green colour 

 and are of excellent flavour, a quality in which some of the 

 new varieties are considerably wanting. 



G. F. Wilson. — A very fine Pea of the Veitch's Perfection 

 type, and, like it, possessing the qualities of productiveneea 

 and good flavour. 



Duchess of Edinburgh (Suttons).— A very handsome, prolific, 

 and good-flavoured Pea. Its height ought to be about 5 feet, 

 but this year it ran up to 6 and 7 ; and in a dry season 1 

 believe it will be very valuable. 



Besides these I had four small packets sent me by my friend 

 Mr. Laxton of his new Peas. From so small a quantity one 

 can hardly judge the value of a new Pea; but of the four. 

 Unique and Dr. Hogg, the former a dwarf Pea and the latter 

 a preen wrinkled one, seemed to he very promising. 



From Peas one naturally turns to Potatoes ; and bad as the 

 season was, I consider myself to have baen exceedingly fortu- 

 nate. The early sorts in my garden turned out very well. 



