January 15, 1874. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



53 



man, replied, " Wait awhile, cook, tlie lad's gone for a loaf." 

 Cook saw no why iu this because for delay, but the gardener 

 was resolute ; however, the basting-ladle and spado did not 

 come into collision, for the loaf arrived, and then the gardener 

 repeated the rhymed proverb : — • 



" Take out, then take in, 

 Bad luck will bef?in ; 

 Take in, then take out, 

 Good luck comes about." 



NOTES FROM MY GAEDEN, 1873.— No. 2. 



Flohist though I am, my first subject shall not be about 

 florists' flowers, but one more generally interesting. There 

 are multitudes of people who not only do not care for, but who 

 positively (dreadful people !) ridicule the taste of a man who 

 can go into raptures over a frame of Auriculas or find out the 

 minute differences iu a stand of Picotees ; but there is hardly 

 anyone insensible to the value of a good dish of " taters." I 

 say hardly anyone, for I have known people who, so long as 

 it was a Potato, were perfectly indifferent as to whether it was 

 mealy or waxy, white or yellow, round or kidney. But they 

 are the exceptions ; happy individuals whom indigestion never 

 disturbs. I, alas ! am differently constituted, and think one 

 of the first requisites for daily food is a good Potato, and, as 

 I dare say some of the readers of our Journal will recollect, 

 have not unfrequently bored them with discussions and notes 

 on this very common subject. Most of the new kinds of Pota- 

 toes have been submitted to me tor trial, while of all the old- 

 established sorts I have had many years' experience. Of those 

 that I tried in the past year I now proceed to tell. 



What a strange and inexplicable mystery is that Potato 

 disease ! Strange that we should have been growing the 

 Potato for three hundred years, and that not until 1816 should 

 that terrible malady which brought desolation and despair to 

 thousands of homes have made its appearance. Inexplicable 

 too, for although it may be admitted that it is dependant on 

 certain atmospheric influences, we may safely infer that these 

 disturbing elements were no novelty, and that they existed 

 ibefore 1816 as well as since ; and I know nothing that ought 

 to teach scientific men a sharper lesson of humility than this, 

 that with a matter which they can see, and feel, and test, and 

 submit to microscopic investigation, they are, after nearly 

 thh'ty years' knowledge of it, neither able to tell ns the cause 

 •or suggest a remedy ; and yet too many of this class are ready 

 enough to decry as credulous those who believe in, although 

 they cannot comprehend, the ways of Him " Whose footsteps 

 are not known." 



The past year has been one of strange experience also. 

 I confined myself to comparatively few sorts, comprising Lee's 

 Kidney, Hyatt's Prolific Ashleaf, Waterloo Kidney, Lapstone 

 Kidney, Paterson's Victoria, Sutton's Ked-skiu Flourball, 

 iSutton's Hundredfold Fluke, Yorkshire Hero, and Dahnahoy. 

 Of these the two former were planted in my garden, and the 

 remainder in a piece of very light sandy soil just suitable for 

 growing Potatoes. AU came up well, but the late frosts in 

 May sadly interfered with the produce of the earher sorts. 

 My plan is always to lay out the seed of the early sorts singly, 

 so as to allow them to spear about an inch. This secures an 

 •even crop, and of course brings them forward more rapidly. 

 'Well, all these were Ufted early. Lee's Kidney I found a very 

 •early Potato — as early as the old Ashleaf and very prolific, the 

 tubers large and well-flavoured. I do not know its origin, but 

 it was sent out by the Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, and is, 

 as far as my experience goes, the best of the very early sorts. 

 These were soon gone, for I had but few of them, and were 

 succeeded by Myatt's Prohfic. Of this the crop was fair, and 

 not a symptom of disease amongst them. The greater portion 

 ■of these I sent to market, for at that early time one can realise 

 a good price for them, and they are not keepers. I found that 

 my stock, though a selected one, was slightly deteriorating, 

 and so I have this season determined to obtain fresh seed 

 ■from a distance. 



My later crops of Potatoes were all grown in the field, 

 and nothing could have exceeded the healthiness of their ap- 

 pearance up to the very end of August ; and as the first week 

 of that month, which I have always regarded as the most fatal 

 time (oh ! how well do I remember that terrible week in 1816 !) 

 had passed over safely, I was led to hope that all would be 

 ■well. But then came the September rains. Spots began to 

 show themselves on the leaves, and on digging-up a hill or two 

 nnmistakeable proofs of the disease were noticed. Previous to 

 this I had dug-out and eaten some rows of Dalmahoys, a very 



favourite Potato •with many, and deservedly so ; amongst these 

 I had no disease, while, on the other hand, Waterloo Kidney, 

 which I had hoped well of, was terribly touched. Lapstone, 

 which I stOl maintain against all comers to be the very best 

 Potato grown, was also tolerably free from the bhght, although 

 at other seasons I had found it easily affected. Yorkshire Hero 

 I cannot, I am sorry to say, tell much about this season, for 

 through some blunder it had got mixed up with another kidney, 

 and therefore it must remain unnoticed. My mainstay was 

 to have been Paterson's Victoria, for last year ; iu the same 

 sort of ground, it turned out so well and kept so long that I 

 entirely reversed my former unfavourable opinion of it. My 

 crop this year was twice as good, the tubers splendid ; but 

 alas ! when I dug them fully one-half were gone, and as usual, 

 the largest finest tubers were those most hopelessly gone. I 

 can well understand the pitiable look of despair with which 

 the labouring man must regard his tainted crop on which he 

 had built such hopes. There remained, then, but two sorts — 

 Sutton's Hundredfold Fluke and Red-skin Flourball. Of these 

 I had a few long rows each. They were grown alongside the 

 Victorias, and although the latter were so diseased I did not 

 dig-up half a dozen bad tubers of either of these two sorts, 

 while both had heavy crops. Why this should be I know not, 

 but I see my experience has been that of many others. As to 

 the former, I regard it as a well-flavoured and mealy Potato, 

 fit for general use. Sutton's Bed-skin Flourball, I see, has 

 had its admirers and detractors. My own experience is de- 

 cidedly in its favour, but then it should be baked, and not 

 boiled or steamed. No large Potato ought to be submitted to 

 these processes of cooking. 



Such, then, is my experience of Potatoes this season. I 

 have sufi'ered, as most have done, from the disease. I have 

 not found any remedy. I endorse my friend Mr. Eadclyffe's 

 "early ripeners and long keepers" as the Potato motto. I 

 stOl prefer for flavour the Lapstone to all others. Practically 

 for freedom from disease I claim the palm for Hundredfold 

 Fluke and Red-skin Flourball. 



I had a few of the Early Vermont submitted to me. It 

 seems to be a good form of Early Rose and cooks well, and if 

 earher than that variety deserves its name. — D., Deal. 



HELLEBOEUS NIGEE, 



Prescmikg that I have the same variety as "Centukion" 

 has submitted, I should Uke to advise its extended culture. 

 Its blooms are 2 to 3 inches in diameter, of pearly whiteness, 

 most of them having the accompaniment of a pink bud. It is 

 a winter-flowering plant, and for cutting from is no unworthy 

 rival to the beautiful Eucharis amazonica if only a hand-light 

 or other covering be given to keep off the rains, which other- 

 wise mar its purity and cleanliness by the updashing of the 

 soU. A solitary plant thus protected is now, and has been for 

 some time, producing a great profusion of bloom, which is ex- 

 tremely useful. This morning, under the anything but pleasant 

 influence of 10' of frost, the blooms are as fresh as ever. 



It is a plant that removes well, but is not of quick increase; 

 and I think there is no real gain in dividing it into very small 

 bits, nice-sized pieces estabUshing themselves so much quicker. 

 The first fine weather after blooming is the best time for in- 

 creasing stock, but good-sized flowering clumps transplant 

 well at almost any time. Even if I had a chance of a supply 

 m the hottest weather of July I should not say " No, thank 

 you," but I should prefer them in autumn, as their growth 

 would be certain then, and produce blooms at Christmas. 



I imagine this is a very old-fashioned plant, but it must 

 " come iu " again. Both the season of its flowering and its 

 beauty are claims to its future spread and increase, and it is 

 worthy of being encouraged as incoming when nearly all other 

 flowers have gone. — J. W. 



DE. HOGG GEAPE. 



Although this delicious Grape was sent out two or three 

 years ago, it is very seldom seen in cultivation, and many 

 good gardeners have probably never heard of it. Dr. Hogg 

 Grape was raised and placed in commerce by Mr. Pearson, of 

 Chilwell, a fact which is alone a guarantee of its merits. I 

 have had no experience with this Grape planted out in a per- 

 manent border, but I was so much impressed with its good 

 properties as exhibited by a Vine fruited in a pot last season, 

 that I have decided on planting at least three in a small vinery 

 this spring. 



