250 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



DioscoREA Japonica (or Batatas) — a Substitute for the Potato. 



— Some of the French cultivators have, during the past years, been very 

 successful in attempting to introduce the Chinese Yam, [Dioscorea Japonica,) 

 into their gardens. The roots, imported from China, were planted in pots 

 filled with sandy peat mixed with well-rotted manure. These were plunged 

 in a liotbed, not covered by a frame, in order that vegetation might be ac- 

 celerated by a gentle and steady bottom heat. Water was sparingly given. 

 At the end of a fortnight, fibres and young stems were developed. The 

 plants were then taken out of the pots and set in the open ground, at the 

 end of May. These did well. The roots, taken up in the autumn of 1850, 

 were kept in a cellar, secure from frost during the winter, and planted out 

 in the spring of 1851, in well-pulverized, deep garden soil. The growth of 

 the plants was very vigorous, and the roots attained a large size, one of them 

 measuring about three feet in length, of a cylindrical and tapering form. 



The stems die down to the roots every autumn ; but according to experi- 

 ment the roots may remain all winter, in France, with impunity, and vegetate 

 in spring. From these facts the experimenter believes that this plant will be 

 admitted among our cultivated tuberous species ; and that it will be useful 

 and profitable, inasmuch as it remains several years in the ground, like the 

 Jerusalem Artichoke, requiring, after it is planted, little or no cultivation, 

 and that it will furnish, at all seasons of the year, an aliment within the 

 reach of all. If this root be successful in France, there can be no doubt 

 that it might be planted south of Massachusetts, with equal success in this 

 country. 



The Editor of the Gardeners^ Chronicle states, from his personal knowl- 

 edge respecting the qualities of the Chinese Yam, that "boiled like a po- 

 tato, it proved extremely good, with rather a nutty taste, but it did not be- 

 come mealy." He adds that, probably, " the roots require to be either 

 steamed or roasted to be brought to the table in perfection. At all events 

 the Chinese Yam belongs to the first class of garden root crops." 



It has been considerably increased the past year, and roots are now 

 offered for sale by the London nurserymen. 



Pont^Ig (§0ssip, 



The Augusta Rose. — Never having yet had a plant sufficiently strong 

 to show the true character of this new rose, we have not been enabled to 

 state what are its real merits. The plants we had of the proprietor, who 

 introduced it, were budded on the Prairie Rose, which does not appear to 

 be a good stock for it, and they have yet made very little progress. In 

 order that amateurs may see what our English rose fanciers say of it, we 

 copy the following notice by Mr. Rivers, in reply to a letter from Messrs. 

 Thorp, Smith &- Hanchett, asking his opinion about the rose : — 



" With respect to the rose Augusta, although not so deep in color as I 

 hoped and wished for, still I will honestly confess that I have been pleased 



