CHAP. iv. CULTIVATION OF POTATOES. 963 



Queen, now many years from its introduction. Other good varieties, new 

 or old, are Royal Kidney, Dalmeny Radium, Beauty of Hebron, Early 

 Rose, and Windsor Castle. 



The number of new late varieties, at least so far as names show new- 

 ness, is very large ; but there has been much complaint of mere selections 

 from old sorts being sent out under new names. None of them have 

 proved equal in productiveness and quality combined to Findlay's Up-to- 

 Date, which has been first-favourite as a main crop variety for many 

 years. Northern Star, Eldorado, and a few other recent introductions, 

 absurdly "boomed"' a few years ago, have not justified the praises 

 lavished upon them, though the former is one of the best disease-resisters. 

 Factor and Duchess of Cornwall have proved great yielders, and King 

 Edward VII. has done well on some soils, though its party colouring is 

 somewhat a,gainst it for marketing. Maincrop, Langworthy, and Bruce 

 have been extensively grown in Scotland ; while the old Champion or 

 Champion II. still has a good hold in Ireland, but not to the extent of 

 earlier times ; and Abundance, Magnum Bonum, Charles Fidler, and 

 Colossal are' grown in many parts of the kingdom. Most of these 

 varieties are good yielders, Langworthy and Windsor Castle, however, 

 being more notable for quality than for heavy cropping. Many others 

 might be named; but we should be at a loss to name one equal in 

 quality and flavour to the old Scotch Regent or Paterson's Victoria, 

 now almost out of date the latter entirely, so far as we can ascertain. 



Since Mr. Maiden contributed to this section, a great number of 

 experiments upon potatoes have been carried out in different parts of 

 the United Kingdom. Results have varied of course; but there has 

 been a great preponderance of evidence in favour of the following 

 conclusions : 



1. That when 20 tons or more of farmyard manure are used for 

 potatoes, the yield may be increased by the addition of artificial manures, 

 but not sufficiently, as a rule, to repay the additional expense. 



2. That as great a yield can be obtained from 10 tons of. farmyard 

 manure and a moderate dressing of artificials as from double the quantity 

 of the former alone, and at less expense, if the farmyard manure be 

 valued at 5s. per ton spread on the land. The kinds and quantities of 

 artificial manures with the half dressing of farmyard manure found most 

 remunerative as a rule are 4 cwt. per acre of superphosphate and 1 

 cwt. each of sulphate of ammonia and sulphate or muriate of potash. 



3. That artificial manures alone will not often produce as much as the 

 combination just named, though they may pay better where the farm- 

 yard or town manure has to be bought. The most successful dressing 

 in this case consists of 4 cwt. of superphosphate, 2 cwt. of sulphate 

 of ammonia, and 2 cwt. of sulphate or muriate of potash. A further 

 application of 1 \ cwt. of nitrate of soda as a top-dressing, just before the 

 crop is moulded up, increases the yield, but not always remuneratively. 



4. That whole seed tubers usually prove more productive than cut seed. 



5. That large seed yields better than seed of ordinary size, but not 

 sufficiently more to repay the extra expense of planting large tubers, as 



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