AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 893 



do not thrive here, they are apt to fall off of the trees half ripe. 

 Grapes do not succeed, they are small and hardly ripen so as to 

 be eatable. The summer of Van Diemen is pretty nearly the same 

 as that of London, but not so rainy, and has more clear days. 

 Almost all the colonists complain of the sudden changes of 

 weather here. You hear this complaint from everybody. 



The potato disease is visibly on the decline. Our markets have 

 now sound i:>otatoes for sale in plenty. However, we think it 

 best to follow all successful experiments in growing potatoes, and 

 we therefore borrow from the London Gardener's Chronicle, for 

 October, 1855, the following article from one of its subscribers in 

 the southern part of Wales : " Take as much barn-yard manure 

 as will suit your land, and mix well with it as much refuse salt 

 as you judge will not injure the vegetation of the potatoes, put 

 this compost in the furrows, and then before you plant the pota- 

 toes, put in over the compost a small shovelfull of ashes, then 

 cover all with earth, and make a ridge of it over the furrow. 

 Plant good sized whole j^otatoes. ' I have always succeeded in 

 this way, in raising a sound and abundant crop, and so have all 

 those who have followed my plan. Chlorine and potash are ne- 

 cessary to the potato, and the salt and ashes furnish them, for they 

 are not always sufficient in soil. That is not all, worms and in- 

 sects are kept away from the roots by it. I do not say that my 

 plan will succeed everywhere, but it is worth trying." 



PRESERVATION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. 



Prof. Mapes, in his Working Farmer, gives excellent advice as 

 to turnip keeping. The strap-leaf red top, and other white tur- 

 nips, require the greatest care, for if stored in too large bulk, 

 without proper ventilation, they become pithy in a short time. 

 Many methods are appealed to, but the one we have found suc- 

 cessful is to place a ridge of turnips on the surface of the ground, 

 three tieet wide at the base of any required length, forming a point 

 at top, like the letter A. This ridge should be covered with soil 

 dug from the sides so as to leave a tiat fourteen inches wider than 

 the heap, and surrounding it, thus leaving a ditch around the 

 pile to prevent the admission of moisture at the base. The first 

 covering of soil should not be more than four inches in thickness. 

 On top of the heap, at distances not greater than five feet, tufts 

 of straw should be inserted which will leave holes sufficient for 

 ventilation, suffering the escaping moisture to pass off during the 

 sweating of the turnips. When the weather becomes more severe 



