56 General Notices 



had not an opportunity of trying it another season, to have been thoroughly 

 convinced of its utility. However, some of your readers who are troubled 

 with the club will probably give the experiment a trial, and communicate 

 the result to your valuable Magazine. 



In addition to the above, I should recommend that the ground intended 

 for planting the different sorts of i?rassica upon be trenched two spits 

 deep in winter, and a sufficient quantity of manure added between the first 

 and second spits ; and, previously to planting in spring or summer, to have 

 a good dressing of quicklime and fresh loam, to be dug in, but not 

 deep. But I am afraid that I have taken a very roundabout way of 

 telling those who have gardens subject to the club, that, instead of raising 

 their own cabbages from seed, they must procure clean established plants 

 elsewhere. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — ~£>i , assica. Nov. 1831. 



To produce young Potatoes for the Table during Winter, in the open Air. 

 — The varieties of the potato which I plant are the early kidney, early 

 Ross, and early Graham. At the time of housing potatoes, I select a peck 

 of the largest of each kind, and lay them on the ground as close as they 

 will lie (not heaped up) one beside another, which gives me the size of the 

 pit where I keep them till the time of planting. I dig this pit 5 ft. deep, 

 and lay the potatoes as close as above mentioned in the bottom of the pit, 

 covering them with dry sand 4 in. thick, and then filling up the pit with 

 earth, and treading it very firm to exclude the air. Let them remain in the 

 pit till the middle of July, and then take them up, and pick out all the 

 eyes except a good one in the middle of the potato. When planting, keep 

 the eye uppermost. 



They will answer best in a south border that has a little slope, to throw 

 off the rain. The soil should be pretty rich, but no dung should be added ; 

 for I have found by experience that, if the soil is in good condition, it will 

 grow potatoes large enough for the table, and they will have a better flavour 

 than they would with dung. 



Plant them 1 ft. from each other in the row, 3 ft. between the rows, and 

 2 in. deep. Take great care in earthing up the stems afterwards, as they 

 are more tender than if they were planted earlier. High winds are very 

 injurious to them if not earthed up in due time. They require nothing 

 more but to be covered with long litter at the end of October, to preserve 

 them from the frost. They are dug up for the table as wanted. 1 am, Sir, 

 yours, &c. — Robert Arthur. Jardine Hall, Nov. 25. 1831. 



Carrots may be grown in Peat [not Heath Mould], — The garden of Sir John 

 Hay, Bart., at King's Meadows, Peeblesshire, is situated upon a subsoil of 

 cankering gravel mixed with a substance having a near affinity to ironstone. 

 This I detected by means of the water in the neighbourhood of the garden, 

 which I tested with the tincture of galls, and other chemical reagents used 

 in analysing chalybeate waters. Every test used showed the presence of 

 iron in a high degree, by the black colour given to the water upon the 

 addition of any of the tests. The soil is light and sandy, but produces 

 vegetables to equal, if not excel, any in the count}', carrots excepted. Mr. 

 Sherare (the gardener) has had the garden under his management for above 

 thirty-one years ; and during that period he has never obtained a crop of 

 carrots worth any thing, although he had tried every means which his 

 judgment could suggest, or others recommend. After so many disappoint- 

 ments, he had for many years past considered his soil as incurable, and 

 totally unfit for the cultivation of the carrot. 



Last autumn, being engaged in preparing a suitable soil for evergreens 

 and American plants, the thought struck him that he might try the effects 

 of peat in growing carrots. The peat used was that taken from what in 

 Scotland is called a moss hag ; that is, pure decayed vegetable matter, 

 without any mixture of sand, &c. The ground was trenched about 2 ft. 

 deep, with the addition of a little dung. The first frost was taken ad- 

 vantage of for the purpose of wheeling on the peat, which was laid regu- 



