154 



.TIIE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[August 11, 1888. 





have experienced will do much to favour its chances. 

 It generally shows itself here about the end of July 

 or first week in August. W. Chuck, Brodsworth Hall, 

 Doncaster. 



The Potato crop is likely to be a good one, 



but quite three weeks later than usual. Early sorts 

 are scarce as yet. We had more than our usual 

 quantity of rain in June, consequently the tops are 

 yery strong. We now want warm wei.th.er to com- 

 plete the crops. W, Culverwell, Thorpe Perron', 

 Bedale. 



Early Potatos a good crop — clear of disease. 



Late crops are healthy and promising, but the 

 excessive rainfall — amounting to -1 inches already for 

 the month of July — with thermometer at night down 

 to 38° and 40°, I fear, must have a serious effect on 

 them. R. C. Kingston, Brantingham Thorpe Gardens, 

 Brough. 



Lancashire. — Potatos, like everything else, are 

 late, and to provide a supply at the usual time have 

 had to be dug up at considerable sacrifice. It is yet 

 too early to say anything of the disease, but the con- 

 ditions calculated to generate it have been most 

 favourable the past few days. W. P. Roherts, Cuerdon 

 Hall, Preston. 



EASTERN COUNTIES. 

 Lincolnshire. — The early Potatos turn out well in 

 this district, but somewhat later than previous years, 

 owing to the prolonged cold weather. Early Rose 

 and Mona's Pride are two good sorts about here, and 

 are very clean and free from scab. As yet there is no 

 sign of disease. The field and late crops are looking 

 remarkably well. The heavy fall of rain was much 

 wanted, and seems to have come at the right time. 

 Magnum Bonums are a leading late sort here. T. 

 Rowlands, Bardney Manor, Lincoln. 



Potato crops with us are looking very well. 



No disease has made its appearance as yet, and early 

 crops are turning out well, but they are later than 

 usual. D. Lumsden, Bloxham Hall Gardens, Slcaford. 



Norfolk. — Potatos are looking well. The yield 

 at present is good in places. Late sorts at present 

 are running very much to haulm and the disease is 

 making its apparence in places. J. Forder, Hillingdon 

 Hall, King's Lynn. 



In this neighbourhood the crop is the best we 



have had for some years. All kinds have turned out 

 well up to the present, and we have not seen any indi- 

 cation of disease. F. Lee, Lynford Hall, Mundford. 



Suffolk. — Potatos look remarkably well in this 

 district, and bid fair to produce a most abundant 

 crop, as the ground has lately had a thorough soak- 

 ing, which will greatly assist the tubers in forming 

 and swelling, and will render the land moist enough 

 to carry them through. The only thing now to fear 

 is the Peronospora, but as yet I have not seen or 

 heard of a trace of it here or elsewhere. J. Sheppard, 

 Woolverston Park, Ipswich. 



Early sorts are good in crop and quality ; 



late kinds, where grown in open positions and on 

 porous subsoils, look, at present, healthy and pro- 

 mising. In some low-lying damp spots blotched 

 leaves are already prevalent, showing very like the 

 disease. A return to bright dry weather is much to 

 be desired. J. Wallis, Orwell Park, Ipswich. 



The Potato crops are clean and vigorous ; 



they were generally cut down by the frosts about the 

 middle of May, and came up later than usual. Tops 

 have made extraordinary growth since the thunder- 

 storms in July. Tubers watery, but free from disease. 

 With dry warm weather Potatos promise a yield 

 above the average. D. T. Fish, Hardwicke Gardens, 

 Burl/ St. Edmunds. 



Essex. — Potatos promise well so far. They were 

 long in forming tubers. We could not dig from the 

 early borders until the first week in July. We 

 began with the old variety of Ashleaf, and are now 

 digging Myatt's. We grew Sutton's No. 36 last 

 year, and found it so good in crop and quality that 

 we planted a lot of it this year ; the Village Black- 

 smith was also of excellent quality. We have those 

 two and Victoria for the general crop, and their 

 appearance is all that can be desired ; there is a lot 



of Myatt's in the field with them, which are also 

 excellent. ./. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 



As a result of past rains, there exists around 



here an exceedingly robust haulm, the bloom upon 

 certain varieties being very abundant and pretty to 

 behold. Early varieties, both kidneys and rounds, 

 taper but very slowly from want of heat. I note that 

 young kidney Potatos newly dug prove firmer when 

 cooked than is customary during drier, and what are 

 considered more favourable seasons. W. Farley, 

 Double House, Ilford. 



Potatos are looking wonderfully well — in 



fact, almost too strong. We have only lifted Ash- 

 leaf and Beauty of Hebron as yet, both of which have 

 turned out well. I have not seen any sign of disease, 

 nor heard of it. A. Ocock, Havering Park, Romford. 



The Potato crop is looking magnificent, and 



judging from what is being lifted daily, the produce 

 promises to be the most abundant we have had for 

 years. No signs of disease at present. W. F. Bow- 

 man, Highlands, Chelmsford,. 



MIDLAND COUNTIES. 

 Beds. — The Potato crops are looking well at 

 present, but the disease is making its appearance on 

 the cold heavy land. A dry time would now be very 

 beneficial to ripen the tubers. G. Ford, Wrest Park, 

 Ampthill. 



The Potato crop promises well. The tubers 



are large and excellent in quality. With plenty of 

 sunshine the crop would be larger and better than 

 we have had for many years. On the other hand, 

 if the weather continues wet the blight will spoil it 

 utterly. I have heard of the disease being observed 

 in low-lying districts hereabouts, although I have 

 not seen it myself. W. M. Baillie, Luton Hoo Park, 

 Luton. 



Oxfordshire. — The quality of the tuber at present 

 is not by any means in proportion to the haulm, 

 which this season is unusually strong and healthy, 

 showing a marked contrast to last year. Myatt's 

 from the open borders are fairly good, and Early 

 Rose — a kind much grown in this neighbourhood by 

 the cottagers — are being dug as wanted, and in most 

 cases are of good size, but immature. During the 

 last week I have heard reports of disease from the 

 heavy land in this district. In one case three or 

 four bad to a root. On the lighter and drier parts 

 the crop could not look better, and with favourable 

 weather they promise an abundant yield, tr. Stanton, 

 Park Place Gardens, Henley-on- TAar/ies. 



Bucks. — Potatos are looking well at the present 

 time. No disease visible on the haulm, neither have 

 we found any diseased tubers yet, and the growth 

 is all that can be desired. If favourable conditions 

 prevail after now we may fairly anticipate having a 

 bountiful yield. G. T. Miles, Wycombe Abbey, High 

 Wycombe. 



This crop is looking remarkably well. No 



appearance of disease of any kind. Veitch's and 

 Myatt's Ashleaf are' our best earlies ; for second 

 early we find Snowdrop a fine variety ; it cooks very 

 white, and is always good, with very few small 

 tubers. Por main crop we grow M.P., which has 

 been good here for two years past. J. Smith, Ment- 

 more, Leigkton Buzzard. 



The Potato crops are very late, but look 



well, and with dry hot weather the yield would no 

 doubt be a good one. We are now lifting good 

 crops of Veitch's Ashleaf and Beauty of Hebron. 

 Later varieties not yet developed. Have seen no 

 disease as yet, but it is reported in the neighbour- 

 hood. C. Hcrrin, Dropmore, Maidenhead. 



Herts. — Early kinds are generally very late this 

 season, and the first liftings were very light crops 

 of poor tubers. Early and second early crops now 

 being lifted are turning out well — not large, but 

 good crops of clean tubers, Snowflake, which we 

 grow largely, being the best. Late crops are look- 

 ing remarkably well in the fields everywhere, and of 

 which there are several hundred acres grown in this 

 district. Perhaps they are making a little too much 

 haulm, sunshine being sadly needed just now for 



them as a counter-action to the over-sodden growth. 

 Disease is reported in a place or two, but I have not 

 seen any signs of it myself. J. Kipling, Knebworth 

 Park, Knebworth. 



SOUTHERN COUNTIES. 



Berks. — Potatos look very promising at present, 

 but unless we soon have some warm sunshine and a 

 few weeeks dry weather, I fear for the crop on our 

 rather heavy soil. The quality as yet is very inferior, 

 American Earlies in particular being very watery 

 when cooked. The best are the different varieties of 

 Ashleaf. — Midsummer Kidney and Sutton's Ring- 

 leader are also good. W. Pope, Highclere Gardens 

 Newbury. 



I am out of the Potato world. I do not like the 



monsters that the American varieties produce for us 

 I am personally anxious for the disease to come, 

 as I have some seedlings with which I want to prove 

 as to resistance. Potatos in this neighbourhood are 

 too gross in the haulm. I hear of some rotten in damp 

 clay soil — I do not like to dub it " the disease." I 

 am still fighting with Solamum Eendleri and S. 

 tuberosum. I have placed cuttings of the haulms 

 of the latter to give me late flowers in the open 

 ground to try and come in with Pendleri. Robert 

 Fenn, Sulhamstead, Reading. 



Potatos are looking well, and the crop is 



enormous on our Ashleaf Kidneys, the haulm on all 

 varieties looking healthy, with a promise of an 

 excellent crop, and Peas of all kinds have been very 

 good and plentiful up to this period, although they 

 filled slowly. Our rainfall, from July 1 to the 18th 

 included, has been 3} inches ; out of that time we 

 have had seven sunny days — all others more or less 

 overcast, cloudy and cold, with rain, hail, and 

 thunder. T. Jones, Frogmore, Windsor. 



A remarkably fine crop of tubers of uniform 



size. The yield, so far, is twice as good as that of 

 last year. The field crops have a great number 

 blank, some varieties being worse than others. 

 N. Sinclair, Easthampstead Park Gardens, Wokingham. 



Middlesex. — I have delayed my report upon the 

 Potato crops because small rumours have come to 

 hand of disease appearances, but so far none seem 

 to be serious, or, indeed, definite ; amongst some of 

 the earlier planted of the Rose family there may lie 

 found on very wet soils tops turning yellow or brown, 

 or literally decaying ; but that appearance seems to 

 be as much due to the action of continuous cold and 

 heavy rains upon a tropical plant, and especially 

 upon some of the less robust forms, as to any other 

 cause. With respect to the Potato crop generally, 

 it never looked better than now, no matter whether 

 the plots be of a few rods or of 20 acres. At the 

 first the plants came through unevenly, but the 

 moist condition of the soil soon caused amendment. 

 Did warm weather ensue and the disease remain 

 absent, we should have one of the grandest crops of 

 Potatos on record. Of scores of kinds all look well, 

 and some very fine samples ought to be lifted during 

 September. A. Dean, Bedfont. [Mr. Dean again 

 writes, " Disease has now appeared." Ed.] 



Early Potatos are good, and an average crop. 



Veitch's early Ashleaf, Covent Garden Perfection, 

 and Myatt's have been very good, and free from 

 disease. Late kinds look promising; Sutton's Seed- 

 ling is remarkably good, and will, I think, prove a 

 great favourite ; Magnum Bonum, Beauty of Hebron, 

 and other heavy cropping varieties look well, and do 

 not appear, so far, to have suffered from the low tem- 

 perature and excessive moisture we have had all 

 through this month (July) ; we have seen no disease. 

 tr. W. Wythcs, Syon Gardens, Brentford. 



Surrey. —The early Potatos are very fine, and 

 capital in flavour ; all other succession and late 

 crops look very promising, but owing to the season 

 being so late, and the continuous rains, it would be 

 difficult to express a safe opinion on the amount of 

 the crop at lifting time. A. Evans, Lythe Hill, 

 Haslemere. 



Early Potatos are the finest crop we have 



had for some years, and of excellent quality. Late 

 varieties look remarkably well, and so far no ap- 



