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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[March 2, 1912. 



FORESTRY. 



APPOINTMENT OF ADVISORY 



COMMITTEE. 



The 



Right 



Hon. Walter Runciman, M.P., 

 President of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, has appointed a committee to advise 

 the Board on matters relating to the develop- 

 ment of forestry. The committee will be asked 

 in the first instance : 



(1) To consider and advise upon proposals for 

 a forestry survey ; 



(2) To draw up plans for experiments in 

 sylviculture, and to report upon questions re- 

 lating to the selection and laying out of forestal 

 demonstration areas ; 



(3) To advise as to the provision required for 

 the instruction of woodmen. 



The committee is constituted as follows :— Sir 

 Stafford Howard, K.C.B. (Chairman) ; Mr. F. D. 

 Williams-Drummond ; Sir S. Eardley-Wilmot, 

 K.C.I.E.; The Right Hon. R. C. Munro- 

 Ferguson, M.P. ; Lieut. -Col. D. Prain, C.M.G., 

 CLE., F.R.S. ; Mr. E. R. Pratt, President of 

 the Roval English Arboricultural Society; Pro- 

 fessor *Sir W. Schlich, K.C.I.E., F.R.S. ; 

 Professor Wm. Somerville, D.Sc. ; The Hon. 

 Arthur L. Stanley; secretary, Mr. R. L. 



Robinson, 



As announced in reply to a question asked in 

 the House of Commons, Sir E. Stafford Howard 

 has tendered his resignation of the office 

 of one of the Commissioners of His Majesty's 

 Woods and Forests. His resignation will 

 take effect as from 5Iarch 31. No new 

 appointment of a Commissioner will be made to 

 fill the office he vacates, and there will be a fresh 

 allocation of the commissioners' duties between 

 the two remaining Commissioners, Mr. Runci- 

 man, the President of the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries, and Mr. G. G. Leveson-Gower. 

 The supervision of the Crown Forests, other than 

 Windsor and of the more important Crown 

 Woods, will now be committed to Mr. Runciman, 

 with the object of bringing their administration 

 into closer co-operation than has hitherto been 

 possible with the work of the Board in regard to 

 the development of sylviculture and forestry. 



VEGETABLES. 



SELECT VARIETIES OF POTATOS. 



Of the many trials conducted annually by the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, I question if any 

 are of greater benefit to the general public than 

 the Potato trials. The Society's awards are 

 given only to varieties that combine the best 

 cooking qualities with heavy cropping capaci- 

 ties. 



In the following selections I do not purpose 

 dealing with coloured varieties, but solely with 

 those that I have found, after extensive cooking 

 tests, to excel all others for table use. Late 

 varieties give the best results when cooked in 

 their skins. 



Early Varieties. 



Mid-Lothian Early. — This is a vellow-fleshed, 

 kidney variety that received an Award of Merit 

 from the R.H.S. in July, 1908. It is a first 

 early of splendid quality and an immense crop- 

 per ; excellent for forcing, and suitable for field 

 or garden culture. 



Sharpe's Victor. — As long ago as July, 1893, 

 this variety was honoured with an Award of 

 Merit from the R.H.S. as a forcing variety, and 

 again in 1900 as a garden variety. It is a 

 somewhat light cropper but possesses excellent 

 quality and yellow flesh. 



Duke of York. — This tuber resembles Mid- 

 Lothian Early in every way, but the latter comes 

 into use about a fortnight earlier. 



Epicure. — This is a white-fleshed, round 

 variety, with rather deep eyes. It is an enor- 

 ous cropper, and is much grown in the Northern 



counties as a first early for the market. It was 

 given an Award of Merit by the R.H.S. in 



August, 1905. 



Alpha.— This grand variety is perhaps not so 

 well known as some others. It is a first early, 

 white-fleshed, round, of superb quality, and a 

 great cropper. The variety received an Award 

 of Merit from the R.H.S. July, 1903, also xxx 

 from the National Vegetable Society, July, 1910. 



Sir John Llewelyn. — This variety obtained 

 the R.H.S. Award of Merit in 1900. It is a 

 white -fleshed, kidney variety of good quality 

 and an abundant cropper. Grand for field work. 



Sutton's May Queen.— A first early kidney 

 variety, most suitable for forcing and early 

 borders. Is much grown in the South for early 

 market. Honoured with an Award of Merit from 

 the R.H.S., August, 1905. 



Second Early or Mid-season Varieties. 



Abundance. — A white -fleshed, round tuber. 

 Though classed by many as a maincrop, it digs 

 so well in the green state that many growers 

 prefer it to any of the other second earlies. As 

 the name signifies, it yields abundantly, and is 

 of good quality. Very suitable for field culture. 



Dobbie's Favourite. — A white-fleshed, flat- 

 ish, round tuber, which received the R.H.S. 

 Award of Merit in August, 1907, and in Decem- 

 ber of the same year the higher honour of a First- 

 class Certificate. 



Windsor Castle. — This variety received a 

 First-class Certificate from the R.H.S. in Sep- 

 tember, 1893, and it is saying a great deal in its 

 favour that it still finds a place in 1912 as one 

 of the best mid-season varieties. The tuber is 

 round and has white flesh. 



Russet Queen is a white -fleshed variety. Is 

 an immense cropper, with splendid quality. 

 Much used as a field variety. R.H.S. Award of 

 Merit, 1906. 



Late or Maincrop Varieties. 



The Factor is, without doubt, the finest and 

 most productive maincrop variety on the mar- 

 ket. It received an Award of Merit from the 

 R.H.S. October, 1901, and was honoured with a 

 First-class Certificate April, 1905. It also took 

 first place in the cooking tests at the Crystal 

 Palace, October, 1904. White-fleshed, suitable 

 for field or garden culture. 



Dalhousie Seedling. — This variety resembles 

 Up-to-Date, and is a first-class variety of excel- 

 lent quality. Much grown for the market. 

 R.H.S. Award of Merit, 1905. 



Peckover. — Though not nearly so largely 

 grown as some of the others, it is a variety of 

 delightful table quality. Received an Award of 

 Merit from the R.H.S. December, 1904, and a 

 First-class Certificate November, 1908. A good 

 keeper. 



The Provost. — Too much cannot be said in 

 favour of this grand, white -fleshed, round tuber. 

 The cropping and cooking qualities are all that 

 can be desired. In every way a most excellent 

 variety. Honoured by the R.H.S. with an 

 Award of Merit, October, 1907. 



Langworthy. — Though this variety has not 

 been favoured with an award, no other variety 

 can compare with it for quality. A moderate 

 cropper. To obtain best results the ground 

 should be well manured. 



What's Wanted. — This is very similar to 

 Langworthy, and requires the same treatment. 



Peacemaker has rather a brown, russety 



skin. When cooked the flesh is beautifully 



white and of excellent flavour. A moderate 



, cropper. R.H.S. Award of Merit, December, 



1905. 



Golden Wonder is another rather dark, rus- 

 sety-skinned variety of excellent quality, but 

 only a moderate cropper ; yellow-fleshed kidney. 

 The tubers should be planted in rich land. 



The Chapman, introduced two years ago, is 

 a strong-growing, heavy-cropping variety of the 

 finest table quality. 



New Varieties for 1912. 



Novelties are an attraction to many, and I 

 confidently recommend the under-noted as 

 worthy of trial. 



Balmoral Castle. — A second early white, 



round of great promise. 



Prolific received an Award of Merit from the 

 R.H.S. September, 1911. This is an excellent 

 addition to the maincrop section. 



King George V. — A second early or mid- 

 season variety, of which more will yet be heard. 



Queen Mary is a kidney-shaped, second early 

 variety that will recommend itself. 



Coronation. — A first early of good quality. 



John Bull. — A welcome addition to the first 

 earlies. Flesh beautifully white. /. B. M. 



THE ALPINE GARDEN. 



APHYLLANTHES MONSPELIENSIS. 



The Blue Rush is too much of a rarity in our 

 gardens, where it is doubly worthy of a good 

 place, alike for its delicate loveliness and its 

 amenability to culture. One of the reasons, 

 however, why one so seldom sees it in gardens is, 

 I think, because the plant is not easy to collect or 

 import, so that dealers, to make their scanty 

 stock go as far as possible, ruthlessly split up 

 their " stuff " into minute pieces for sale: and 

 Aphyllanthes very much resents such disturb- 

 ance, and is very slow about starting again. 

 The plant, I believe, is peculiar to the 

 Western Riviera and to the most northerly points 

 of Africa : it forms a fine and vast mat of 

 foliage exactly like that of some rather slack and 

 floppy Juncus ; and in May the flowers appear, 

 poising like Mazarine butterflies, at the end of 

 the long rush-like stems. They are wide stars of 

 soft and gentle blue, hovering with a charming 

 effect above the tuft. In its distribution 

 Aphyllanthes is as peculiarly local as Daphne 

 rupestris ; throughout its native territory it shows 

 itself very capricious, densely occupying some 

 clayey bank or heathy dell, and then, on the 

 next heathy dell or clayey bank, quite refusing 

 to dwell at all. I myself have never seen the 

 wild plants in flower, but in the late 

 autumn of 1910 I motored up to a quoted station 

 for the plant, in the neighbourhood of Monte 

 Carlo. For long I roamed in vain, searching 

 out dells and banks and every likely place. For 

 Aphyllanthes is a plant of very light woodland 

 or woodland fringes. Without result, however, 

 did I search the edges of the copse, the heath) 

 and the stony slopes, and at last, as the rapid 

 darkness of November drew down, I rueful y 

 returned along the highroad to the motor. U* 1 

 my right rose woodland ; on my left, beyond a 

 shallow parapet, a bank fell very steeply away 

 to a beck that ran far below in a rocky water- 

 course. In the last instant of daylight I re- 

 solved to leave no spot of search untried, so 

 swung mvself over the parapet, to find my 

 at once embedded in firm mats of A P n >' llan |rJ 

 Monspeliensis, growing densely all down 

 bare, but northerly-facing bank, in the vefj 

 heavy sticky red soil of the Riviera, in a P°J lU ° f 

 and aspect fairly cool and damp. The chil s 

 dusk passed over me like tropic noon : for Ap T 

 lanthes is a very powerful dinger to the 

 The individual plant grows on for ever m^ 

 gradually widening semi-circle of shoots, ^ 

 hug the earth by a thousand deep-set * - 

 fibres : and the tufts seem also to enjoy sin u»* 

 down beneath top-dressings of mud an ^ 



Therefore, indeed, Aphyllanthes is no toy i ^ 

 trowel : stout spades and forks are neede _ 

 cope with it. At last, however, I secU 5 e ^ ere d 

 modest toll, and, dripping with heat, pas i ^ 

 with red mud, I staggered back with my o^ ^ 

 wrapped in my best travelling rug, to "^^j^ 

 cool-eyed scorn of the chauffeur. My Blue q 



were all in time despatched from Mortola, 







