January 3, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTTTRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



11 



being 5 lbs. less than a root of Negro grown this year by 

 " Upwards and Onwakds," and noted at page 466. 



Great as these weights may seem, I have communications 

 from different parts of the kingdom, which show that the 

 weights named by "AV. W. H.," and " Upwakds and 

 Onwards," are comparatively poor. One of these instances 

 of extraordinary produce I copy, with the name of the grower, 

 the gentleman in whose gai-den the two roots were grown, 

 and the particulars of their cultivation. 



The note is from a worthy representative of gardening, 

 and the retui'n so far eclipses any I have of the growth of 

 this root, as to appear incredible ; but it wiU best tell its 

 own tale. 



"December ISth, 1864. 



"ImustteUyou about my Potatoes. I planted on the 

 24th of Jlarch two sets of the Scotch Regent Potatoes, 

 4 feet distant each w.ay, and 2* inches deep. The ground 

 ■was dug 24 inches deep twelve months previously, and well 

 manured. When the shoots were 6 inches high they were 

 soiled, and the stems brought down or laid out — that is, 

 spread out, soil being laid in the centre as they grew, and 

 the haulm pegged down, until they all became one mass of 

 foliage. They were watered with liquid manure, soot, rape 

 dust, and salt when they required it, about once in six or 

 nine days. They were taken up on the 2nd of November, 

 and the produce was — No. 1, 43 lbs., number of Potatoes 

 101, six weighed 11 lbs. 3 ozs., one Potato out of the six 

 weighed 2 lbs. 9 ozs. ; No. 2, 41 lbs., number of Potatoes 98. 



" Sly master was challenged by another gentleman to 

 grow Potatoes for a wager of ^1, and that was the cause of 

 my trying my hand at the feat to be accomplished. The 

 gentleman came to see the Potatoes taken up, and he said 

 if he had not seen this done he could not have believed such 

 an enormous quantity could be grown. He has been expe- 

 rimenting on Potatoes for several years, and thought no one 

 could beat him. The heaviest root he ever grew was 20 lbs. 

 He never told us the weight of his, but owned he had lost 

 his sovereign. — Frakcis Litfton, Gardener to S. Grimslone, 

 &q., Clifford, Tadcaster, Forfa." 



In the foregoing we have a return of 100 times the quantity 

 set in number, and of 168 times according to weight ; but 

 this produce, prodigious as it is, is only some 51 tons per acre, 

 or 3 J- tons more than the weight obtained by " W. W. H.," 

 though the sets produced nearly four times the weight per 

 root. This is, of course, owing to the distance apart being 

 greater. 



The above is the heaviest crop of Potatoes as yet grown. 

 I may state in conclusion, that 200 tubs of 20 stone are 

 considered a good crop for an acre of warp land, such as 

 that near the Ouse, in Yorkshire ; but I have a note of 400 

 tubs having been taken up from an acre of such land, which 

 at 20 stone per tub is 50 tons. From 200 to 250 tubs is 

 the average of the produce of an acre of York Regents, and 

 taking the mean of twenty of the highest returns the 

 %ures are 223 tubs, or a little over 27 tons. The average 

 of fifty acres from as many different growers is, taking a fair 

 season, 52 tubs, or 6} tons, under ordinary farming worth 

 i£20, sold as grown, but such land is not well suited to the 

 Potato. 



"Would it be troubling "W. "W. H.," or others of your 

 correspondents to inform me if they find Paterson's Blue 

 distinguishable from Skerry Blue, or Paterson's Regent from 

 the Scotch Regent ? Notwithstanding the introduction of 

 many new sorts there is none surpassing the Ash-leaf as an 

 early, the Lapstone as a second early, and the Pink-eye for 

 table, and to them may be added the Fluke, though it is 

 not anything extra in flavour, and it is almost always yellow. 

 Arrowsmith's Seedling is, I find, an excellent Potato after 

 the Pmk-eye, but it is only a poor cropper. Almost inva- 

 riably the largest croppers are the coarsest Potatoes, and 

 nave deep eyes, which is a distinguishing sign of a cattle 

 Potato. — G. Abbey. 



WHAT IS A BUSHEL OF POTATOES? 



I A5I very glad to find that " TV. W. H.," in writing of 

 Potatoes at page 472,deseribes the quantity grown by weight ; 

 tor measures are subject to so many local customs, that the 

 term "bushel"' carries with it a very indefinite meaning, 

 although perhaps not so much so as a yard of butter in the 



eastern counties, or a gallon of bread in Kent. StiU, a 

 bushel of Potatoes does not always imply the same quantity 

 in all places. In some the old local measure is used for 

 Potatoes, although the imperial one is employed for com, 

 and the difference in certain cases is very great indeed. The 

 plan, however, of giving the weight is certainly preferable 

 even to the imperial measm-e, as so much diversity of 

 opinion exists as to what ought to constitute a heaped 

 bushel. Some contend, unreasonably enough, that the buyer 

 has a right to pOe the Potatoes on the measure by hand, 

 thereby giving a dexterous person the advantage of putting 

 on almost as many as he likes ; others affirm that Potatoes 

 may be poured out of a sack or basket into a bushel, and all 

 which lie on without any handling constitute the quantity 

 sold ; while in many districts the custom is to disregard the 

 measure entirely in the way of using it, but to consider a 

 certain weight to constitute a bushel, generally, I believe, 

 56 lbs. This plan is certainly preferable to the measure; but 

 in adopting it the term " bushel " might as well be dropped, 

 and the article sold by weight at once. ""W. "W. H.'s" plan 

 of giving the weight of the seed and crop is certainly a step 

 in the right dh-ection, and I trust other writers will adopt 

 it, as the pound avoirdupois is, I believe, t he same all over 

 England ; but a load of hay, an acre of land, a gallon of bread, 

 or a bushel of Potatoes often enough differ widely in the 

 quantities they imply, and the sooner local terms ai'e dropped 

 the better, especially when recording experiments or other 

 matters intended for general information. Weight seems 

 a much fairer way of describing quantity than measure. I 

 am glad to see that in some of the Lancashire markets fruit 

 and other things are sold entirely in that manner. The 

 justice of this mode of buying and selling will no doubt 

 cause its adoption in other districts, even in spite of long- 

 established customs, prejudices, and perhaps some other 

 motives less justifiable. — H. L. 



WOEK FOR THE "WEEE. 



KITCHEN GAP.DEN. 



AxL trenching, rough digging, gravelling walks, &c., ought 

 to be pushed on as fast as possible. Now is also a good 

 time to keep burning and charring all the prunings of brees 

 and shrubs, rubbish, sawdust, &c. ; where ground has been 

 trenched and well manured with dung, charred earth and 

 wood in good doses have a wonderful effect in restoring fer- 

 tility and keeping grubs and slugs in check. Asparagus, if 

 the soil in the bed should become dry give them a liberal 

 supply of water, so that it may reach the roots. Carrots, 

 where young ones are wanted early prepare a slight hotbed 

 for the purpose, cover it with leaf mould to the depth of 

 6 or S inches, in which sow the seed. A little Radish seed 

 may be scattered on the bed at the same time, but they 

 must be drawn in a young state. Lettuce, where there is a 

 scarcity of autumn-sown sow on a slight hotbed, or in boxes 

 in a forcing-house, to be afterwards pricked-out into a frame. 

 FOl up all vacancies in Cabbage and Colewort-beds with 

 plants kept back for that purpose in the autumn, and keep 

 the surface about them constantly hoed and stirred with a 

 fork. Endeavour to keep well up with all work in this 

 department, the time is fast approaching when you will find 

 the advantage of having done so. 



fEUIT GARDEN. 



Continue the operations of pruning and naUing the hai-dier 

 kinds of fruit trees at every available opportunity. Have a 

 plank to stand upon, and if very cold, wear also a large 

 pair of wooden clogs. No considerate employer will ever 

 censure a man for being careful of his health. Where birds 

 are very numerous the pruning of Gooseberries may be 

 deferred for a time, as if sharp weather prevails during this 

 and part of the following month, they are apt to be very 

 destructive to the buds. Prune espalier Apples and Pears, 

 and fork up the ground about them in frosty weather to 

 disturb and destroy insects. In the orchard thin out cross 

 and crowded branches fr-om Apples, Pears, and Quinces. It 

 is a great mistake to have too much wood. Scrape off moss 

 and lichen from the stems, and, if time will permit, dress 

 both these and espaliers with a mixture of qnicklime and 

 clay, made to the consistence of thick paint. jGf this is done 

 well there wiU be no need to scrape them for some years. 



