.128 



JOUBXAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTA&E GARDENER. 



rebmary 14, 1865. 



luiuriance in the top is a bad sign for the crop. Again : 

 Potatoes grown with manure do not keop well. I have seen 

 clamps with every Potato rotten in tliL-m, and the people 

 said they were a Ijad sort, when the adjoining clamps of the 

 same sort grown without manure were all sound. 



I dare say before now " E. W." has entered twelve Po- 

 tatoes for a show, and put them up for a time in a safe jjlace 

 till the show morning, when to hia amazement half or all of 

 them had become rotten. If he will heep the manure from 

 them in the garden this will not be the case, and his Potatoes 

 will be larger. 



The best way to keep them for an exhibition is to put 

 them in damp drift sand. This is the best thing possible 

 if they are a Uttle green from exjjosure 



I have not found any advantage in planting very early. 

 The end of March or beginning of April is quite soon enough 

 for the general crop. H.iy is a capital thing to keep the 

 frost out, but I like mine to keep under the ground till the 

 frosts are gone. It is very important to mould them up 

 well when the soil is dry. The only manure I have found 

 to suit the Potato is rotten turf. — J. Choyce, jun., Harris 

 Bridge, Athersione. 



YES'ES m POTS AT COMBE ABBEY. 



YouE correspSndent '• P. M." has been rather too sharp 

 upon me. Vines may be fruited in the time he names, and 

 I wish I had no more difficult problem to solve than that. 



The Vines which "P. JI." saw here in 1S63 were grown 

 partly through necessity. In 18G2 we were engaged in pull- 

 ing down the old range of houses and putting up the new. 

 During this transition some eyes which I had struck were 

 bnt indifferently cared for, and at the end of that year were 

 nothing better than mere straws. Early in the spring of 

 18G3 about two dozen of these were cut back and put into 

 heat; by June tiiey had made very good growths, and think- 

 ing it a loss of time to grow them on f )r fruiting during the 

 third year, I resolved to adopt the p'an of Mr. Hardy, for 

 which he drew upon himself at the time so much odium for 

 tampering in such a manner with his permanent Vines. The 

 Vines had run up about 6 feet, and before showing symptoms 

 of ripening, they were stopped, denuded of all leaves and 

 laterals, tied closely down to assist their breaking regularly, 

 and continued in the same heat. They soon broke their 

 Latent buds, showed fruit fi'eely, and all went on pleasantly 

 throughout the autumn. Theresult was that which "P.M." 

 saw, and to which he has been pleased to call attention. 



Last year I had a little pit, 40 feet by 12, of pot Vines, 

 in which we fruited thirty-eight Vines, each bearing from 

 three to six bunches. Altogether there v/ere 150 bunches, 

 averaging in weight from i lb. to 1 lb., and some of them 

 IJ lb. per bunch. The Black Hamburghs maintained their 

 uanal good character; but if I may be allowed to give a 

 preference to I'lack Grapes (but. in fact, I claim it), I must 

 decidedly give it to the Trentham Black for magnificence of 

 bloom, equality of bunch and beiTy, and every other good 

 trait desirable. I was also very much pleased with the 

 Golden Hamburgh, which had the same treatment as the 

 others in this pit. 



Much has been said about finding a Btock for the Barba- 

 roasa. To me this seems about as ridiculous as " Diogenes 

 with a lantern looking for an honest man." Why not grow 

 it on its own roots? AVhother the launches grown here 

 during the past season were a freak of nature or of mine, 

 it matters little, the bunches were grown, and the Vine was 

 on its own roots. I here give the opinion of the Barbarossa 

 Grapes in the words of my employer: — "The Barbarossa 

 Grapes were very good, very sweet, and thin-skinned. De- 

 cidedly better than Lady Downcs", although the latter is 

 decidedly a good Grape." 



I take this ojiportunity of thanking those gentlemen who 

 visited Combe, and gave public notice of those Grapes while 

 they were still grov/ing. Mr. McDonald, as miglit be ex- 

 pected from a man of his genius and enterprise, is a strong 

 advocate for experiment by grafting ; but in tlie case of the 

 Barbarossa I believe he lias but one opinion, and that is 

 that it is beat on its own roots. 



The mania for grafting is at this moment running very 

 high, and there is no doubt but it will produce some wonder* 



ful results. In the midland counties Osborn's new "White 

 Winter Broccoli is inclined to be rather delicate, would it 

 add, do you think, to the strength of its constitution to 

 work it on a Brussels Sprout J — Wm. Miller. 



LA CONSTANTE STEAWBEEET. 



After several recent efforts to throw a doubtful light 

 upon this really grand Strawberry, I was particularly grati- 

 fied this luorning, on perusing the last Number of The 

 Journal of Hokticulture, to see that "A Feagabian" 

 (and a very clever one too), who evidently has no reason to 

 further the interests of one party r.ather tliau another, 

 renders full justice to the sui^erior qualities of La Constante. 

 Muc* has been said already about this splendid variety; 

 still I may be permitted to add a few words, as I am, and 

 shall always bo, proud of having largely contributed towards 

 its distribution in France, as well as in England and else- 

 where. 



Soon after I had procured the first plants from the raiser, 

 M. de Jonghe, I sent some to my late and much-regretted 

 friend Nicholson at Eaglescliffe ; and I believe it is from 

 thence that most parties who possess it nowin Great Britain 

 have obtained their stock. Mr. Nicholson, in one of the 

 last kind letters he wrote me, insisted particularly upon La 

 Const.inte being a kind that " ought to he in every garden." 

 Still Mr. N. lived a good deal furtlier north than Bedale. 

 I have had the satisfaction of seeing with my own eyes, 

 during several visits to England, the great success of La 

 Constante with gentlemen who are numbered amongst the 

 most skilful Strawberry growers; sufhce it to mention 

 AV. Eoden, Esq., of Kidderminster, and Henry Doubleday, 

 Esq., of Ei:iping, who I am sure will readily endorse what I 

 say. 



Mr. Tliomas Rivers, a first-rate authority, writes in his 

 last fruit catalogue as follows: — "No. 14, La Constante. — 

 Large, conical, and of a deep crimson. Its peculiar aroma 

 is remarkable. A great bearer. Much resembles seedling 

 Eliza in its peculiar robust growth." 



In America, where people generally ha^o a great prejudice 

 against European Strawberries, La Constante has obtained 

 the highest honours, and at a Boston Show the highest 

 prize, a silver cup, ever awarded to any Strawberry. It is 

 now so popular in the United States, that they call it the 

 best ibreign Strawberry introduced. — Ferdinand Gloede, 

 Les Sahlons, Sei/ie-et-Marne. 



DUTIES OF A FOEEMAN IN A GENTLEMAN'S 

 GAEDEN. 



Will you inform me wliat you consider the duties of a 

 foreman in a private establishment, where the work is prin- 

 cipally under glass ? Ought he to be expected to look round 

 the ostablishuiont every Sunday — say once— when he has 

 what ho terms jjormanent duty every third Sunday (about 

 three hours) ? Lodging is provided at the place. — York- 

 shire. 



[There is no rule for regulating the duties of a foreman 

 in a priv.ate or any other establishment. These rules must 

 in every place be a matter of arrangement between the head 

 gardener and yourself, and it is best for all parties when 

 the.se matters are stated clearly in detail. You should not, 

 however, forget that the position of foreman gives you gi'eat 

 advantages over the other gardeners, and especially when 

 you are chiefly employed in the houses; and these advan- 

 tages should lead you rather to increase than to lessen your 

 responsibility. Now to your question — "Ought ho to be 

 expected to look round the establishment every Sunday — 

 say once — when he has what ho torius permanent duty 

 every third Sunday (about three hours) '■" In general we 

 say Yes ; and more especially when houses constitute your 

 charge. No doubt if you wished to leave on a Saturday 

 night, or very early on a Sunday morning, at times, there 

 would be a willingness to make airangeraents to meet your 

 wishes ; but without such arrangements we can easily fancy 

 what would be the result in houses — say forcing-houses — 

 at this season, if the person who generally superintended 

 them were to leave them to anybody's care, just to do as he 



