October 23, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICaiiTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



311 







WEEKLY 



CALENDAR 



• 















Day 



o{ 



Month 



Day 



of 



Week. 



OCT. 26— NOV. 1, 1871. 



Average Temper.a- | Rain in 

 tare near London. :43 years. 



San 

 Rises. 



Sun 

 ■ Sets. 



Moon 

 Rises. 



Moon 

 Sets. 



*»''• ; Sun. Year. 



26 

 27 

 28 

 29 

 80 

 81 

 1 



Th 



F 



S 



Son 

 M 

 Tn 

 W 



Length of night 14h. 5m. 



21 SUNDAT AFTER TrIKITY, 



Length of day, 9h. 45m. 



Royal Horticultural Society, Fruit, Floral, 

 [ and General Meeting. 



Day. 



65.6 



55.1 



64.5 



64.0 



64.9 



64.0 



54.3 



Night. 

 38.5 

 38.4 

 85.9 

 35.7 

 88.3 

 38.0 

 37.9 



Mean. 

 46.1 

 46.7 

 45.2 

 44.8 

 46.6 

 46.0 

 46.1 



Days. 

 18 

 27 

 27 

 20 

 22 

 22 

 25 



m. h. 1 m. b. 

 44af6 1 43af4 

 46 6 41 4 

 48 6 89 4 

 50 6 87 4 

 61 6 36 4 

 63 6 i 84 4 

 66 6 1 32 4 



m. h. 

 36af4 

 54 4 

 11 5 

 29 5 

 62 6 

 21 6 

 16 7 



m. h. 



4af 4 

 17 5 

 29 6 

 40 7 

 61 8 

 69 9 



3 11 



Days. 

 12 

 13 

 O 



15 

 16 

 17 

 18 



m. s. 



15 54 



16 

 16 5 

 16 10 

 16 13 

 16 16 

 16 13 



299 

 30O 

 301 

 302 

 SOS 

 304 

 3:5 



From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of tbe week i3 64.6=, and its night tem- 

 perature 37.5°. The greatest heat was 67", on the 31st, 1854; and the lowest cold 22', on the 2Sth, IsBB. The greatest fall of ram was 

 1.03 inch. 



FORCING VEGETABLES.- 



THE POTATO. 



-No. 1. 



E are rapidly approaching the commence- 

 ment of the forcing season, and perhaps 

 it is unnecessary for me to remind all those 

 who have any forcing to do that every 

 preparation should be made without delay. 

 The most successful are generally those 

 who have well matured their plans, and 

 who have everything in a fit state for use. 

 In this and subsequent papers I purpose 

 relating my experience in the forcing of 

 such vegetables as are most in demand in the spring when 

 other vegetables are not plentiful. I shall therefore begin 

 with the Potato, because it is in general request, and is 

 alwaj's looked for in its young state with more interest 

 than any other vegetable. 



The Potato is capable of being forced in a variety of 

 ways ; some prefer to force it in pots or boxes in a vinery 

 or Peach house; others grow it successfully in pits or 

 frames on hot dung beds ; but whichever way be chosen, ' 

 the selection of sound well-ripened tubers of a good sort 

 is the most essential point I believe many sorts have , 

 been tried, some of them more on account of the size of 

 their tubers than anything else ; but to produce, regardless 

 of the variety, the largest Potatoes within a given time , 

 ought not to be the aim of the Potato-forcer ; he should 

 strive by selection and cultural treatment to get in as short 

 a time as possible a fair-sized well-proportioned Potato, 

 somewhat dry and floury. For the attainment of this 

 object there are not, in my opinion, for very early produc- 

 tion, any better kinds than the old Ashleaf and Myatt's 

 Prolifio, as they are both short-topped sorts, and mature 

 themselves early. 



The next important point is the soil, not so much as re- 

 gards its qualities and composition, as securing it early, 

 and packing it under cover before the autumn rains come 

 on. I remember that the very first day I entered a garden 

 to work, my first task was collecting and storing soil 

 for Potato-forcing. That was at Chilstone Park, in Kent, 

 where the first crop was always planted in 12 or 14-inch pots 

 in the following manner : — Every pot was well cleaned, 

 a large piece of broken pot placed at the bottom, and the 

 pot half-filled with leaves, not thoroughly decayed, but 

 sufficiently so to form a rooting medium for the tubers, 

 and to secure drainage. Some may say, " Why not place 

 more drainage at the bottom of the pot, and leaf mould 

 instead of decayed leaves ? " This would certainly be easy 

 to do, but the object is to allow the Potatoes every inch of 

 rooting space, and if much space be taken up by the drain- 

 age there wUl not be enough for the number of tubers 

 placed in the pot. Coarse gritty sand, or if such is not 

 to be easily obtained, road-drift should be collected during 

 the summer ; and to this add an equal proportion of the 

 soft sand of the locality, the colour not being a matter of 

 importance. After mixing them together add a layer of the 

 mixture 2 inches deep on the top of the leaves, and on this 

 plant the tubers. I have found that three or even four of 

 No. 652.— Vol. XXI., New Seeies, 



these in each pot are not too many. If there are three, place 

 them in a triangle, and if four, in a square, as far apart as 

 possible, with the tuber an inch or two clear of the side of 

 the pot. Afterwards fill up each pot with the sand, and, 

 without watering, place the pots side by side in some cool 

 house or pit, where they will be secure from frost. If the 

 Potatoes have sprouted before potting they will so^n shoot 

 up through the sand, and may then have abundance of 

 light and air, regulated according to the weather. In a 

 few days the pots may be taken to any moderately-heated 

 structure, such as a vinery or Peach house, and watered 

 as they require it. Should the roots appear above the soil, 

 as is not unlikely if the house is kept moist, a top-dressing 

 ought to be'given, and as the haulm gains strength the plants 

 ■n-iH bear more heat ; but great care should be taken not 

 to force them too severely, which is easily done in the 

 case of the Potato, and the crop wiU. be ruined. 



Another mode of pot-cultm-e is preferred by some, and 

 it has its advantages where space cannot be allowed 

 at first for storing a number of large pots — it is that of 

 potlLug the tubers singly in small pols, and afterwards 

 transfermig them to the large pots above alluded to. In 

 tlus case there is the labour of two pottings instead of one, 

 but I have been unable to discover that it is of any benefit 

 to the crop, as some assert it is. On the other hand, when 

 the Potatoes are to be forced on the planting-out system on 

 dung beds, there is some advantage to be gained by placing 

 the tubers iu small pots, as above described, if the plants 

 are kept in the pots long enough to form young Potatoes 

 before transferring to the frames. The advantage in this 

 case is that the tubers are fit for use as soon as those 

 grown in pots, but the crop is no better. I have grown 

 them in both ways at the same time, andwith this result. 



For the first crop I prefer pot-cultm-e — firstly, because 

 the tubers become fit for use early, and the pots can be 

 transferred from one place to another as occasion requires; 

 and, secondly, the ripening process, so necessary to a forced 

 Potato, is more thoroughly under control. This ripening- 

 I oft' should commence when the tubers have completed their 

 growth by our giving gradually more air, keeping a drier 

 ' atmosphere, and by degrees withholding water. If only 

 part of the crop be required at first, a few of the most for- 

 ward pots can be selected for ripening, and the yield from 

 pot-culture is generally satisfactory. If sand be used, as 

 recommended, the Potatoes will turn out clear-skinned and 

 good in colour. The middle of December is a good time 

 to start the first crop, and every succeeding crop should be 

 planted according to the demand for the preceding one. 



If Potatoes are gi-own in dung beds, a bottom heat of 



! 00' is very suitable ; and while the bed is being prepared, 



I like to start the tubers'in a gentleheat by placing single 



layers of them in boxes, and covering them with about an 



inch of soil ; their eyes then break regularly, and roots are 



produced thickly, so close to the Potatoes that when planted 



i out these can be taken up with a trowel and transferred to 



the frame without a check. It is not advisable to use a 



great depth of soil in the frame at first, I would rather 



add soil to the surface as the plants require it, using always 



I an open gritty soil pressed moderately firm. A foot between 



No. 1204.— Vol. XL VI., Old Series. 



