Angost 16, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



139 



Among the most prolific ia Early Vermont, which produced 

 14 stone per row ; Porter's Excelsior, a grand Potato, 11 stone ; 

 Myatt's Kidney 9 stone. Next week I intend lifting King of 

 the Earlies, Early Vermont, and others, although all the tops 

 are green, and I would certainly advise all my friends to be 

 up and doing, and try to preserve a crop, which is truly, as 

 Mr. Luokhurst sayB, of national importance. One thing is 

 next to certain, if the crops are left untouched until autumn 

 the onehalf at least will be lost.— R. Gilbert. 



I can testify to the soundness of Mr. Luckhurst's remarks 

 on the early lifting of the main crop of Potatoes. I think it 

 behoves everyone who grows Potatoes to be on the alert and 

 secure the crop, for from what I can hear and see many crops 

 are becoming badly diseased in this county (Bedford). Both 

 early and late kinds seem to be affected. 



Perhaps it may be useful if I relate a case of early lifting of 

 Potatoes in 1876. This was a plot of Regents. After a period 

 of two or three weeks of hot dry weather the Potatoes in 

 question were at a standstill, but after a fall of rain I could 

 plainly see that a second growth was about to take place, so I 

 determined on having the crop lifted, although the tops were 

 as green as they well could be. Many people said that taking 

 them up so early (July), with the haulm quite green and before 

 the skins were set, was not the right thing to do. The skins 

 may rub-off a little, but if they do they soon form another 

 covering. The result of this early lifting was as follows :— The 

 Potatoes were of medium size, and of good quality ; in fact I 

 could not wish for better quality, they were like balls of flour, 

 and they remained so until the second week in July, 1877. I 

 may remark that my neighbours who did not lift until late in 

 the season lost more than half of their crops, and when plant- 

 mg-time came round some growers had not sufficient left for 

 seed. 



It ia too common a practice when lifting late Potatoea to 

 store them too thickly, whereby they become heated. They 

 should be laid thinly and examined frequently. At the present 

 time I am having all late Potntnpn lifted n foot <.= „™ ;i,i„ 



prize. J. Hodge & Son, St. Austell, had the best twelve Roses, 

 i ^ 6Ie P laced first al8 ° I0 r GladioluB. Messrs. Mitchinson 

 and Co. won the principal prizes for Dahlias, Asters, Cucumbers, 

 collections of cut flowers, besides making a large display of 

 blooms not for competition— Eoses, Carnations, GeraniumB, 

 Fuchsias, Marigolds, Zinnias, &c. 



The cottage gardeners made a capital display, the Cabbages 

 and Onions being exceedingly fine. The small fruits were for 

 the season good, particularly Red Currants. The Judges were :— 

 For plants and cut flowers, the Hon. and Rev. J. T. BoBcawen, 

 Mr. W. N. Carne, and Mr. Murton (Tredrea), and Mr. Gill 

 (Tremough). For cottagers' exhibits and fruit, Mr. Lobb 

 (Devoran), Mr. Tyerman (Tregony), Mr. Hogbin (Porthwidden), 

 and G. Palmer (Carclew). 



am having all late Potatoes lifted aa fast as possible 

 with a view to saving them from disease, but owing to many 

 men being in the harvest field I am having the tops pulled up 

 and cleared away until such time aa I can have the crop dug. 

 The removal of the haulm will to some extent save the crop, 

 even if the tubers are not taken-np for some little time to 

 come.— G. R. A. 



I quite agree with Mr. Luckhurst in raising Potatoes aa soon 

 aa the tubers ceaae swelling. I once knew a farmer who dug- 

 up all his Potatoes in August. The men employed were obliged 

 to pick them all from the haulm. These Potatoes all kept 

 well, but those left until the tops had died-down were acarcely 

 half of them good. Thia is one instance out of twenty. We 

 are taking-up our Victorias, Devon Reds, and Hundredfold 

 Flukes.— J. P., Devon. 



FALMOUTH FLOWER SHOW. 



The display, which was both extensive and attractive, was 

 ai-ranged in the Volunteer Drill Hall and a tent erected outside 

 Colonel Tremayne, the Rev. Thomas Phillpots, Mr. M. H 

 Williams, Colonel Bull, and Mr. W. H. Lean exhibited large 

 and beautiful collections of plants. 



The Exhibition was very strong in high-class stove plants, 

 the majority of which were sent not for competition. At the 

 higher end of the hall nearly forty of the choicest specimens of 

 the Carclew houses Were effectually grouped by Mr. Palmer. 

 ToweriDg above all wag a grand Seaforthia elegans, with other fine 

 Palms extending on either hand. Striking objects in the centre 

 were a large AUamanda Hendersonii, Bougainvillea glabra, and 

 brilliantly coloured Crotons. The Rev. Thomas Phillpotts from 

 Portnwidden sent an excellent collection, well arranged by 

 Mr Hogbin. The wealth of Pengerrick was exemplified in the 

 best fcrold and Silver Ferns in the hall, a good Alsophila excelsa, 

 a Orunnerascabra with monster leaves and showing its curious 

 fruit, and the freshest and largest Todea superba in the west of 

 England. The cultivation exhibited in the collection was a 

 ™ e ™ *2 ^ r - Tfl °mas Evans, Mr. Fox's skilful gardener. Mr. 

 M ; H- Williams Tredrea (gardener, Mr. Murton), was the onlv 

 exhifcitf^of Orchids, and his specimens were greatly admired 

 Mr. W. H. Lean won close upon a dozen prizes, mostly firsts. 

 In stove and greenhouse Ferns he ran Col. Bull very close, who 

 exhibited the hneBt collection ever Been in the district. 



The nurserymen supported the Exhibition admirably. Messrs 

 Curtis, Sandford, & Co. from the Devon Nursery, Torquay, sent 

 twenty Roses, which had no difficulty in gaining the premier 



PREPARATION OF FRUIT TREES FOR FORCING. 



It is pretty well understood by those in charge of forcing 

 houses that more depends on the treatment of fruit trees after 

 the crop is gathered than on anything that can be done whilst 

 the trees are actually carrying their crops. Especially are 

 these remarks applicable in the case of Vines and other early- 

 forced fruit trees, whose period of rest is, in the natural order 

 of things, the time when root and branch should be in full 

 activity and vigour. The different views held regarding the 

 reciprocal action between root and branch at various stages 

 of growth have long occupied considerable attention, and that 

 is by no means so clear aa it should be, if we may judge 

 from the conflicting statements we read from time to time 

 in the various horticultural journals. Whether the action of 

 root and branch is simultaneous, or that the latter precedes 

 the former, is to our own mind dear enough. It is fortunate 

 that there is no dispute as to the union that exists between root 

 and branch, and that we know that the one cannot exist with- 

 out the other ; and we think that the only rational view of the 

 matter is that during the period of inactivity or rest the dis- 

 tribution of latent sap is less active, consequent on the want of 

 propelling power after the fall of the leaf. What we wish to 

 urge in the case of early-forced Vines and other treea ia the 

 difficulty to be encountered in working out, according to dif- 

 ferent circumstanceB, the natural growth inherent in each indi- 

 vidual Vine or tree, and in settling how the future supplies 

 encouraged by such growth are to be directed into the ordinary 

 fruiting channels, and consolidated there in ample quantity to 

 furnish food for the following season. We take it as an undis- 

 puted fact, that a Vine or Peach tree will yield fruit in pro- 

 portion to the amount of healthy food that is concentrated in 

 every individual bud and branch ; therefore our efforts should 

 be directed to the carrying-out of such measures aa shall best 

 attain the object we have in view. Aa before remarked, the 

 great difficulty in thia respect rests with very early-forced treeB ; 

 for however unnatural it may be to change their winter into 

 summer, they will yield submissively to the influence of heat 

 and moisture ; but it is quite another thing to impose upon 

 them a season of perfect rest when the thermometer stands at 

 80° in the shade. From this point of view we regard the 

 month of August as the most critical month of the year for 

 early-forced trees. Vines are aometimea taken out of doors 

 and covered with litter in order to retard them, and Peach 

 trees may have the sashes removed from over them altogether; 

 still there is the natural warmth and growth tending to excite 

 against the unnatural remedies tending to retard. The one 

 principle acta against the other, and the crops that follow are 

 in proportion to the skill with which the two principles are 

 managed. Vines, for instance, that are forced, however skil- 

 fully, to have ripe Grapes in March, become quite unmanage- 

 able in a few years, and will break away in the month of 

 August, notwithstanding all the counteracting means that can 

 be brought to bear upon them. Peach trees that ripen their 

 crops early in May require careful watching lest the mild 

 autumn weather ahould lead to premature excitement, which 

 means the losa of all such buds as are unduly disturbed from 

 their natural slumber before the proper time. 



The principles laid down for our guidance in these matters 

 are of such a nature that they cannot be applied to all cases 

 alike ; or perhaps we had better put it that the difference of 

 circumstances renders the universal application of them im- 

 practicable. When early houses are bo Bituated as to be in- 

 fluenced in some degree by their neighbours, such an arrange- 

 ment aggravates the difficulty of inducing rest and consolidating 

 growth. Warmed shallow borders, unless by the most com- 

 plete arrangement in heating, are to be avoided as much as 

 possible : the cure is worse than the disease, and of the two it 



