September IS, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



209 



Among Teas Madame Leon de St. Jean is most probably a 

 great addition, but new good Teas are still rarce aves. — HERE- 

 FORDSHIRE INCUMBENT. 



POTATOES ON A LIGHT SOIL. 



Once npon a time, not many years ago, I found an old man 

 planting kidney Potatoes. " How do you plant yonr Potatoes, 

 my friend ?" I said. " I plants 'em whole, sir, with a little bit 

 off the end," said he. Rather Irish I thought, but believe he 

 was right in his practice, for sometimes the old Potato does 

 not decay, and if so the produce is not so good. Consider- 

 able difficulty has been experienced by the grower of Potatoes 

 on light soils here of late years. If yen plant early you en- 

 counter Charybdis in the Bhape of frost ; on the other hand, if 

 you plant late you run against the Soylla of drought ; or, if 

 you manage to steer your bark clear of both those obstacles 

 you are very likely landed in the Styx of disease. In 1872 and 

 1873 Potatoes here were very much injured by frost in the 

 early spring, so much so that many persons were induced to 

 plant later than usual in 1874, but it did not answer. In 

 that year drought set in early, and the crop of early Potatoes 

 was consequently very poor. 



I thought thiB year I would try a few experiments to en- 

 deavour to find out a way of producing better results. In the 

 middle of February I had a small plot of land planted with the 

 Morning Star Potato (an early kidney). The sets were not 

 shot out at all, and were planted 5 incheB deep. In the middle 

 of March I had another plot planted with the same kind of 

 Potato, with sprouts about an inch long, also 5 inches deep. 

 At the end of March another lot was planted at same depth ; 

 at the beginning of April another only 3 inches deep ; the last 

 lot was planted at the end of April 3 inches deep. 



My man prophesied that the first lot would never come up, 

 but they did with the exception of two. All the plots came 

 up very well. The second was the most forward, and the 

 Potatoes were protected from the frost early in May by some 

 straw spread along the rows directly they could be seen. They 

 may be protected by earthing-up the soil, but that does not 

 answer if the land is wet at the time. 



All the plots looked very well in the early summer, and 

 were all the better for the little manure which was put in with 

 the previous crop ; but the weather in June was very dry, and 

 if rain had not come in the early part of July the later-planted 

 would not have been worth much. 



The second plot was the most forward at digging-up time, 

 the first and third were about ready together. The crop was 

 gjod, and they were dng-up before the appearance of disease. 

 The fourth and fifth lots did not come until all danger of frost 

 was over, but were overtaken by disease. The fourth was con- 

 sumed before many were lost, but the fifth lot was badly 

 diseased. An attempt was made to save them by removing 

 the tops. The operator sets a foot on each side of the haulm 

 and it is drawn out. In this case it was not successful, and 

 ought, perhaps, to have been done earlier ; and the quality of 

 the Potatoes suffered so much from the removal of the tops 

 that they were almost uneatable, but improved by remaining 

 in the ground. When dug-up at the end of August about 

 half of the last plot were lost by disease. Perhaps we ought 

 not to draw conclusions from a single experiment, but try 

 again over a series of years. 



There are, however, one or two things which are confirmed 

 by previous observation. It is by no meanB desirable to plant 

 late in this district. The middle or end of March is the best 

 time, and more care and thought must be given to protection 

 in May than has been hitherto done. If you carry out this 

 and put m a good breadth of early sorts the loss by disease is 

 much ourtailed. 



I think the early Potatoes here are planted too near the sur- 

 face, particularly when planted in good time, and I think the 

 deeper have the following advantages : — They do not come-up 

 so soon, they are more sheltered from the rays of the sun, and 

 as the diseased Potatoes are generally nearest the top not 

 so liable to disease, but this latter part requires further ob- 

 servation. 



It is oertainly rather singular that the disease should have 

 prevailed for more than thirty years, and that no one should 

 have discovered any remedy, and that differences of opinion 

 should Btill exist as to what was the origin of the disease. The 

 experiment has been tried of importing Potatoes from Peru, 

 thinking that the cultivated varieties were rendered delicate and 

 that otherB would escape, but the Peruvians were as bad as any. 



I am inclined to the view that the Potato disease is very 

 much the same as the zymotic disease in the human subject, 

 and more care ought to be taken to prevent the spread of it by 

 contagion. The rotten Potatoes, I think, ought not to be left 

 on the land to taint the atmosphere as they usually are, but 

 collected and boiled for pigs or burnt. Not long ago I sent 

 you a short review of an essay in the Royal Agricultural 

 Society's Journal by Professor de Bary on the Potato fungus, 

 in which I recommended the experiment to be tried of planting 

 Potatoes, which were perfectly free from disease when dug up, 

 in a field away from any human habitation. If any of your 

 correspondents have done so this year I shonldjjbe glad to hear 

 the result. — Amateur, Cirencester. 



CABLISLE INTERNATIONAL SHOW. 



September 6th, 7th, and 8th. 



Carlisle may fairly be said to be a city of contests. Almost 

 from time immemorial it has been the scene of contention in 

 turn by Roman, Dane, Saxon, Norman, Scot, and, its own brave 

 burghers. Fire, and sword, and famine, and capitulation have 

 all in turn had the ascendaucy; triumph and humiliation have 

 in turn prevailed. Tet notwithstanding the strife of centuries 

 no city in the realm is more peaceful, more industrious, than 

 Carlisle is now, for neatness, thrift, and cleanliness prevail every- 

 where ; the storm of contending passions has spent itself, and 

 the calm of reason, contentment, and prosperity rules. But not 

 the calm of inactivity. No, Carlisle — contestant Carlisle — must 

 have its tournament of peace as it has had its struggles of war. 

 The last contest has been worthy of the border city, a contest 

 if not eo exciting yet immeasurably more commendable than 

 others which are chronicled in history — a contest of peace, in- 

 dustry, skill, and refinement, where old friends have met in 

 honest rivalry and remain friends Btill ; where new acquaint- 

 ances have been made, latent effort stimulated, and another 

 impetus has been given to horticultural work. 



The last contest has demanded the same qualities which were 

 exercised so remarkably in the past — energy, resource, and en- 

 durance. Was not energy required when a small city of thirty 

 thousand inhabitants essayed to provide a gathering equal to any 

 Eimilar gathering of the past — an International Horticultural 

 Show? Was not resource necessary in making the arrange- 

 ments so complete? Was not endurance needed to have the 

 immense display arranged and judged two hours after sunrise 

 on the first day of the Show? Let those answer who saw the 

 work being done. It was a work of day and night continually 

 to do so much as was done in the preparations for and conduct of 

 this great Show. Projected only a year ago, it has been carried- 

 out successfully. All who could do 60 have aided in the work : 

 The Corporation, by placing the fine site at the disposal of the 

 Committee and providing other facilities; the affluent of the 

 district and the tradesmen of the town, by contributing in a 

 liberal, in some instances a spirited manner, towards the Show 

 fund; and the Executive Committee, by arduous and well- 

 directed labour. 



The site of the Show was admirable. On the one hand the 

 frowning warlike Castle, on the other the peaceful and beautiful 

 river Eden. There are the natural boundaries of the pastur- 

 age known as the Sawceries. About thirty-five acres were en- 

 closed. The great industry of horticulture was exemplified in 

 its various phaseB — mechanically by glass structures, boilers, 

 machines, manures, tools, and requisites; culturally by the 

 splendid examples of skill displayed in the tents. The tents, 

 yes, these demand a passing notice both on account of their 

 extent and manner of arrangement. A finer display of canvas 

 was never seen at any horticultural show. Its cost alone, in- 

 dependent of its fittings of gas and hot-water pipes, was s£600. 

 Its extent was approximately as follows : — A covered way of 

 considerable length conducted to the specimen-plant marquee, 

 which was 300 feet long by 50 feet wide. This terminated in a 

 central pavilion-like marquee, lofty and circular, and nearly 

 100 feet in diameter. From this central point other branches 

 radiated — one to the north about 100 feet in length for cut 

 flowers, another to the west 300 feet long for fruit, and a third 

 to the south 450 feet long by 50 feet wide, chiefly for the nursery- 

 men's collections of plants ; in addition, yet isolated, was a large 

 marquee for the display of vegetables. Such was the exten 

 and disposition of the tents, we will now refer to their contents 

 and to theionours won by the several competitors. 



But were the tents filled ? Yes, fairly well. At one time it 

 appeared impossible to £11 them, as so many who had entered 

 failed to occupy their space. Was the Show a success ? Doubt- 

 ful, extremely so. Writing on the opening day and before the 

 opening hour, the prospects look gloomy enough. Everything 

 under oontrol had been done to bring the undertaking to a satis- 

 factory issue, but an element beyond control asserted its power 



