378 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 15, 1877. 



Gooseberries. — Some of the above fruits are not grown in 

 every garden, but now we come to a class of fruits grown every- 

 where. In pruning Gooseberry bushes keep the centre well 

 open ; do not let the branches cross one another ; cut all 

 snoots formed this season into half an inch from where they 

 join the old wood. When the bushes are large enough cut the 

 leading ehoot in the same way. In extending them do not 

 leave more than 6 inches of young wood on in one season. A 

 well-formed and pruned Gooseberry bush should have each 

 branch surrounded with clusters of short spurs with no long 

 projecting pieces sticking out from various parts. 



Currants. — In the case of young Red and White Currant 

 bUBhes have the shoots thinned where too close, and shortened 

 to not more than a foot. Where no young branches are wanted 

 on old-established bushes every young shoot muBt be cut off, 

 leaving only about half an inch attached as a fruit spur to the 

 old wood. Black Currant wood is never shortened. The oldest 

 wood is cut away every winter to give place to the new. As 

 Boon as both Currants and Gooseberries are pruned the prun- 

 ings are cleared off the ground, a good quantity of dung placed 

 round and between the bushes and forked-in about 3 inches 

 from the surface. This is a good plan to keep the bushes 

 fruitful and vigorous. 



Raspberries — All the old canes of these are cut off at the 

 surface of the ground and thrown away. The strongest canes 

 made during the season are put in their places, and all the 

 smaller not required are either east away or lifted with roots 

 to make fresh plantations. Good manure is spread on the 

 Burface of the roots, but not forked-in ; the centre of the rows 

 only, where there is not many roots to disturb, is turned over. 

 — A Kitchen Gardener, 



SPECULATIONS AS TO THE NATURE AND 



ORIGIN OP THE POTATO DISEASE.— No. 1. 

 The Potato is believed to have been introduced into the 

 United Kingdom from Virginia by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 

 beginning of the seventeenth century, and was cultivated on 

 his estate in Ireland and in other parts of that country in a 

 small way for many years, and about 1691 was introduced into 

 Lancashire, where its cultivation soon became general and 

 gradually spread over the other counties of England ; and if 

 we allow several more years from 1694 for this to have taken 

 place, say until 1745, the Potato muBt have been in general 

 cultivation at least a hundred years previously to 1845. For 

 many generations the Potato was cultivated year after year, as 

 before mentioned, and as far as we know no sign of disease 

 exhibited ; indeed I consider it impossible a disease so virulent 

 in its nature and so rapid in its extension could possibly have 

 existed without being known, when all on a sudden it ap- 

 peared and spread rapidly over a wide range of country. That 

 is difficult to understand. How did it arise, and where did it 

 come from ? An able botanist not long ago came out with 

 the astounding statement that everybody was convinced that 

 the fungus was the disease. This was going a little too far : 

 the general public were by no meanB convinced, and are not 

 now. I am willing to confess, however, that Fam inclined to 

 agree with the botanist. 



Some persons think that the plant must first be in an un- 

 healthy state, and that it must be in that condition before it 

 is liable to the attack of the fungus. That is so, undoubtedly 

 so, with regard to many other plants, as almost everyone must 

 have observed who haB had much to do with plant cultivation ; 

 but if we take that view with regard to the Potato we are not 

 much nearer the mark than before. What were the particular 

 conditions that prevailed at that time and have continued 

 more or less ever since ? That is as difficult a question to 

 answer as to find out the origin of some of the diseases which 

 affect the human subject. Did Adam suffer from the measles, 

 &c, and if not, why not ? would be a very good question for 

 the medical student. 



It would simplify matters very much if we could only believe 

 in spontaneous generation, but we should want some stronger 

 evidence than we seem likely to get for a long time yet. Pro- 

 fessor Tyndall must try a great many more experiments with 

 his boiled infuBions of hay before he will be able to bring for- 

 ward any very satisfactory evidence on that question. I may 

 as well at once admit that I do not believe in spontaneous 

 generation, and therefore abandon it. 



The cause of the disease is again supposed by some writers 

 to have been from the degeneracy of the tuber, or some peculiar 

 state of the atmosphere. If the disease arose from the firs 



cause, thoBe raised from seed and those which are carefully 

 cultivated ought to be free from the disease, but they are not ; 

 and if it arose from some peculiar atmospheric influence, what 

 a remarkable thing it was that a change should have taken 

 place about 1845 and should have continued down to the pre- 

 sent day, and not only that this change took place here but 

 over the whole inhabitable globe. 



The British Consul in Poland wrote to Lord Palmerston on 

 the 16th of October, 184G, stating that the only known case of 

 Potato disease in that country occurred in some plants of the 

 Ashleaved Kidney, the tubers of which had been obtained 

 from Britain and treated in exactly the same way as the com- 

 mon Polish crops ; and it adds, " This circumstance would 

 seem to prove that the disease is not attributable to atmospheric 

 influence, as I hear is the generally received opinion of other 

 countries. Here in Poland all persons to whom I have spoken 

 on the subject think that the Potatoes in the rest of Europe 

 are tainted in the germ by over-cultivation ; and it is certainly 

 remarkable that here where the soil is generally light, and 

 where lees manure is used than in any other country except 

 Russia, and never immediately preceding the crops of Potatoes, 

 those plants should have completely escaped the infection 

 which threatens their extinction in all parts where greater 

 pains have been taken with their culture." I think the writer, 

 although he wrote thirty years ago, was right in his conclu- 

 sions that the disease was not attributable to atmospheric 

 influence, and he might have gone a little further and said 

 it was plain the disease was taken there with the English 

 Potatoes. And then with regard to the degeneracy of the tuber 

 from over-cultivation and the use of a large quantity of stimu- 

 lating manures — bad things, no doubt— the disease ought to 

 have originated in the north of England and Scotland, where 

 these malpractices were carried on ; but no, it began in other 

 places before it reached there ; therefore we must seek some 

 other oause. — Amateur, Cirencester. 



WHAT ROSES SHALL I BUT ? 



Now that the result of the exhibition-Rose election is in our 

 hands, and aspirants for distinction at the shows are seeking 

 its guidance to add to the ranks that are to do battle for them, 

 I think a little advice from some experienced and skilful 

 general as to the proportionate numbers of eaoh Rose that it 

 is best to enlist would be useful. 



Imagine one who was a bad fourth for six varieties at a 

 show during the past summer, eager for higher honours, order- 

 ing a dozen each of the twelve Roses standing first on the list. 

 It needs but a glance at the names to Bee that he would be 

 disappointed when he sallied forth to cut his blooms for the 

 show to which he had so eagerly looked forward. He would 

 be embarrassed to decide upon the best of three or four blooms 

 of one variety, while for a passable specimen of another he 

 would search in vain. 



I will take the first twenty-four, not as pretending to guide, 

 but to explain what I mean. Would not the quantity of each 

 kind required to ensure an even box of twelve be something 

 like the following, taking the numbers to represent dozens ? — 



1. Baroune de Kofhschild 5. Ferdinand de Lesseps 



2. Marie Baurnann 6. Catherine Mermet 



3. Madame Victor Yerdier 6. Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier 

 3. La Frauce 6. Comtesse d'Osford 



3. Francois Michelon 6. Marie Bady 



3. Etienne Levet 7. Senateur Vaisse 



4. Charles Lefebvre S. Duke of Edinburgh 

 4. Alfred Colomb 12. Louis Van Hontte 

 4. Marguerite de St. Amand 18. Xavier Olibo 



4. Dr. Andry 18. Emilie Hausburg 



4. Marquise de Castellane 25. Horace Yernet 



The last three Roses should hardly find place in so limited 

 a collection perhaps. Marechal Niel and Edward Morren I 

 have not mentioned, as the former is estimated rather by the 

 square yard (or square mile if one can), than by the number 

 of plants, and the latter is so uncertain, being dependant on 

 the season, that it is difficult to say what number of plants 

 one should have. It should go perhaps in the same category 

 with the last three on my list — viz., Roses which it is much 

 desired but little expected to be able to show. Will some one 

 be so good as to correct me and extend the list? — Hubert 

 Bensted, Maidstone. 



DIONvEA MUSCIPULA (Venus's Fly-trap). 

 E. Payne, late gardener to Mr. Foreshaw, writes to the 

 Editors that I have done him an injustice in reference to the 

 notes I sent on this plant. He says that it is " untrue that 



