:March 2, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



183 



Lifting: and Storing:. 



I am strongly in favour of lifting the 

 crop immeiliately the tubers are matured, 

 as by so doing I am fully convinced many 

 of the tubers are saved from the ravages 



hold the 



of disease. 



cultivators 



M a ny 



that unless the tubers are 



tho- 



opniion 



roughly ripened their keeping qualities 

 will be mucli impaired, but this is quite a 

 mistaken idea, and practicidly no waste 

 lakes place, and the quality is none the 

 worse. Last season, fearing a spell of wet 

 after the long dry time, w^e lifted the wdiole 

 oi our main crop before the beginning of 

 September, and the quality is everything 

 that can be desired, with practically no 

 disease. The best means of keeping pota- 

 toes is to clamp them in the ordinary way, 

 making sure that plenty of ventilation is 

 afforded them to prevent overheating, and 

 a small quantity of slaked lime should be 

 placed between each layer of potatoes, as 

 this has a sweetening effect, and much im- 

 proves the quality. 



Varieties. 



Every year new^ varieties are added to 

 the lists, and it is hardly safe to recom- 

 mend any one variety for general cultiva- 

 tion, as some are especially adapted for 

 certain districts w^bere others are prac- 

 tically a failure. Probably no variety that 

 has been raised has found such a world- 

 wide reputation as that old favourite, Up- 

 to-Date, or se]e<?tions from it; this is a 

 heavy cropper^ of fine appearance, not sub- 

 ject to disease, as many others are^ and of 

 first-rate quality, Windsor Castle,' where- 

 ever it does well, is, in my opinion, the 

 finest maincrop potato for quality yet put 

 on the market. 



prone to disease, and especially so w^hen 

 left in the ground too long; therefore it 

 should be 



Unfortunately it is very 



"Webb 



N 



lifted early 



planted and 

 ew Guardian is a most prolific 

 variety, and one of the best disease resis- 

 ters that has come under my notice. Dob- 

 hie s Prolific, a fine variety that has suc- 

 ^ssfully passed the Royal Horticultural 

 ^cietys cropping and cooking tests, pro- 

 ^nses to be a great addition to this section. 

 As a coloured variety King Edward VII. 

 nnds much favour among cultivators in 

 nmny districts. During the past season it 

 ^iiU remarkably Avell, and realised high 

 nrires. It is quite the best coloured variety 

 i know for table use, and as an exhibition 



^/nety is of much value, and verv attrac- 

 tive. 



Edwin Beckett. 



POTATO GREAT SCOT. 



Potatoes for seed purposes are now 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



ceiving a large share of attention from 

 those who are respoiiisible for the main- 

 tenance of a»n abundant supply of tubers 

 tliro'Ughout the year. Not only is it neces- 

 sary to give the finis.liing touches to the 

 preparation of the soil and to prepare tJie 

 seed tubers of (standard varieties for plant- 

 ing, but due consideration has to be given 

 to the question of selecting varieties of 

 promise for trial purposes. As we have 

 frequently stated it is n-ot prudent to re- 

 place standaixl varieties of the potato, as of 

 other vegetables, with novelties until they 

 have been f>ubjected to a thorough test ; 

 at the same time we have again and again 

 suggested the desirability of annually mak- 

 ing a trial of such novelties ais liave tlie 

 promise of proving useful. Hence it was 

 with much interest that we opened the 

 package containing the tubers of Great 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



EAST INDIAX HOUSE.— Many occupants 

 of this lioiise will now require attention in 

 the way of rejmtting, as, for instance, aerides, 

 vandas, e^accolabiums, and angrsecums. The 

 receptacles may be pots, pane, or bae^kets, 

 the latter being preferable for the smaller 

 growing a?rides and saccolabiums. Plants of 

 this class often appear leggy and unsightly 

 through loss of the lower foliage, and if they 

 are in a lanky condition they sliould be 

 lowered, so that the bottom leaves nrv jiiet 

 clear of the compost. This operation muust 

 be done with great care and judgment, or 

 much injury will follow, and should never be 

 attempted unless it can l>e done without 



hoot pot 



J. W. Cross. Old 



great root mutilation- Whenever the plants 

 seen to be pnsliing new roots, tlicv may 

 have attention as regards new tonipost. I 

 find them succeed in equal parts of living 

 sphagnum mose and clean polypodium fibre. 

 I do not favour top-dressing at anv time. 



Aklenham House Gardens. 



•li^?*^*?®^'"""^^ ^ succession to 



hoTZJ"" ^its frames on 



'nSt nf^^^''^^ be prepared. Prepare a com- 

 "■af Jii ^^''^^ ^ Sood quantity of 



an e h^.f ^^^ll'" ^.^T>th, and when about the 

 W ft T>lant prepared sprouted 



part nlr^ ''''^^^^'^^P ^'""^^^^ inches 

 n H^'^'^'^l a distance of eighteen inches 

 '-^r and'^.^^^^^ Ringleader, Gladia- 



^-T haL Z i^^ excellent sorts 



f & i^'^*"""- " ^^"^1 sow a pinch 

 nie of L.^r'^"!^^^ broadcast at the 

 - JiJi^n^in "^-^l" potatoes. When tubers 

 '^c tW P Tt!^^'^" in clamps, 



en&w^'* be overhauled, placing thos; 



^^rl Vr^^^ ^'^'^^ ^^"d airv struc- 



'''anched^^ \'^^'*^n^"^ ''^'^^^ throne,], 



^vard« tubers m boxee "eves" un- 



^T^^^ff them thicklv in so Sne it 



the boxes 



^1 slui^f .^r.I ; T>osition to form strong 



ratory to the April 

 ^^d is recommended 



to 



in 



POTATO GEEAT SCOT. 



A distinct and remarkably prolific main crop variety, introduced by Mr. J. AV. Cross, 



Wisbech. 



1) 



"gl}-— (i. Ellwood. 



Grammar School^ Wisibech, had kindly sub- 

 mitted to us. This variety, which 

 Mr. Cross is introdxicing this season, is 

 classed with the mid-season potatoes, but 

 evidently it might bave a place with those 

 specially adapted for late use, for the ap- 

 pearance of the tubers suggests that they 

 would remain in the best possible condi- 

 tion for some months. It has unquestion- 

 ably a long period of usefulness^ a point 

 of no small importance in a potato that is 

 not less Uiseful for nia vkvx cidture thnn 

 lor home supplies. It is evidently higliiy 

 productive, for very lu^a\ v cro]),^ bave been 

 rtx^orded. The tubers aic of large size, 

 ro'und, shai)ely, and with dit^tinri lunted 

 skin, while the quality is said to he 

 high. The tubers are admirably adapted 

 for baking, and also for boiling in 

 their jackets. Our illustration has 

 been reproduced from one of the tubers 

 that were sent bv Mr. Cross. 



Tlie pot<^ and pans miist be well drained, with 



clean crocks, and the comiK)st finished off 



with a surfacing of sphagnum moss. After 



the plants have been dealt with, water must 



be given with discretion, taking care the 

 compost gets thoroughly dry lietween ea^h 

 application, ^ridets Fieldingi, A. crassifo- 



lium, and A. odoratum require a shady posi- 

 tion in the warm cattleya house : other kinds 

 succeed best in the warm liouse. 



AXGR^CUMS. — Mauv o\ thr^ 

 developing their 



which may l>e mentioned A. SamU'i ianum, A. 

 Kllisi, A. Lecnia\ and otlier.s. A. Sanderi- 

 anuni I find always succeeds lx»tter on the 

 stage than when siispeuded. Any repotting 

 necessary should be delayed until the flower- 

 ing period is over. Tlie plants should *^till 

 receive water in moderation. The small- 

 growing section does best grown in shallow 

 pans; the larger growing ones, such as A. 

 .se>quipedale, A. eburnemn, and A. Veitchi, 

 should be grown in pots. A compost such 



aiv last 



tlow^T s])ikev. amongst 



