CXX PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Vine Shoots atrophied. — Mr. Morris called attention to the 

 fact that this, at present, obscure complaint is by no means 

 uncommon. It occurs in other gardens in the neighbourhood of 

 Chiswick, and is regarded by cultivators as very injurious indeed. 

 If it affects the~primary shoot in the early stage of growth ; it 

 apparently renders the Vine utterly barren. It is suspected as 

 being due to some fungus. It is in the hands of Professor Ward 

 for examination. 



The Potato Disease. —The following interesting communica- 

 tion was received from Mr. J. Wright, who records the fact that 

 the immense advantage of high moulding was known so long as 

 twenty-five or more years ago in Lincolnshire. He says : "I 

 first saw it in full and systematic operation in most of the cottage 

 gardens at Appleby, in Lincolnshire. The seed tubers were 

 placed a yard asunder on the surface, and mounded over. 

 When growth appeared they were mounded again, and when the 

 haulm had a tendency to fall down, three or four of the best 

 stems (the weakest being pulled out) were gently bent down, the 

 early leaves not being smothered, and spread equidistantly, and 

 then ' crowned ' with soil. This 1 crowning ' was repeated at 

 intervals till no more soil could be dug from between the mounds. 

 The object of the cultivator was to get a peck of tubers (21 lbs.) 

 from a mound. I have had 18 lbs., 19 lbs., and 20 lbs., but 

 never 21 lbs. I have known practically the whole of the mound 

 crops sound when those on the level were worthless, for the 

 results of this system were far in advance of crops on the level 

 in ■ bad disease ' years. With the introduction of strong, upright- 

 growing sorts the mound system fell into disuse. I have known 

 several plants in the middle of a Potato-bed tied upright to 

 sticks and kept so, so that the early-formed leaves remain 

 exposed to the light and air. These not only yielded more than 

 twice the bulk of tubers of the surrounding procumbent plants, 

 but the former were sound when dug, while the latter were rotten. 

 This was in a wet and ' great disease ' year. I remember once 

 seeing water standing between the rows in a Potato-field be- 

 cause it could not pass through the hard ' sole ' or ' pan ' made 

 with the plough. I took a fork and broke up the pan over a rod 

 of ground, and the water rushed away. In no other part of the 

 field were the Potatoes worth digging. With regard to varieties, 

 short-topped Potatoes were the favourites in former days for late 



