o8 



THE GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



February 



12, .893. 



Potatos in Ireland. 



Thk current season has too fully borne ample proof to our shortsighted- 



... • 1 mi the "noble tuber" for the staole food 



least a portion of the required stock of potatos for nlantim, a- 

 England or Scotland every year-a system I, at any rate intern? 1 ?* fro,t > 

 The extra cost is very slight, and is amply returned thp'fi,' * to a dopt 



The extra cost is very 

 heavier crop. Very 



r slight, and is amply returned the'fK* 0 "** 



ness in placing absolute reliance on the "noble tuber » for the staple food heavier crop, very good results may be obtained by procuring y the 



of this country. In many instances the supply is already exhausted, and locally for planting that have been grown on a bog, if the £2 !? Otat0 » 



in the cases of people out of employment it will be impossible for planted is either sandy or limestone, or vice versd, but not to be r obe 



them to purchase potatos, as those are being sold wholesale in our local to imported seed As will be noticed, I am compelled still to ° m , pared 



market at sevenpence to eightpence per stone of fourteen pounds which Champion our sheet anchor, tailing another variety equally reSiahi tlle 

 in other seasons would not realise twopence per stone. In the majority Glenstal harm, Limerick. R > 'awe, 



of cases where the crop was an average one the tubers are of such a bad _ • fcL ".R. 



quality as to almost render them unfit for human food. On boggy or 

 nioory land, also on strong, tenacious soils, the crop is exceptionally bad 



everv wav. The best result has been obtained on sandy or gravelly _ ... • , . , - • 



soi s^.nd in such cases the crop is in many instances a v/ry good one, ^tvJs^J^ a **** or , 



while the cooking qualities are in every way excellent. Our own soil is shoots, to produce a quantity of small or moderately-sized flowe s 



wHucuictuuMi g v|uaui o _i_:J r.. 1 t _ . pvrrpmp v useful for conservatory decoration . nrsA • . . vcrs > 



BUSH-GROWN CH 



or more 

 are 



extremely useful for conservatory decoration ; and, also in ririT*. a 

 supply of flowers for the many purposes for which cut flo gC 

 required where the large blooms as grown for exhibition arHV* 

 serviceable. Highly-developed blooms give a striking and bea ti 



effect when rightly employed, not only on the plants or in exhih? 

 but also as cut blooms in large vases, therefore I do not wish to s 

 by any means that they are not of decorative value. The best ^\ 

 observe when arranging such flowers, as, in fact, in all floral work is tV° 

 each bloom must stand clear of the others, so that any semblance 2 

 crowding is clearly avoided. With a judicious mixture of autumn tintri 

 leaves or other suitable foliage, and the blooms standing out boldly fro 

 the vase, large blooms of chrysanthemums are most pleasing. 



The smaller flowers, however, lend themselves to many uses where 

 large ones would be out of place, and it is incumbent upon all who ha\> 

 to provide quantities of winter flowers to grow these bush plants of chrv 

 santhemums. The time when they are, perhaps, most useful is durii 

 December and January, and there are several very good varieties which 

 bloom well to the end of the year, and a few which continue in good coo- 

 dition even into February. Those who grow a collection of border 

 varieties will thus have good chrysanthemums from early Septembn 



The best result has been obtained on sandy or gravelly 



o^io, aim »*» such cases the crop is in many inst 



while the cooking qualities are in every way excellent Our own soil is 

 sandy, and we had a very good crop ; in fact, the best we have ever 

 had. The ground is comparatively new, having been cultivated only 

 four years, previous to which it was grazed for upwards of forty years. 

 With the view to ascertaining if any more trustworthy variety could be 

 grown than the Champion for the general crop, I, as intimated last spring, 

 grew some thirty varieties, and propose now to give you the result of 

 these trials. 



First on the list is the old Cottager's Red, a variety seldom grown, as 

 far as my observations go. This is every year a first-rate cooker, and 

 of good cropping quality. Early Puritan came next, with an enormous 

 crop of tubers, which, when cooked, were like balls of flour ; I should 

 pronounce this variety the very best that cottagers could grow for the 

 earliest supply. An unusual occurrence last season with Myatt's Ashleaf 

 and Old Ashleaf was, that the tubers, though plentiful, were miserably 

 small, and of wretched quality when cooked. Both of these varieties can 

 generally be relied on in gardens, but my experience of them as a field 

 crop has not been particularly encouraging. Sutton's Ringleader, under 

 similar culture, produced a very fine crop of tubers, but unfortunately 

 the produce was of indifferent quality. Imperator produced a very fine 

 crop everwhere, though those grown in the field were somewhat in- 

 ferior, but those that were grown in the garden were all that could be 

 desired. I hear some complaints of this variety as being too sweet in 

 flavour. That popular variety in this locality with cottagers, viz., 

 r lounder, I grew this year for the first time, and cannot too strongly con- 

 demn it ; it was the first diseased, and that badly ; it is a very poor 

 cropper, and of wretched cooking qualities. Dreadnought, a variety 

 sent me a few years ago by Messrs. Daniels Bros., had a very fine 

 crop ; but what was to me a new experience is that they are bad in 

 quality when cooked. Another variety sent out by the Norwich firm is 

 Remarkable, which produced the heaviest crop of enormous potatos I 

 have yet seen; they must also take first rank for cooking qualitv. The 

 Daniels, from the same source, as its name denotes, has always proved a 

 decided success m the gardens, and in the field this year it produced 

 a very fine crop, but of poor quality when cooked. Universal and 

 Table King, two more kinds sent me by the Messrs. Daniels, prove two 

 sterling varieties in every way, and I can strongly recommend them both. 



^harpe s Victor produced an excellent crop of potatos of first rate 

 quality. Beauty of lute is an excellent cropping variety of second-rate 

 cooking quality. Main Crop I saw last year in county Kildare, pro- 

 ducing an enormous crop of the finest potatos I ever tasted, they were 

 grown on clay soil over lime stone ; on the strength of their fine condition 



ITl Jr\Z f y ea 1 ulth u but v <*yP°or success, the tubers being 

 small and of inferior quality when cooked. I regret to have to chronicle 

 a similar report of King of the Russets. When I purchased eed of his 

 ; riety last spring its rough skin excited my admiration and expectation 

 to the highest pitch, but, alas, I was doomed to disappointment Dunbar 

 Kegent produced an enormous crop of potatos of second-rate cooking 



8S ve'r h™e^ pr ™£ a r f ,iab,e in £*l - — - ~« «■ — ~ — - - 



vh™ SmaI1 bu * P lentlful > while their quality extreme usefulness at this time, especially where flowers have to be se:: 



txcdltm ^ ,? Utt0n,S Trium P h > anally an * distance. Chrysanthemums pack so well and do not suffer fro- <* 



excellent table potato, produced an excellent crop, but indifferent in ; u m " * ' ' 



qua ,ty Holborn Abundance produced an enormous crop, buVtheTweie 

 badly diseased ^generally this variety is of poor quality here " re u 

 ion I felt sure it would maintain in '97, but to my sSrprS h E 



HP FT«£ aaewsft Sag 



baSons 'Vaner'fcISdfin iSCaSe " t0 ™ d * T it ^ ,mOSt use 'is here in 



Snowball from the same firm '. hLl 5?Ju th,S £ Car f ° r ^ e fir , st time ■ also k«**m cioseiy togetner, ana owing 10 me niuuw. «. 



of average-s ™ed tube "the u'ual? rfafiSff ' P roduc ? d _? crop each plant carries, air and sunshine are not able to do their part ,n£ 



satisfactory. A round red seedl S whth i T* "u™ C °° ked bein * ver y fCCtmg the S rowth ' and hence the mildew soon works mischief bjr£ 



, J . . 11 *- u ^<-uung wnicn I nave been nursing far <mmr> Qtrm,,n ' f 1 - • ~ • » r\ >u ****** w 



£ .»«• •->"« i( » *» no, improve V°Sv 



onwards for five months, and they are always useful. The single-flowered 

 sorts are particularly desirable grown in this way, and well repay cot 

 siderable attention. They also are well adapted for growing in six-ind 

 pots from late spring cuttings. Besides these and the Japanese varieties 

 there are one or two very pretty sorts with deeply-cut or tasselled florets, 

 of which Mrs. Filkins is one of the best ; and also the pompon varieties 

 which deserve to be more extensively grown. A nicely-arranged bask* 

 of the charming little white" pompon, Snowdrop, was awarded a first 

 prize at the Royal Aquarium last November. 



Especial qualities in the varieties grown for small flowers are good 

 colours, particularly in white, crimson, yellow, and bronze shades ; dwarf 

 habit of growth and stout stems, which support the flowers well and wiA 

 good foliage ; then also freedom in flowering and in growth. A selectiot 

 for growing in pots, that will carry on a succession of flowers, is 

 the order of the names given, from the middle of October, are, of Japanese 

 Lady Fitzwygram, Wm. Holmes, Lady Selborne, Wm. Robinson, R 

 Shoesmith, Source d'Or, Mrs. Filkins, Tokio, Niveus, Golden Dart, W. ft 

 Lincoln, Golden Gem, L. Canning, Princess Blanche ; and of singles Kate 

 Williams, Gold Star, Mayblossom, Purity, Framfield Beauty, Mary 

 Anderson, Fanny Agate, and Mrs. D. B. Crane are well worth growing. 

 Those named are all good, and though many more might be mentioned 

 for November and December flowering, I think a limited selection is 

 likely to be most useful. Of the late ones Golden Gem, Princess Blanche, 

 and L. Canning are all in good condition with us now (January 31). 

 is impossible to speak too highly of Golden Gem, as it comes in so fdl 

 at Christmas, and is a good keeper. It seems most necessary to make 

 an effort to grow those which bloom at this late period in larger quantities. 



because of the limited choice in variety of flowers for cutting, and their 

 " • *« • ~ * -^seflt 



cold 



~ ; 1 uyntia KJLSJ tXl L1J1D 11 11 J t Ul lilt* ^Cdl. 



It is no advantage to strike cuttings later than January of these 



naturally late varieties. They require a full season's growth, and shouM 



not be pinched later than the second week in June. It is mosc import* 



too, that the growths should be well matured ; and though liberal feefff 



is required through the summer months, this should be reduced dunjj 



September somewhat to avoid a grossness in the shoots which are v# 



likely to ripen. When the buds are well formed the feeding may * 



resumed. Mildew is a frpni,f>nt rausp nf fnilm-p. mnre or less. The pl»» 



growt* 



stroying the leaves, during" September especially. Otherwise * 

 cultivation of chrysanthemums as bush plants is extremely simple, tW 



they fully deserve every care 

 Trent Park Gardens. 



W, 



years 



ni»Y» • ""■"> auu 11 11 aoes n °t improve in oualitv 



Scotland, is in e e fy ^m enH H > P ? at ° ^ 1 received fro ™ 



ture here. The Sutton Flou^n a " d W °, rthy of exte ™ve cul- ======= 



S^SJ SftS 1 r ° f 4 ^ SffTiS S WieTt\VoUr a II P r dC Wi "e. -This excellent pear is in season fro. TflJ 



all the vlZ^T ^ aS ab0ve the average. I shall howevTr IZt ft" ° h ' a , nd 15 reall y one of very best late-keeping dessert varieties ! 



all the varieties ment.oned another h^„i SnaI '' now ever, give I do not know its superior at this season. Though the fruits are not N»J 



amples may be grown to a good size. The bright clear skin, covered will ijj 

 of russet, changes to pale yellow ere the fruits are ripe, and thus makes it q» 0 

 attractive dessert fruit. The tree succeeds well on the quince stock, ana m 

 abundant bearer. Like all late pears it develops its best quality when gr° - % 

 a warm wall, and the crop should be allowed to hang on the trees i a. m g 

 autumn as possible. I have no experience of this variety grown as st»n<» 



?u tra ! n u d trees> but Dr - Hog e , in his " Fruit Manual," says," The 

 and healthy, and an excellent baarer as a standard " Perhaps some of your 

 can give us their experience of trees grown in the open. The variety *» j 

 mended to me some years ago by Mr. Turton, of Maiden Erleigh, and » 



all the varieties mentioned wotbJr t r 3 SZh h ° WeVer ' 

 do not consider the past wet se^nn .l . T. g th - e c . om,n fi: season, 

 About an acre and la h'\ (oT^^nlfrt Cnten ° n - 



produced an excellen cron of ^ oId , Cham P ,on wer * grown, and 

 the seed was from Kilkee co Cla?I ^V^^T Som * of 



smallest, and of the thre^otV^'A^ 1 the tubers from these were the 



cook 



in 

 been 



best 



ry good in every way : but 



""'r ,,u,n ronarshire ast snrinir tuI • i 



nothing to be desired, and I S it SiJ&SjT. lh 



ese left 



ould pay anyone to import at 



Park Gardens* 



usefulness as 



