Potatoes 
Last year, almost everywhere, in this country and abroad the 
potato crop was a complete failure. The following short articles from 
The Gardeners' Chronicle may help toward better results this year. 
Seed Potatoes. — Select and place in single layers all seed-tubers 
necessary for next season's potato crop. Moderate-sized tubers are 
best. Those for planting early should be carefully set up on end in 
shallow trays or boxes, and allowed to sprout in a moderately cool 
place before they are planted. Sprouting the sets has considerable 
advantages, for it ensures a better development of the plants and a 
greater weight of produce. It is advisable to procure a change of seed 
each season; at least half the quantity of tubers required for planting 
should be obtained from a distance. It is important that all tubers 
intended for planting be stored in a cool, well-ventilated place until 
they are required. 
J. Dunn, Foreman, Royal Gardens, Windsor. 
Freshly-Turned Land and the Potato. — Very much has been, 
and is being, written to-day in the gardening and daily press upon this 
dual subject; but seldom is there any mention of the particular food 
required by the potato — potash. In prepared manurial form this 
fertilizer is admittedly difficult to obtain, but we have it in a rougher 
degree in old leaves and wood ashes obtained from burnt prunings. 
What is of paramount importance just now is the fact that quite near 
to much of the land to be broken up are quantities of these old leaves 
in ditches, among trees and lying alongside fences. May I advise 
those having the above work to superintend or who are breaking it up 
themselves to seize what is to be had of such material and work it in 
the trench as digging or trenching proceeds? The wood ashes can 
also be applied now likewise or scattered over the surface freshly dug, 
or, as I prefer, kept back until the spring and scattered over the ground 
just before cropping time. 
C. Turner, Highgate. 
The Bulletin 
of the Arnold Arboretum 
Enclosed in this issue of The Bulletin you will find a subscription 
blank for the Bulletin of the Arnold Arboretum. That we should 
take it upon ourselves to introduce this publication to Garden Club 
members seems rather presumptuous, a little like bringing the moun- 
