JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 6, 1884. 
some districts, and is a very heavy cropper, but with us is much 
liable to disease, and is discarded. Vicar of Laleham was one of 
the sorts most in demand last season, and as a purple round is much 
liked on the exhibition table, and no doubt will again be much grown 
for that purpose. On heavy soil it is much liable to disease, and is 
besides coarse and poor in qualit}’. Schoolmaster did not do so well 
as usual last season, and if we had more really good rounds for 
exhibition purposes would be wholly discarded. On strong land it 
is apt to become scarred and mis-shapen. If pains are taken not to 
damage the first strong sprout of the Lapstone, and also in well 
working the ground for it, this variety rarely fails to perfect heavy 
crops of handsome good-cooking tubers. 
Among exhibition sorts Lapstone is still one of the best, and 
those w T ho hold a good stock of it need not bother with such pre¬ 
sumably distinct sorts as Yorkshire Hero, Devonshire Kidney, Lady 
Paget, Perfection Kidney, and Magnet. All these I admit will, 
under fairly good cultivation, yield good crops of the most handsome 
tubers imaginable, but in every respect bear a close resemblance to 
Lapstone. I ought, perhaps, to except Magnet, but this differs only 
in that the tubers are not so beautifully white as the Lapstone. 
Prizetaker and American Purple are almost certain to produce many 
handsome tubers, and they are of good quality, but much liable to 
disease. Trophy, a red kidney’-, is liable to be wholly destroyed by 
disease, and is worthless for table purposes. Snowflake (synonym, 
Pride of America) was always a favourite with me, but here it 
becomes diseased badly, and it forms a handsome dish, though poor in 
quality. 
Adirondach, a rather coarse red round, crops heavily, and fairly 
handsome tubers can be selected from it ; but Triumph, which it 
rather resembles, is superior to it. Beauty of Kent, when I first 
grew it, was good, now it is simply worthless. International Kidney 
I also find worthless in this soil. Woodstock Kidney and Sutton’s 
Favourite are both fine for exhibition purposes, and Harlequin is a 
pretty neat-growing round. Ashtop Fluke is a fairly good sort. 
Other exhibition varieties I have grown at different times, and which 
are fit for that purpose only are Blanchard, Badstock Beauty, 
McKinlay’s Pride, Manhattan, Model, Red Emperor, Porter’s Ex¬ 
celsior, Grampian, and Garibaldi. 
Potatoes being so plentiful less fresh seed most probably will be 
bought, but change of seed is always desirable, especially if this be 
effected before the first strong sprouts of the kidney’s are formed. 
Many’ will perhaps be in a position to purchase some »f the newer 
sorts for trial, and this proceeding I strongly recommend, as by so 
doing they may obtain something that on their particular soil may 
prove very profitable and good.—W. Iggulden. 
DIGGING. 
Mr. Inglis on page 162 has contributed a very useful “chapter fo r 
beginners,” for it is an undoubted fact, strange as it may appear, that 
many young gardeners do not know how to dig. A gardener to gain the 
respect of the men who may be employed under him must not only be 
able to tell them what to do, but to show them how to do whatever work 
may be in hand. There are numbers of young men engaged in gardens 
who have no opportunity for learning how to use the spade and other 
implements. Their endeavour is to get into “ the houses ” as soon as 
possible, and then their desire would appear to remain there as long as 
they can. This is a mistake. Every person intending to be a gardener 
should be able to do every kind of outdoor work, and to do it as well as 
it can be done by anyone else—indeed better. That should be the aim 
of all. 
There are numbers of persons hoping to be gardeners who are not 
only quite unable to handle the spade in a workmanlike manner, but if 
they were sent to turn over a piece of ground they would not know where 
to begin, and this your correspondent has omitted to tell them. After 
being dug, the surface of the ground should be level, not smooth, which 
is quite another matter, but devoid of mounds and hollows. These may 
be plentiful enough before the work is commenced, but they should never 
be seen afterwards. 
The easiest and simplest of all methods of leaving the ground so level 
that, if a straight-edge were laid across it, it would rest on every clod, is 
to commence in the lowest place, and work from the hollows up the hills. 
The lower parts should always be in advance of the higher, and thus 
wrong will be found in a great measure to right itself. No matter where 
the lowest point may be, whether at a side, end, corner, or in the middle, 
begin there and finish at the highest point. In a piece of ground already 
level the digging may be straight across, as directed on the page quoted, 
but otherwise the configuration of the surface must be considered, and 
the work conducted on the principle of always keeping the lower parts 
well in advance, and the higher may then be left to take care of itself.— 
An Old Hand. 
The Cup.rant-bud Mite. —I have read with much interest your 
article on the Black Currant pest. I think it was in 1869 I sent to the 
Rev. M. J. Berkeley a small branch from one of my Black Currant bushes, 
asking him to tell me the disease from which they were suffering, adding 
I should feel greatly obliged if he could suggest a cure. He at once 
wrote asking me to forward more branches. I did so, and in due time he 
wrote and told me the bushes were suffering from some kind of Phytoptus, 
advising me to destroy my plants. I had them at once taken up and 
burnt. In the autumn I obtained from a friend at Louth some fine Black 
Currant plants perfectly free from the pest. These did well for eight 
years, then the pest was so bad I destroyed them. I then planted some 
bushes free from pest against a north wall. I send by this post some 
branches. The garden adjoining the vicarage premises has an abundance 
of Black Currant bushes sadly diseased.— A. Fitch, Bedale. 
[The specimens received are infested with Phytoptus Ribis, which we 
regret to learn is so prevalent in the north.] 
THE BEST ADIANTUMS. 
It is quite unnecessary to give any minute cultural details for 
these favourite plants, as they are by no means fastidious in their 
requirements. Good soil is essential, thorough drainage and plenty 
of moisture when growing, and when the pots are well filled with 
roots weak liquid manure may be given -with advantage. Good yellow 
fibrous loam two parts, peat and leaf soil making up the other two 
parts, with a good addition of sharp sand, will form an excellent com¬ 
post for them. Happily Adiantums are not much troubled with 
insects, but slugs are very fond of the young fronds, and a small 
glossy-shelled snail, named Helix alliarius on account of its smelling 
like Garlic, is very troublesome', and a diligent search must be made 
in the crown for this depredator. 
STOYE ADIANTUMS. 
A. amabile, Moore.—Named also by Mr. Baker A. Moorei. It is 
a very lovely species, with shining black stipes, and drooping ovate or 
deltoid fronds from 6 to 12 inches long, much divided, with the final 
segments roundish and entire, of a bright almost sea-green colour, 
with a delicate-looking texture. On account of its drooping character 
it is admirably adapted for basket culture, or for niches in the wall of 
the house, or for drooping over a ledge of the rockery ; but I think as 
a basket Fern it has the most charming appearance, the colour and 
habit enable us to distinguish it at a glance. The fronds are too 
fragile to be of much service in a cut state, and if they were it would 
be a pity to cut them for such purposes when the indispensable 
A. cuneatum is grown. 
A. aneitense, Carruthers. — A comparatively recent introduction 
from Aneiteum, whence it takes its specific designation. Introduced by 
Mr. William Bull. It is a noble species, producing large tri or quadri- 
pinnate fronds, deltoid or triangular in form, ultimately growing from 
12 to 24 inches long, and nearly as much across the base, with dark 
brown shining stipes ; the final divisions are from half an inch to 
1 inch long, rhomboidal with the outer margins slightly lobed, smooth ; 
the upper side deep green, the under surface somewhat glaucous. 
This is a very striking species, wuth its large arching fronds heavily 
laden -with huge bold divisions, and when grown as a specimen on the 
stage it will form an excellent permanent feature in the fernery. It 
will also rank as a good exhibition plant. 
A. Bausei, Hort.—This is a beautiful garden hybrid raised by Mr. 
Bause, and sent out by Mr. John Wills, and has become a general 
favourite. It produces tripinnate fronds upon nearly erect polished 
stipes, more or less deltoid in form, prettily drooping ; the final seg¬ 
ments, which vary greatly in outline, are also drooping, of a light given 
colour. On the rockery this has a charming appearance, also grown 
into a specimen plaut in a large pot, when it may be used for exhi¬ 
bition purposes with telling effect. This is a very striking instance of 
hybridism in Ferns ; it is said to be a cross between A. trapeziforme 
and A. decorum, and it certainly favours the assertion. 
A. cardiochlcena, Kunze.—Frequently met with under the name of 
A. polyphyllum. Native of Columbia and Peru, and known in some 
gardens for several years, but only recently very plentiful. The 
fronds are from 1 to 3 feet high, tripinnately divided, of a bright 
green colour, with a very graceful habit. It is one of the best for 
exhibiting, also for the decoration of the fernery. Planted out upon 
the rockery it presents a noble appearance, growing most luxuriantly, 
quickly forming a large mass of delicate greenery. 
A. cauclatum, Linn.—Very different from the last, producing 
drooping simply pinnate fronds from 6 to 15 inches long, the extremi¬ 
ties elongated like a cord, and rooting at the extremities, and bud- 
bearing ; and extremely pretty the plant looks when young 
plantlets are suspended from the fronds in a basket. I he 
pinnse are less than an inch long, lobed, and villose, of a greyish 
green colour, and a soft texture. I like this as a basket Fern ; no 
kind is more effective thus employed, especially in a humid atmosphere 
but of course Nature has intended it to be in such a position that the 
apices of the fronds may find a home for the buds which are there 
developed. A very pretty colouring may be had if it is planted out 
on the rockery. It is found in many parts of the eastern hemisphere, 
Ceylon, India, Cape Colony, &c. A. ciliatum and A. Edgeworthii are 
