April 6, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
277 
D. fimbriatum, and the orange-brown D. fuscatum, which has 
fine long racemes of flowers, must also be mentioned as amongst 
the most distinct. 
The Australian Species. —Several very distinct Dendrobes 
have been introduced from Australia, most of which are handsome, 
but rather difficult to grow successfully, or rather to flower freely. 
Perhaps the charming D. superbiens is scarcely equalled in this sec¬ 
tion, as its flowers, possessing a distinct yet attractive rosy hue, and 
being borne in long racemes, render it very showy. D. bigibbum 
and the far superior variety superbum, a flower of which is shown 
in fig. 55, page 2S1, is another handsome Orchid, bearing broad 
bright rosy flowers in racemes from the apex of the stem. This 
species was originally found by Dr. Thomson upon Mount Adol¬ 
phus, Torres Strait, on the north-east coast of New Holland, and 
is one of Mr. G. Loddiges’ numerous introductions to the plant 
collections of England. Owing, however, to the higher tempe- 
Fig. 51.—Deudrobium clirysotis. (See page 276.) 
rature of the locality in which it is found it does not thrive 
in such cold quarters as the other Australian forms. It is best 
grown in a pit in a compost of peat and sphagnum, and it may 
be either grown in the Dendrobium house or in the cool end of 
the East Indian house. Many others might be named, but the 
above two are the best of this section, though D. teretifolium is 
pretty with its branching spikes of small white flowers, and 
D. Kingianum is worth a place among the curiosities. 
To complete this very brief review of a large and handsome 
genus some reference to the hybrids which have been obtained is 
needed, but notes on these must be deferred to a future issue.— 
L. Castle. 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO. 
I have frequently written in this Journal upon this subject, 
both to try to impart information, and more frequently to acquire 
it. The Potato is an important crop in this country, and we are, 
both on the farm and garden, comparatively extensive growers ; 
therefore everything that conduces to success deserves serious 
consideration. The writer, “ Single-handed,” though he claims 
“ to speak with a decision to which he is entitled from expe¬ 
rience,” propounds some views on this subject (page 240) to 
which I cannot assent, and a further reference to which may be 
judicious from others as well as myself. Unfortunately I am just 
now very busy both in gardening and farming, and can only 
draw attention to the points I noted as I read the very intelligent 
article alluded to. “ Hardly any other garden crop is so badly 
treated in the matter of manuring and preparation of the soil.” 
I know Ireland well, England north and south, and even France, 
and cannot agree with this. Your correspondent has a soil 8 or 
9 inches deep, with a “ subsoil impenetrable, rusty, sandy, and 
clayey,” and with a “ strong pick he would break up this sub¬ 
soil by trenching and wheeling to the other end.” I merely 
requote this to say I would prefer making use of my 8 or 9 inches 
of soil and leave such a subsoil alone. When I was a pupil 
at the Government Farming and Gardening Institute at Glas- 
nevin, a whole field with such a subsoil was trenched at a 
very large expenditure, and with disastrous results to the suc¬ 
ceeding crop. If any of your readers should be tempted to try 
such an experiment, let it be done gradually, and with extreme 
caution. 
I cannot speak from experience of “ sulphate of potash sprinkled 
over ordinary manure some months before using” as compared 
with “ ordinary manure alone,” but the point is worth the at¬ 
tention of some of your other correspondents. And I would make 
a similar remark as to the use of “ cows’ urine.” Is it liquid 
manure from the cow-byre is meant ? and what are the “chemi¬ 
cals ” to be applied before planting ? “ Seed Potatoes should, 
whenever possible, be spread in an airy shed thinly.” I pre¬ 
sume, in the absence of any explanation in the context, this does 
not mean during such winters or early springs as that of 1880 or 
1881, because I have seen tons destroyed for any purpose so 
treated. Even to prevent sprouting, to which I recently drew 
attention in the Journal, such advice should be very cautiously 
adopted. I should not put Potatoes, thinly or otherwise, in 
an airy open shed, and our climate is evidently much milder 
than that of your correspondent. As to sets, he says, " most 
growers leave two or more eyes—why, nobody knows.” Your 
correspondent may rest assured that many do know, and his 
admission that “ most growers ” adopt the custom should make 
him cautious in the assertion. Relative to “ thinning out the 
stems with the view of having a few large tubers,” thousands of 
persons prefer medium-sized tubers. Large tubers, in several 
varieties, are hollow, and not well flavoured. I did not think 
there was any part of the British Islands where “ it is foolish to 
plant the earliest variety before April.”—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
[“ Single-handed ” did not remove the subsoil and wheel it to 
the “other end,” as appears to be implied in this communication.] 
CULINARY VARIETIES OF APPLES. 
The Apple is so pre-eminently the chief all-the-year-round 
fruit that I think the pages of the Journal may, perhaps, find 
room for a few more notes on the subject of the Apple election. 
The soil on which my trees are grown is deep and somewhat stiff, 
but for the most part efficiently drained. It is on the southern 
slope of a range of Surrey hills, at an elevation of several hundred 
feet above the sea. 
Among cooking Apples our favourite is Stirling Castle. The 
tree bears abundantly year after year, and with us does not 
canker. The fruit is large, symmetrical, and handsome, juicy, 
and well flavoured. We have just used the last of our supply, so 
that it is a good keeper. All our friends who have seen it, both 
on and off the tree, have been struck with its uncommon beauty 
of form and its pearly unblemished skin. It cannot fail before 
long to find its way into most gardens. 
Duchess of Oldenburg is equally prolific, and, with its rounded 
form, good size, and its painted crimson cheeks and peach-like 
bloom, is perhaps the handsomest of Apples. It cooks well, and 
is considered by us delicious and tender for dessert. It was good 
the jjrst week in December, when our stock was exhausted. Our 
trees do not canker. An espalier of this tree laden with deep- 
coloured blossom or ripening fruit attracts every passer-by. 
The Emperor Alexander has many of the good qualities of the 
last-described Apple, but with us is not so constant a bearer. 
New Hawthornden is prolific, the fruit large and of fine flavour. 
We had an excellent tart from it the last week in February. 
Betty Geeson also has a red cheek, and cooks and keeps well ; it 
is fertile, as a rule, but sometimes misses a year. 
Reinette de Canada, whether as pyramid or espalier, bears 
regularly and freely every year ; one of its handsome fruits is 
before me, and measures 10 inches round. It is good for the 
kitchen. Some of our party have eaten it to-day (March 25th) 
for dessert, and pronounce it tender, sweet, and of good flavour, 
although perhaps a little dry from age. The trees show a slight 
tendency to canker. Dumelow’s Seedling is fertile and vigorous, 
and with us, so far, has not cankered. The appearance and good 
qualities of its fruit are well known. Our rather large stock is, 
without an exception, still sound, with every appearance of con¬ 
tinuing so for some time to come. The grateful acidity of this 
Apple is characteristic, but otherwise it is not, perhaps, of such 
high flavour as some other late varieties. 
That genial correspondent of the Journal, the “ Wiltshire 
Rector,” who “touches nothing that he does not make interest- 
