December 20, 18S3. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
535 
wer ,® ^f ee fr° m any abrasion of the cuticle, or injury by which the disease 
cb' 1 en * :ere( ^ the substance of the tubers without penetrating the 
• tn ‘ -la® control tubers were kept for several weeks, but evinced no 
igns ot disease. These experiments would not have been mentioned 
at i not been recently re-asserted that the disease could not be 
communicated in this way. 
II. High-Moulding Experiments.— Experiment No. 1.—Mr. John Kidd 
b - tT r °J\ 0f M T att ’ s Prolific with thirty-eight plauts in each, one of 
w ic e high-moulded on July i5th at my suggestion. On August 17th 
o rows were lifted; 5 per cent, of the row with the ordinary moulding 
weie lseased, but in the high-moulded row no diseased tuber was found. 
—P° ur plants of Porter’s Excelsior were high- 
mou ded m Mr. J. Thompson’s garden on July 14th. The next four plants 
in l c row were left moulded in the ordinary way. On August 1st disease 
was general in this garden ; August 18th Potatoes lifted by Mr. Thompson 
and nmelf with the following result:— 
Ordinary Moulding. 
High-Moulding. 
Sound. 
_ 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
46 
. 
5 
41 
0 
. Experiment No. 3. — Eight plants of Elephant in the same garden, 
high-moulded at the same time, lifted on the same day as in the previous 
experiment. 
Ordinary Moulding. 
High-Moulding. 
Sound. 
. 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
49 
10 
89 
0 
Experiment No. 4.—Four plants of Beauty of Hebron, No disease 
in either high or ordinary moulding. 
Experiment No. 5.—Eight plants of Ashleaf, four in one row, four in 
another row. 
Ordinary Moulding. 
High-Moulding. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
54 
13 
85 
0 
Experiment No. 6.—Twelve plants of American Rose, four plants in 
three rows, high-moulded, as compared with the four adjoining plants 
grown with the ordinary moulding. 
Ordinary Moulding. 
High-Moulding. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
76 
13 
84 
1 
Experiment No. 7.—In the foregoing experiments high-moulding 
compared very favourably with ordinary moulding, but if high-moulding 
be the true cause of this freedom from disease it should compare more 
favourably still with plants that have not been moulded at all. There is 
another point upon which I wished to satisfy myself, which was this—If 
the Potatoes had been left longer in the ground would the disease have 
travelled down the stem to them ? Four plants of the Beauty of Hebron 
were high-moulded on July 14th to the extent of fuU 5 inches, the four 
plants next to them had never been moulded at all. In due course 
Peronospora appeared upon these Potatoes, but it was not until not only 
was the foliage destroyed, but long after this, when most of the stalks 
had vanished, that the Potatoes were lifted on (September 19th). This 
experiment was made in the Vineyard, West Lynn, by Mr. S. Castle and 
myself. 
Not Moulded at all. 
High-Moulded. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
54 
65 
107 
0 
These figures speak for themselves as to the effect of high-moulding 
as a preventive against the Potato disease. 
Tabular Statement of the Results of High-Moulding, Showing the 
Number of Sound and Diseased Tubers respectively :— 
Kind of Potato. 
High 
Moulding. 
Ordinary 
Mouldin g. 
Per-centage of 
Diseased Tubers. 
Sound. 
Diseased. 
Sound. 
| Diseased. 
High 
Moulding. 
Ordinary 
Moulding. 
Per cent 
Fer cent 
Porter’s Excelsior .. 
41 
46 
5 
, , 
10 
Elephant. 
21 
30 
81 
20 
Elephant. 
18 
19 
2) 
Beauty of Hehron .. 
. . 
, . 
. . 
, c 
. * 
Ashleaf .. ., 
26 
34 
•■1 
24 
Ashleaf. 
59 
20 
13 3 
American Rose .. .. 
26 
26 
6 ) 
r 
American Rose .. 
29 
1 
21 
4 
1 
■i 
17 
American Rose .. 
29 
•• 
29 
3) 
—Charles B. Plowright, King's Lynn, December 10th. 
STRAWBERRY FORCING. 
Strawberry forcers will now be thinking of starting their first batch 
of plants into growth. At this early season the slower the start the better 
the finish ; in fact, all through the forcing season it is best to start slowly. 
Different growers have different systems in the position of the pots. Some 
stand the pots on the bare shelves, others on turves, and some place the 
pots in saucers to save watering, which is time gained at the expense of 
the flavour of the fruit. The turves have certainly something in the 
system to recommend it, but I think the bare shelves are the best, where 
the plants are well looked after as regards watering. Strawberry plants 
should not on any account ever be allowed to become dry, or deformed 
fruit, red spider, and mildew in abundance will result. 
If good fruit is desired the crowns should be well ripened. A tem¬ 
perature of 45 p is quite sufficient at first, to be raised to 50° to 55° by the 
time the plants are in bloom. At the early season they should be care¬ 
fully supplied with water at a temperature a few degrees warmer than the 
house. Keep the house well ventilated on all favourable occasions, but do- 
not let the plants be exposed to a cold draught, or mildew will soon 
appear. As the flowers expand do not have the atmosphere too moist, or 
the result will be that the flowers will set badly. The aim of the 
cultivator should be to keep the pollen dry. At midday give the flowers 
a gentle shake, it will help to disperse the pollen. Some gardeners dust 
the flowers with a camel-hair brush or bunch of feathers. But a gentle- 
shake I have found sufficient to insure a good set. Of course later batches 
do not require this, only abundance of air, as probably when the earliest 
plants are in bloom the outside temperature is not in a condition to 
allow ventilation, which is the reason we have to resort to artificial means 
to assist fertilisation. 
After the blossoms have set well thin them to about eight, which are 
quite sufficient if good fruit is expected. Keep the plants then in a night 
temperature of 60° to 65°, with a corresponding rise by day. At this stage- 
give them liquid manure about every alternate watering, until the fruit 
commences colouring freely, when it should be discontinued, or the flavour 
of the fruit will he impaired. For later batches, as the season advances, 
and after the fruit is set and thinned, a good syringing when the house 
is closed on fine days will be beneficial. Keep them well aired, and by no 
means ever let them become dry. Through the months of March, April, 
and May they will need water in abundance, using more liquid manure 
than for the earliest batches. The fruit should be propped up after it has 
set to keep it clean, and for insuring a better colour. Strawberries will 
not stand hurrying before the fruit is set on any account; but after it is 
set hasten them as fast as is needed to get them in by a certain time. If 
green fly should appear, as it sometimes will do just about the blooming 
stage, fumigate, but before the plants are in bloom.—A. Young. 
THE INSECT ENEMIES OF OUE GAEDEN CEOPS. 
THE CARROT. 
If we examine those bunches of Carrots which are commonly 
displayed in the markets and shops it is observable how frequently 
the roots bear traces of what is called “ rust,” although they must 
have been grown under very different circumstances, pointing to the 
wide prevalence of the insect known as the Carrot fly, indicating 
also, it might be said, that the injury done by the maggot is some¬ 
times only of a partial character. Undoubtedly this species heads 
the list of the foes of the Carrot, for to that plant it is specially 
attached. The Latin name, however (Psila Rosse), reminds us that 
it has been taken infesting the Rose, a plant of dissimilar habit and 
order. The peculiar reddish brown colour, which shows itself upon 
the places bitten, has led to the word “rust” being transferred from 
