394 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November 3 , 1881 . 
with roots, and then it must be supplied in a weak state al¬ 
ternately with clear water. Nothing is better than that made 
from cow manure and soot and used in a clear state. The 
latter stimulates the plants quickly and brings out the beautiful 
marbled markings of their foliage. 
It is surprising what a lengthened supply of flowers can be 
produced from one good batch of plants all raised at the same 
time. This is accomplished by bringing them into heat suc- 
cessionally, and keeping the remaining portion of the stock 
cool until wanted. I am inclined to believe that those w r ho 
grow one good batch of plants in the time and manner de¬ 
scribed, will not trouble further with growing old plants a 
second year. 
Those who have small plants from seed sown late will do 
well to remove any flowers that may appear, and keep the 
plants slowly growing in heat through the winter. By follow¬ 
ing the details given above the small plants will develope 
into grand specimens ready for next autumn and winter 
flowering. — W. Bardney. 
POTATO TRIALS AT GIRTFORD IN 1881. 
On the 9th April I planted on a piece of light sandy loam in 
the Experimental Garden trial rows of thirty-six varieties of some 
of the most distinct of the older and several of the newer sorts of 
Potatoes, both early and late kinds. The ground was unmanured, 
but had been trenched the previous year, and the sets were placed 
in drills, which were filled in with a mixture of burnt rubbish, to 
which I added about four bushels of soot to the load ; 2 lbs. per 
chain of Clay’s special Potato fertiliser was also sown in the drills, 
omitting some intervening duplicate rows. The seed consisted 
of selected fair-sized sets, with the exception of Reading Hero, 
Woodstock Kidney, Wormleighton’s Seedling, and two or three 
others, the seed of which I found it necessary to economise in 
order to complete the rows, and of these sorts small cut sets with 
mostly a single eye only were used. The drills for the early va¬ 
rieties were drawn 2 feet apart, and those for the later and vigorous 
growers 3 feet apart. Of several of the varieties additional inter¬ 
vening rows were planted without the fertiliser. The objects of 
my trials were, 1, To ascertain the sorts best suited to the soil of 
the locality ; 2, To enable me to cross-fertilise the best varieties ; 
and 3, To test the value of Clay’s special Potato manure or ferti¬ 
liser. Many of the early varieties ripened off somewhat prema¬ 
turely during the hot weather of July without having had sufficient 
rain from the time of planting to develope a good crop. Single 
roots were tried from time to time, but I did not lift the bulk 
until the 5t,h of October, when the late sorts were ready, in order 
that I might the better compare results. 
I found but little difference in the produce of varieties where whole 
or cut sets were used. For instance, the crops of Wormleighton’s 
Seedling, for which small-cut sets were used, and of Magnum 
Bonum from whole sets, were about equal, both being very heavy ; 
in other respects the two varieties appear exactly similar. The 
heaviest crops in the trials were obtained from these. The effect 
of the special fertiliser on the early sorts as compared with the 
same varieties planted without it was hardly perceptible, but in 
the late varieties the difference was very marked ; and although 
I was unable to weigh the produce, I found from the bulk which 
was removed in market baskets that the rows of the later sorts 
manured with the fertiliser were on an average 50 per cent, iu 
excess of those not treated with it; the result confirming the 
opinion I had already formed from previous practice—that arti¬ 
ficial manures in dry weather are of comparatively little use for 
the particular crop for which they are intended, although their 
value as adding some unconsumed fertilising matter to the soil for 
future use is important, and sometimes very perceptible in future 
years. The early Potatoes, which were ripe before the autumn 
rains saturated the ground, were almost entirely free from disease, 
the only exceptions being in the case of a few of the American 
sorts, in which disease had probably been present in the sets. 
The earliest and best of the early varieties was a medium-sized 
kidney sent to me as Fenn’s Early Kidney, and which I believe to 
be Early Market. The haulm is very short, and it may evidently 
be more profitably grown in rows closer than 2 feet apart. The 
tubers averaged nearly as large as those of Rivers’ Ashleaf, and 
the produce in quantity quite equal to it. Giant King, usually 
much diseased, but this season especially free from it, was very 
fine. The same remark applies to Early Shaw, which used to be 
grown a good deal in this district for market purposes, but is now 
almost displaced by the American Rose and others of its type, as 
they are heavier croppers and are good for sale right through the 
Potato season. King Noble I consider inferior to Giant King and 
Early Shaw. Beauty of Hebron has maintained its position as 
the best of the early American varieties, its handsome tubers and 
paler skin giving it an advantage in the market over the Rose, 
whilst in quality and quantity of produce it is at least equal to 
the Rose. Red and coloured Potatoes are not, however, popular 
in the market; and if the white sport from Beauty of Hebron 
proves to be as productive as its coloured type it will be a material 
advance. International Kidney was not equal to its usual size, 
but the quality when cooked was excellent. Disease was, how¬ 
ever, largely present at the lifting. 
Schoolmaster was handsome, even-sized, large and prolific, with 
few diseased tubers. The quality and flavour off the dry sandy 
loam was very good, and I look upon this variety as one of the 
best light-land market Potatoes of recent introduction, and one 
which when more extensively known will displace some of the 
older round whites. Porter’s Excelsior was small, and, as usual, 
much diseased. It is very much like a Potato I had for nearly 
twenty years under the name of Parker’s Ashleaf, and of which 
I could rarely save more than seed again. Snowflake and Swan’s 
Egg, two varieties of the same type and not much dissimilar, were 
both very handsome and of fair size, but both cooked heavy, hard, 
and waxy. Pride of America is certainly distinct from Snowflake, 
as it is of larger size, of better quality, and the colour a light 
lemony white. Taken altogether it appears to me to be one of 
the best, if not the best, of the new American sorts. Covent 
Garden Perfection did not reach the standard here which has 
been adjudged it by public opinion. The quality was first-rate, 
but both in size of tuber and produce it was far below many 
others, although the sets were of full size. It was not much 
affected by disease. Woodstock Kidney, on the other hand, from 
small-cut sets gave large, and, where not grown out, handsome 
tubers. The quality is good, and although fully one-half the 
tubers were diseased the produce was amongst the heaviest. 
Grampian as a coloured round has good appearance and came 
of even size, but was much diseased ; indeed this variety has 
especially suffered in this respect during the past three years at 
Girtford, and has not justified the recommendation of the Com¬ 
mittee as a profitable light-land Potato for growth in Ireland. 
Trophy came large and handsome, and fairly free from disease. 
The quality of this and the next I have not yet ascertained. Vicar 
of Laleham, a very large and handsome purplish-red round variety, 
was the largest of all; and although three or four tubers to a root 
was about the average, the bulk was very heavy and it was but 
little diseased. Matchless and White Mountain are both large 
and handsome white roundish flat varieties, the latter being the 
largest white in the batch, but both were very much diseased. 
Reading Abbey is a good-quality white round Potato of some¬ 
what vigorous growth, but the tubers were considerably affected 
by disease. The largest and best of the Lapstone type is Lady 
Godiva, but here again disease tells yearly a constant and con¬ 
spicuous tale. Magnum Bonum and Wormleighton’s Seedling were 
both very free from disease, and both are strong growers, ripening 
at the same time, very ugly and much grown out, and as I have 
stated before, not here perceptibly distinct. Scotch Champion 
plauted at the same time was this year considerably diseased and 
has changed places with Magnum Bonum, which during the two 
previous seasons has not withstood the disease nearly so well as 
Champion. Champions are much grown out where planted early, 
but where late planted are in much better form and freer from 
disease. The crop was large from the trial row. 
The most serviceable Potato for winter use I believe will be 
Suttons’ Reading Hero, as the quality is first-rate, the produce 
very heavy, and not a single diseased tuber, although the foliage 
was affected. It is a very vigorous grower, the stem almost wood 
when ripe ; it must have ample space. The only objection to it— 
and that, I may fairly say, a temporary one, for it is doubtless the 
result of the exceptional season—is that the tubers were a little 
grown out, but not so much so as Magnum Bonum or Champion. 
If others have found Reading Hero as free from disease as it was 
here it will be the most valuable introduction we have lately had. 
It is a round, slightly flat, and elongated variety ; eyes not very 
deep, and comes in late. The flesh is light and floury, but suffi¬ 
ciently firm without being so waxy as Champion. 
From the newly or recently introduced sorts my selection as 
the most useful for general purposes would be the following five 
—viz., Beauty of Hebron, Schoolmaster, Pride of America, Wood- 
stock Kidney, and Reading Hero. 
The results of cross-fertilisation were not very encouraging, and 
from upwards of one hundred crosses, or attempted crosses, I shall 
have to be content with some half dozen berries. One only from 
Champion crossed by Victoria, and the only fruit I have ever had 
from Champion, I shall watch with some interest, as the produce 
