November 10 , 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 423 
inconspicuous as possible, we think it better to have them thus. 
Vigorous luxuriance we maintain by treating the plants to plenty 
of water—no fear of overdoing it with pots so full of roots as ours 
are —and liquid manure from the sewer twice a week. It is quite 
clear, and by no means strong, but is all the better for that. Some 
time ago, when visiting some gardens in Forfarshire, we called on an 
old friend, Mr. W. Alison, at Seaview, Monifieth, who is well known 
over a wide district as one of the best of gardeners, and hardly 
equalled as a Fern-grower. The Ferns were grand examples ; so we, 
as is our manner, asked the secret. The answer was, “ There is no 
secret beyond the fact that they are liberally supplied with very 
weak liquid manure.” We came home, commenced the practice, and 
advise all your readers to “ go and do likewise.”— Edina. 
THE POTATO CROP IN IRELAND—THE CHAMPION. 
We have been taking up a considerable square of Potatoes, 
and have been noting the merits of the varieties, the produce, the 
quality, and the relative yield as compared with other years, and 
have been trying to form a general opinion from information 
procured from all sources. I had been through much of Ireland 
and England in August, and the then promise indicated by the 
Potato crop has been amply sustained, with the exception of par¬ 
ticular varieties to be immediately referred to. While as anxious 
as any (and this is the view of all intelligent gardeners and 
farmers of my acquaintance), that experiments should be made 
with new varieties so as to obtain established kinds of undoubted 
merit, I think the system pursued by Mr. Taylor of Longleat, to 
grow two or three reliable kinds for general purposes, a good one. 
I had at least twenty varieties in a small experimental plot, and 
had planted six varieties the previous autumn, as mentioned then 
in the Journal, and have come to the following conclusions, and 
it is nearly twenty years since I commenced experiments as a pupil 
at the Government Farming Institute at Glasnevin near Dublin. 
I never saw the general crop of Potatoes turn out so free from 
disease, and the oldest inhabitant has to go back to the time before 
the blight appeared, I believe in 1847, to find Potatoes selling 
in the public markets in Ireland at id. per stone as here, and less 
in other towns at present. Small Potatoes, such as are frequently 
employed for seed, from 1 to 1^ inch in diameter, I saw sold at 
2d. per stone, and so on. Now this means plenty for the humbler 
classes all over Ireland, and, as at Longleat, the general crop is 
the Champion. Not one in every thousand of this variety seems 
injured under ordinary culture in this country. This would be of 
little importance if the quality was inferior—say as bad as 
American Reds, which seems suitable for cattle-feeding. I believe 
the great test of a Potato is quality, and it is to be hoped that 
characteristic will be substituted for beauty of appearance at 
Potato exhibitions in future, while “keeping ” properties should, 
perhaps, come next. This is one of the points in which the 
Champion has caused some disappointment. I found it almost 
useless after April, owing to a tendency to become spotted darkly 
all over when cooked, though to all outward appearance quite 
sound. Though the Champion is considered and grown generally 
as a late-crop Potato, in this locality White Rock and Scotch 
Down must be grown as well to carry growers over the inter¬ 
mediate months of May and June. 
In this district the usual early and second early varieties are 
Early Rose, Ashleaf, and more generally a variety not common 
in England, called the Flounder. This last is large, flat, and 
rather soft, but comes in early and yields heavily. It is, however, 
the worst keeper I know. We have shovelled quantities out as 
manure, and a gardening friend showed me portion of a pit, a 
few days since, he intended for seed used similarly. The Magnum 
Bonum as a field crop in this locality is splendid in size and yield, 
but I am bound to say for quality or table use it is by no means 
equal to the Champion. Both are the freest from disease, though 
in several districts of Ireland a bluish-tifited late kind called the 
Skerry Blue has maintained that quality for twenty years. The 
quality for table use is, however, inferior. I agree with Mr. 
Biddell (page 381) that the Champion, at least, requires a greater 
distance asunder owing to its enormous leaf and stem-growth 
than the other varieties. If not, I am a f raid at no distant day 
degeneracy from imperfect ripening will be inevitable, and this 
would be in Ireland a national misfortune.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
Shortening Rose Shoots. — We do not know whether anyone 
has ever recommended, in the Journal of Horticulture , the shortening- 
back in autumn of strong shoots of Roses. Rose-growers invariably 
prune in spring, and in a great majority of cases that is the only 
proper time to perform the operation. Still much mischief ensues, 
especially in exposed gardens, as ours is, to Roses which are left un¬ 
shortened and unstaked till spring time. Long strong shoots amply 
furnished with strong foliage turn and twist with every blast of 
wind till many are ruined. Staking secures shoots but takes time 
(to say nothing of the stakes required), which is not always available 
when other duties press. Shortening back half way is quite as 
effective and is easily done. We invariably practise this, and the 
sight of numbers of spoilt bushes in a neighbour’s garden—spoilt by 
a furious north-easter just three days after ours were safely shortened 
—reminds us that the practice may be worth mentioning, although it 
may seem trifling to those who have not lost fine strong shoots of 
Roses by autumn gales.—N. B. 
BEGONIA SEMPERFLORENS GRANDIFLORA. 
Seeds of this were kindly sent me in the spring by Mr. Iggulden. 
They were sown in a pot filled with turfy loam and a little well- 
reduced leaf soil, the surface being made smooth, the seed distri¬ 
buted regularly, and covered with a light sprinkling of silver 
sand. The pot was placed in a hotbed and shaded to prevent 
the surface of the soil becoming dry until the seeds had ger¬ 
minated, care being taken afterwards to keep the soil constantly 
moist, as drought is fatal in a few hours to the seedlings. The 
young plants appeared in a few days, and when large enough 
to handle were potted singly in thumbs. They were returned 
to the hotbed, and when the thumb pots were filled with roots 
the plants were transferred to 4-inch pots ; at the same time 
the remainder of the plants from the seed pot were lifted and 
placed in the first instance (as they were much larger than those 
first potted) in 4-inch pots. After potting they were transferred 
to another hotbed, and from the 4-inch pots they were shifted into 
6-inch, and placed in a frame, which, though used for Melons, had 
little if aDy heat beyond that derived from the sun. 
Although the seed was sown early in April (the 6th) the plants 
were showing flower by the middle of July, and by the early part 
of August they were sufficiently in flower to admit of their 
being employed for decorative purposes. About a hundred of 
the plants in this condition were placed in a greenhouse, and in 
association with the bright-flowered tuberous varieties the effect 
was highly pleasing. There they remained until the close of 
September, when they were placed in a cool stove temperature, 
and they commenced flowering again most freely, and are now 
(Nov. 1st) flowering better than they were in the greenhouse; 
indeed some that had shoots with their flowers taken off some 
6 inches long have grown again, and are likely to continue in 
flower through the winter. It is a plant of the easiest culture, 
and in a few months from sowing the seed plants can be obtained 
of considerable value for decorative purposes in the greenhouse or 
conservatory during late summer. It is also valuable as yielding 
a supply of flowers for cutting in late summer and autumn (and 
no doubt in winter), as sprays can be taken with a certainty that 
a successional supply will be forthcoming in a short time. The 
sprays have a very good effect from the deep shining green colour 
of the foliage. The plant attains to a height of 15 to 18 inches, 
commencing to flower at 6 to 9 inches, branching well from the 
base and upwards, forming compact plants with flowmrs borne 
profusely from every growth. The foliage is bold, the trusses of 
bloom large, erect; flowers pure white, twice the size of the old 
B. semperflorens. This new variety is a valuable acquisition, and 
is certain to become highly popular. 
The plant and flowers contrast admirably with those of Begonia 
insignis, B. Ingrami, B. ascotiensis, B. fuchsioides, B. Saundersi, 
B. hybrida multiflora, and B. weltoniensis, and cuttings of these 
inserted at the same time as the seed of B. semperflorens grandi- 
flora was sown are fine p’ants in flower, and will continue flower¬ 
ing in a house with a stove or intermediate temperature through 
the winter. B. parviflora with its neat foliage and numerous 
small white flowers is also very useful. There need be no scarcity 
of flowers at the dull season with so many easily grown plants as 
these at command.—G. Abbey. 
LIQUID MANURE FOR ORCHIDS. 
Liquid manure is not generally given to Orchids, but it is a 
question if great numbers would not be benefited if it were. Peat 
is too much used under the mistaken impression that it yields 
something beneficial to the plants. We do not say that peat 
should never be used in Orchid culture, for we know that great 
numbers require some such material; but we feel assured, from 
experience, that great numbers would be much better without. 
All Orchid growers admit that decaying peat is an evil; but few 
seem to understand that only decaying material can yield plant- 
food. A friend, who has on more than one occasion brought us 
plants from the East Indies and elsewhere, tells us that all the 
good roots he has seen on Orchid plants in the w ild state were 
either attached to fresh hard bark, or growing among living vege¬ 
tation, or dangling in the air. He also assures us that many, or 
