JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 1, 1881. ] 
493 
nate in his experience of Potatoes. He finds very few of them 
good. He must be rather particular, or the soil in his district is 
not very suitable for the crop. To begin with, he says that he 
never tasted an Early Rose Potato that was eatable. I have several 
sacks of this kind grown on a piece of garden land near me, 
which are excellent in quality and entirely free from disease. 
Then, again, he speaks badly of Snowflake, whilst I have found it 
one of the best there is, but shall not grow it any more because it 
is so very subject to disease. Reading Abbey I have grown for 
two or three seasons, but it will not be grown any more. Magnum 
Bonum is the popular favourite here, and more of that kind will 
be grown in gardens next year than of all the rest of the Potatoes 
together. I had ten sacks, and only saw two or three bad tubers. 
The quality this year is very good, I would not desire better. 
Some seasons it is not very good in the autumn, but improves in 
quality towards spring, and continues good to the very last. I 
can quite understand that on some heavy soils it may not always 
turn out well, and small gardens which are much shaded by trees 
are not favourable for producing tubers of good quality, but an 
occasional change of seed will help, with good cultivation, to 
improve the quality.— Amateur, Cirencester. 
WINTER NELIS PEAR. 
For upwards of sixty years this valuable dessert Pear has been 
grown in the gardens of this country, having been introduced 
from Belgium in 1818. The present popularity of Winter Nelis is 
sufficient proof of its excellence, and it holds its own as firmly as 
Fig. 79 .—Fear winter nelis. 
ever among the many varieties that rank as high-class Pears. 
This Pear is not only of superior quality, but the tree is hardy 
and bears freely, and there is no garden in which late Pears ripen 
that should not contain a tree or trees, according to the form in 
which they are grown and the demand for fruit. From cordons 
on the Quince stock we have gathered fruit of the first order of 
merit, and about equally good produce from large trees on the 
Pear. In favourable localities valuable fruit is produced by pyra¬ 
mids, but in most districts the trees should have the shelter of 
walls. The fruit with good management may be had in use over 
a long period. We have from one tree had a daily supply for two 
months, obtained by placing a few at a time in a high temperature, 
and the quality during the whole period has given great satisfac¬ 
tion. The following is the description of this fine old variety :— 
Fruit below medium size, roundish-obovate, narrowing abruptly 
towards the stalk. Skin dull green at first, changing to yellowish 
green, covered with numerous russety dots and patches of brown 
russet’, particularly on the side next the sun. Eye open, with 
erect rigid segments, set in a shallow depression. Stalk from 1 to 
1| inch long, curved, and set in a narrow cavity. Flesh yellowish, 
fine-grained, buttery, and melting, with a rich, sugary, and 
vinous flavour, and a fine aroma. 
PREPARING BORDERS FOR ROSES—SELECTION OF 
VARIETIES. 
Where it is intended to make new beds or borders of Roses 
the work should be commenced in earnest, having the ground 
attended to in draining if this be necessary, and in trenching as 
deeply as the good soil will allow. In shallow soils, instead of 
bringing the bad soil to the surface it should be well loosened 
with a pick, and some partially decayed manure mixed with the 
upper and better soil. Light soils will be much improved by an 
application of clay in smail pieces, and those long broken up are 
greatly benefited by working in some fresh turfy loam. It is hardly 
possible to have the soil too rich and deep for Roses, the resulting 
