JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 27, 1882. ] 
77 
me “that lot grows where nothing else would grow, and the 
labour I consider nothing, and you see they pay the rent.” 
Although the Snowdrop flourishes so well they do not cultivate 
the Crocus—at least very few—and the reason, I am told, is that 
the ground is too wet. 
Those who only grow the Snowdrop on a limited scale for sale 
at present would do well to replant their whole stock for a few 
seasons instead of disposing of them. The demand for early 
flowers appears more general than ever, and I am of opinion that 
it will continue for some time to come, and this early-flowering 
bulb will be in greater request for planting in woods and other 
suitable positions in the future than it has been in the past.— 
W. Bardney. 
A FINE CROP OF POTATOES. 
Some Myatt’s Kidney Potatoes we lifted to-day were so fine, 
considering the conditions under which they were grown, that I 
was induced to ascertain the amount of crop and its present value 
per acre. I now send you the results arrived at. I may premise 
that we lifted a larger crop from a south border a fortnight ago, 
but these were grown under more favourable conditions. I am 
now sorry I did not make any note of the weight of that crop. 
Those now in question were grown on a border occupied per¬ 
manently with large Apple trees, and between two main quarters in 
the vegetable ground. Turnips and such catch crops commonly 
occupied the ground, and it was kept in rather poor condition for 
vegetables ; indeed it is several years since any manure was 
allowed it. Having more “ sets ” of Myatt’s Kidney than were re¬ 
quired I had them planted on this border, which had been dug in 
the early part of the preceding winter. The rows were 2 feet apart, 
and the “ sets ” 1 foot asunder, so that to the acre there would 
be 21,780 sets. Every set was furnished when planted with one 
strong bud half an inch in length. In planting, a line 4 inches 
deep was formed with a spade, the ground being pointed merely 
between the rows, and the succeeding row prepared for in the 
same manner as the first. Planting was performed in the end of 
March. A dressing at the rate of 6^ cwt. to an acre of chemical 
manure was applied along each drill before the sets were placed 
in, and, with the exception of having been once hoed, nothing has 
been done to them. 
In stating the weight of the crop a gallon hamper was filled 
with the best Potatoes, commencing at one end of the row ; then 
the seconds were gathered from the same space, and lastly the 
small unsaleable tubers. The number of best tubers to the gallon 
was eighty ; these weighed 24 lbs., an average of 4f ozs. each. 
There were forty-one seconds, weighing 5^ lbs., or 2 ozs. each ; 
and nineteen small, slightly over 1 lb. The length of the row 
from which these were lifted when measured was exactly 18 feet, 
which gives a weight per acre of nearly 13 tons for the best, and of 
the seconds 2 tons 17 cwt. Rather more than three farthings per lb. 
in quantity is received for the best Potatoes on the ground, while 
the seconds sell at exactly a halfpenny per lb. Taking the price for 
the best at three farthings per lb. the return per acre would amount 
to £91 5s., while the seconds would be £13 5s. 6d., or a total of 
£104 10s. 6d. The earlier crop referred to was a larger crop than this, 
and from 50 to 100 per cent, more was received per gallon, but I 
hardly expect to find the crop in the main quarters any better, if so 
good, as this one when I test the weight and amount. The inter¬ 
esting point to me regarding these Potatoes is the fact that I have 
always distributed manures broadcast over the entire surface of 
ground, but in this case the manure was sown along the drills 
only. The manure used was composed of superphosphate from 
minerals, chloride of potash, and sulphate of ammonia, in the pro¬ 
portions of the first as sixteen, the second as twelve, and the third 
as nine. 1 lb. of this manure in a finely pulverised condition was 
put on 10 yards’ run of the row.—B. 
LUTON HORTICULTURAL SHOW. 
July 19th. 
When the Bedfordshire Agricultural Society visits the straw plait 
capital, which is about once in four years, the sister crafts, Agricul¬ 
ture and Horticulture, shake hands, and a good joint show is usually 
the result. The county town, Bedford, having been for some years 
quite disfranchised as regards horticultural exhibitions. The Show 
at Luton on Wednesday last was held in a ground adjoining and 
communicating with the County Agricultural Exhibition, and was 
contained in two large tents, but the canvas accommodation was 
much too limited, and dangerously so for the numerous fine plants 
which the liberal schedule brought together. 
In the open class for twelve stove and greenhouse plants in or out 
of flower, no less than seven collections were staged. In this class 
Mr. Tudgey, gardener to J. F. G-. Williams, Esq., Henwick Grange, 
Worcester, was awarded the first prize, his plants being all in flower, 
Anthurium Schertzerianum having nearly seventy spathes of a rich 
colour ; Dipladenia amabilis, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Allamanda 
Hendersoni, being also grand specimens. Mr. James Cypher, 
Cheltenham, was second with very fine plants, but all in flower. 
The best were of Cycas revoluta, Allamanda Hendersoni, Ixora 
Fraseri, and Erica Parmentieri. Mr. W. Parker, Rugby, was third, 
having Bougainvillea glabra very fine, Erica Parmentieri 4 feet in 
diameter and in full flower, and Kentia Fosteriana, a noble specimen. 
The fourth prize went to Mr. J. Freeman, gardener to W. B. Green¬ 
field, Esq., Beechwood Park, Dunstable, for a very healthy collection 
of smaller plants. Mr. C. Butters, gardener to Mrs. Gerald Leigh, 
Luton Hoo, also staged some fine specimens, but mostly foliage 
plants. Good plants were also shown in the open class for six, as 
well as in the local class. Ferns were not correspondingly good, but 
Cibotium Schiedei and Davallia Mooreana were elegant examples. 
In the open class for forty-eight Roses, single trusses, the only 
class in which Roses were efficiently represented, Mr. B. R. Cant of 
Colchester was first with fine blooms, his best being Hippolyte 
Jamain, Marie Finger, Countess of Rosebery, good; Duke of Edin¬ 
burgh, Duchesse de Morny, Madame Nachury, Marie Baumann, A. K. 
Williams, Comtesse de Paris, Annie Wood, Prince Arthur, Penelope 
Mayo, Horace Vernet, Etienne Levet, Mons. E. Y. Teas, and Princess 
Beatrice. Mr. W. Rumsey of Waltham Cross was second, having 
fine flowers of J. S. Mill, Mdlle. S. Fropot, a good cool season Rose ; 
Mrs. Laxton, Star of Waltham, Duke of Edinburgh, Paul Jamain, 
Madame Chas. Wood, Marquise de Castellane, and Mdlle. Camille in 
his stand. Messrs. G. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, who were also showing 
on the same day at the National Rose Society’s Show at Darlington, 
were placed third ; Madame Perreire, a promising Rose, in the way 
of Marie Yerdier, but of greater substance ; A. K. Williams, Chas. 
Lefebvre, A. Colomb, Comte de Raimbaud, Duke of Teck, Harrison 
Weir, and White Baronne being noticeable flowers. Several amateurs 
also entered the lists in this class, and the Rev. W. H. Jackson of 
Stagsden Vicarage, Bedford, with a few more blooms, equal to his 
best, would have been no despicable antagonist for a Colchester 
champion, his A. K. Williams, Chas. Lefebvre, Thos. Mills, andEmilie 
Hausburg (rarely better than from Stagsden) were all fine blooms. 
Fruit was not largely shown, but a good collection of eight kinds 
for the first prize in the open class came from Mr. Freeman, who had 
richly coloured and finished Black Hamburgh and Golden Champion 
Grapes, Royal Ascot Melon, Yiolette Hative Peaches, Pine Apple 
Nectarines, White Ischia Figs, Bigarreau Cherries, and Czar Plums. 
Mr. C. Pollard, gardener to J. B. Maple, Esq., Childwick Bury, Har- 
penden, took first for black Grapes with highly coloured Hamburghs, 
and Mr. Butters was first for white Grapes with good samples of 
Buckland Sweetwater. Fine Downton Nectarines came from Mr. 
Underwood, gardener to C. R. Fenwick, Esq., Harpenden, deservedly 
secured the first in this class. A good early red Gooseberry of the 
Champagne type, and above the ordinary size in earlies, called Glory 
of Oldport, was shown. 
Vegetables were not so good as those usually shown in the northern 
side of the county, the chalky soil of the Luton district not favour¬ 
ing their development in exhibition form ; and the best collection of 
twelve varieties came from Mr. G. Vines, gardener to H. Thornton, 
Esq., Kempston Grange, Bedford, whose large red Tomatoes, Tele¬ 
graph Peas, and Pride of America Potatoes well indicated his skill 
as a successful cultivator of vegetables. 
Dinner-table decorations were not remarkable, but the table of Mrs. 
Higgins of Upper George Street, Luton, who was awarded the second 
prize, was evidently more to the popular taste than that which was 
placed first. A combination of white Water Lilies and other white 
flowers interspersed with Adiantums and Grapes, and based with 
leaves of the Purple Beech, produced a pretty and not inelegant 
effect. Miss M. A. Gardner, Luton, wms awarded first for a com¬ 
mendable table, but of less pretentious appearance. Wild flowers 
formed a good feature of the Show, and Mr. J. Saunders of Luton 
showed a collection of two hundred specimens, 160 illustrative of the 
flora of South Bedfordshire and forty from the New Forest. The 
special point in this collection was the classification of the specimens. 
Each species was separately placed in a small vase, and to it was 
affixed a white card, on which were legibly written the number in 
H. C. Watson’s London Catalogue, seventh edition, also the natural 
order, genus, and species, the nomenclature being that of Hooker’s 
“ Student’s Flora.” To the divisions conspicuous labels were placed, 
on which in larger characters the names Thalamiflorse, &c., were 
written. Commencing with the Ranunculaceas, the whole of the two 
hundred species were arranged in their scientific succession, the lowest 
natural order being the Gramineae, as the exhibit was limited to the 
Phaenogams. Under these circumstances the affinities of the various 
groups could be traced, and the whole served as an illustration of the 
principles on which British classification is based. The New Forest 
specimens included some of our rarest British species, as, for examples, 
Spiranthes aestivalis, from the locality given in the guide books as 
near the old Lyndhurst gate ; Gladiolus illyricus, Cicendia filiformis, 
Radiola millegrana, Pinguicula lusitanica, Utricularia minor; the 
three Droseras—rotundifolia, intermedia, anglica; and Carex puli- 
caria. The general effect was improved by the specimens being 
placed in dark glass vases, which were stood on white paper. 
Echium RUBRUil.—This is a pretty hardy plant well worth notice. 
The flowers have hairy calyces ; the corolla is about an inch long, 
