90 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 29, 1880. 
exactly that which Groundsel, &c., delighted in. Now, although 
I must confess that Groundsel is not entirely absent, for there is 
such a crop from seed of last year as will take some time to get 
under, the Potatoes are a marvellous crop. I am digging Myatt’s 
Prolific at the rate of 12 tons per acre, the quality of which, too, is 
excellent. It is not expected that any other patch will yield quite 
so well as this one, but everywhere the ground seems full of Pota¬ 
toes, from two dozen to thirty large tubers turning up from a 
root; and even in some of the cottage gardens, where the seed 
which was planted was very inferior, the yield is extremely 
good. 
That dread enemy the Peronospora is quite a month later in 
making its appearance, and I am in hopes that personally I shall 
not suffer much from its ravages ; for although Potatoes were still 
growing fast when the first unwelcome blotches were seen in our 
neighbouring village, I decided that 8 to 12 tons an acre was 
worth being satisfied with, and had all the tops carefully pulled off 
the variety 1 have named, with the exception of a few for experi¬ 
ment, or rather for convincing unbelievers. I do not think it is 
of any use removing the tops after they become badly spotted, 
for the disease has then already circulated through the whole 
system. It requires, of course, a strong nerve and a hard heart to 
cart away the foliage while it is fresh and vigorous, but “ half a 
loaf is better than none,” and I shall be perfectly satisfied and 
extremely thankful if I can secure such a crop as we have at 
present. We have planted Borecole, Cauliflower, Broccoli, &c., 
between the rows of Potatoes where the tops have been removed, 
for the yield being so abundant the usual quantity of ground is 
not cleared, and some crops of Cabbages, Peas, &c., have had to 
be removed before they were half over to make room for the 
indispensable winter stuff. 
Last year I was much afraid our good friend the old Ashleaf 
was going to leave us altogether, for more than half of it seemed 
to grow out of its true character, and it was very badly diseased. 
The truer the stock, the worse the disease and the less the crop 
seemed to be, but I am happy to say it seems now to have taken 
a new lease of life; and even those which were of doubtful 
character last year, and were on that account kept separate, have 
mostly returned to the normal habit. This is a great consolation, 
for none of the so-called improved Ashleafs are equal to this for 
earliness or shortness of haulm, both of which points are of 
interest to those who grow Potatoes in frames. 
It is too early to say what late Potatoes will do. I am supposed 
to have only two varieties, Scotch Champion and Magnum Bonum. 
The Scotch Champion from seed saved here is growing moderately 
vigorous, and a great many small Potatoes are already at the 
roots. The purchased seed grows much stronger and flowers more 
profusely, but, from what I can see at present, is not making 
Potatoes so fast, j et I have no doubt about both stocks being true, 
as they are alike in all other respects. The Champion was last 
year of splendid quality, and although many were diseased and 
useless, there were more good tubers left than we had from any 
other sort. I cannot understand Champion being placed in the 
second class for quality. It was the only Potato I tasted last year 
whicb was , qual to the imported German Beds, and good as they 
. . re when p-operly cooked, they were only half as good as 
Champion. Soils and seasons we know have a great deal to do 
with quality, and b may be that heavy soil and a w T et season do 
not lisagree with ur Scotch friend. It is a pity it is not a more 
handsome tuber, but we have had many proofs that beauty and 
good quality do not always go together even in Potatoes. 
Magnum Bonum was a fair crop with no diseased tubers, but 
that is all I can say for it at present, for although it was tried 
several times during the winter, spring, and even the summer, it 
was never tit to eat. It has been planted again in the hopes that 
abetter season may make it palatable. There is one thing which 
ought to recommend it, at least to slovenly cultivators— there is not 
much chance for weeds to grow where it is planted. Its haulm is 
5 feet high, even on poor ground, and its ample foliage is more 
than sufficient to smother the otherwise irrepressible Groundsel. 
When the disease has thinned its leaves and made room for the 
light to penetrate some Potatoes may be formed, but I have not 
much hopes before that time in this most luxuriant of seasons. 
Be it understood that I only speak of last year, and this in regard 
to Champion and Magnum Bonum, as I had no practical expe¬ 
rience with them before. 
Seed of the early kidney-shaped varieties cannot be looked 
after too soon now. I make a point of selecting them with great 
care, and place them up endways on boards in a cool shed at once, 
where they remain undisturbed till plaDting-out time. Last year 
I was amply paid for all this trouble, for although Potatoes all 
around were almost a complete failure, I had a very fair crop of 
Myatt’s Prolific. Those who have to purchase early kidney varie¬ 
ties for planting should always do so before winter ; procuring 
them in spring is throwing money away.—W m, Taylok. 
GLOXINIAS AND TUBEROUS-BOOTED BEGONIAS 
AT THE READING NURSERIES. 
Of late years both Gloxinias and tuberous-rooted Begonias 
have, in common with many other choice flowering plants, been 
much improved by the efforts of hybridisers. The success attend¬ 
ing these efforts is really remarkable ; but what I am inclined to 
think also very important is, that their labours have probably 
been mainly instrumental in bringing into prominence the fact 
that both are easily propagated from seed. Not only can they be 
thus readily and cheaply increased, but what is very satisfactory, 
can, if the seed is saved from a good strain, be relied on for 
giving bloom equally as good as, if not superior in quality to, 
the originals. Seedlings, too, as with almost all kinds of plants, 
are very vigorous, being easily grown into good flowering plants 
the first season. By skilful treatment plants raised from cuttings 
(this applies more especially to the Begonias) are in one season 
grown into specimens, but in the majority of private growers’ 
hands they are but puny objects as compared with the fine branch¬ 
ing and fioriferous seedlings. 
Few growlers have taken greater pains with the improvement 
of the strains of Begonias and Gloxinias than the Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons of Reading, and none probably have met with greater 
success. At the present time there are two houses filled with 
well-grown plants of grand varieties. The former from last 
year’s sowing are now at their best, and for brilliancy and variety 
are fully equal to, if not superior to a house of Zonal Pelargoniums, 
as may sometimes be seen at Pearson’s, Cannell’s, and other 
nurseries. Names both with these and Gloxinias are entirely 
dispensed with, but every variety has its registered number. In 
addition to their own very superior seedlings all the best newest 
varieties advertised by English raisers and many continental 
novelties are reerularly added. The strain has heretofore been 
rather weak in light varieties, but will be much benefited by the 
later additions of several raised on the continent. I also noticed 
several fine double-flowering varieties. The seedlings generally 
are exceptionally dwarf and branching in habit, bearing a profusion 
of large flowers of good form and substance. In other houses 
there are many thousands of healthy spring-sown seedlings, many 
of which will be grown-on to succeed those now in flower, the 
rest being grown to form bulbs for distribution. 
The Gloxinias are grown in equally as large numbers and are 
also particularly good, either with regard to the blooms or the 
foliage, the latter being alone extremely ornamental, having a 
drooping or reflexed habit, so much so as to nearly conceal the 
pots in which they are grown. This excellent quality is notice¬ 
able in the innumerable spring-sown seedlings as well as in the 
large specimens 3 feet through. The former are flowered the first 
season in 4-inch pots, and several houses of them will shortly pre¬ 
sent a grand appearance, and to me are more attractive than 
larger plants, of which there are a great number now in full bloom. 
The value of the seed saved from these must be great, the strain 
being so excellent. Some of the flowers I had the curiosity to 
measure ranged from 4£ to 5 inches in diameter, the others being 
similarly large and of great substance and variety of colour. These 
measurements may appear exaggerated, but anyone can verify the 
truth of these and other statements by calling at the nurseries. 
Dry bulbs and seed only are distributed by this firm, and 
probably their advice on the starting into growth of the former 
and the germinating of the latter may be of service to many of 
the readers of this Journal. To start the bulbs into growth it is 
advised that they be treated somewhat similarly to Dahlias, or in 
other words, that previous to being potted they be placed on a 
gentle and moist hotbed, potting them off when they have emitted 
roots. They are placed in small pots in the first instance, from 
which they receive a final shift into either 6 or 6-inch pots. The 
soil employed to consist of three parts turfy loam to one of 
leaf soil, with an addition of silver sand. For the seed pots 
or pans the quantities of soil a^e reversed—three parts well 
decomposed leaf soil to one of loam and some sand being recom¬ 
mended. Much importance is attached to the use of good leaf 
soil in preference to peat, especially in the early stages of growth. 
When sown, the seed is pressed into the surface of the soil, placed 
in a gentle heat—not necessarily bottom heat—covered with 
glass, and kept uniformly moist, and shaded. The seedlings are 
pricked oil rather thickly in well-drained 4-inch or 5-inch pots, 
afterwards placed singly into small pots and gradually grown on. 
The treatment of Gloxinias is substantially the same as that 
recommended for Begonias. In either case the whole of the packet 
of seed should not at once be sown, but the sowing ought to 
