234 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t September 9 , isso. 
saucers, and clear soot water may be given with advantage twice 
or thrice a week. 
S. retusus is very rich in colour, but lacks the elegance and 
grace of S. pinnatus and S. papilionaceus. The last-named is 
very charming, and once produced in good condition will be 
regarded as indispensable for decorative purposes. If not re¬ 
quired for flowering under glass these plants are highly worthy 
of preparation in the manner indicated for planting in the flower 
garden in March or April.—J. W. B. 
MORE ABOUT POTATOES. 
Mr. R. W. Beachey in his excellent article in the Journal of 
September 2nd alludes to some remarks of mine on the Potato 
(vide Journal August 5th), and pronounces them “ Fallacy No. 1.” 
Now I think the brevity of my remarks, out of consideration for 
your space, has been the cause of this judgment, as I feel con¬ 
vinced from the latter half of Mr. Beachey’s article that our prin¬ 
ciples of Potato culture are identical, although differing somewhat 
in detail. He is quite correct in his description of the result 
of planting the largest Potatoes whole, also that generally the 
largest in a crop are the most diseased. It is, I believe, generally 
allowed that the attacks of disease are modified somewhat by the 
stage of maturity of the tubers, and I think this explains how the 
largest are often more diseased than the others. Planting large 
Potatoes whole is, I am convinced, a mistake, as you get only 
about one-fourth of what the same Potato would have produced 
if cut into pieces of one or two eyes each, and the crop in the 
latter case would be far more even in size. 
My authority for cutting when I commenced were the experi¬ 
ments of the late Professor Lindley at the Gardens of the Royal 
Horticultural Society. I believe Mr. Beachey to be quite correct 
in his remarks on saving seed yourself and not buying in the 
spring. My way is to select seed when the crop is dug, spread 
the tubers in a single layer on the floor of an attic exposed to the 
light from a window in the roof ; there they remain till taken for 
planting, only having been covered during severe frost with a 
piece of matting. The result is they become green in colour, have 
short stout shoots and are not shrivelled, which I consider the 
essentials in a seed Potato. 
When planting each tuber is cut into pieces of two eyes (to 
make sure of a plant if one shoot is accidentally broken off), 
commencing cutting at the stem end ; the sets are then dusted in 
dry lime and dug into the previously manured bed about 9 inches 
to a foot apart in the row, and the rows about 18 inches from the 
next. The Potatoes are not earthed at all; if the soil is light the 
weeds are hand-pulled, if heavy it is worked once or twice with 
a pronged hoe. 
I quite agree with Mr. Beachey that Champions and Magnum 
Bonums are not the varieties wanted, and prefer those of some¬ 
thing the style of Snowflake, which ripen moderately early, keep 
well into the spring, and the stems of which are not too luxuriant. 
There is no doubt we are at the mercy of the weather, yet Mr. 
Beachey show's that in spite of this he has for fourteen years 
saved seed of Gloucestershire Kidneys, w'hich are as good now as 
they were at first. This is what I call retaining the constitutional 
vigour of a Potato thoroughly well. 
In conclusion, the only point that I see at present on which 
we are not agreed is, Which are the tubers to reserve for seed ? 
Maturity of growth must come first, after this Mr. Beachey thinks 
the medium in size, and at present I think the largest have the 
most vigorous shoots and produce the finest crops. 
All this does not banish the disease, but I believe it does the 
next best thing—namely, mitigates its severity.—W. B. W. 
GOOD DAHLIAS. 
These popular flowers are now in their best condition, and a 
good opportunity is afforded for making a selection of the most 
distinct and handsome varieties. Several catalogues are issued 
by the chief growers of Dahlias, with accurate descriptions of the 
varieties in commerce ; but intending buyers who have not the 
opportunity of personally inspecting the collections are confused 
by the great number enumerated, and are almost as much at a 
loss as if the descriptions were too meagre. It is for such that 
the following notes are intended ; and as many who only possess 
gardens of limited extent have to content themselves with a cor¬ 
respondingly limited number of plants, a selection of about a 
dozen really good and generally useful varieties in each section 
may be of service. 
Show Varieties .—These are so numerous and excellent, and so 
many new and meritorious varieties are being annually sent out, 
that selection is by no means an easy task where the collection is 
limited to a few. However, the following will be found of fine 
quality and entitled to rank among the best, though they are 
equalled by many and possibly surpassed by some that have not 
come under my notice in the best condition. The new varieties 
appended to the principal list have been recently exhibited at 
Kensington and honoured with certificates—a sufficient indication 
of their merit, for a new Dahlia must possess some excellent 
qualities to obtain such a distinction now. A very handsome 
symmetrical flower is John Standish (Turner), of a rich reddish 
hue, attaining great size, and telling well in collections at ex¬ 
hibitions. Canary (Fellowes) is of fine form, good depth, very 
regular in outline, with a full centre, and of a clear bright 
yellow colour. Chris. Ridley (Turner) is a beautiful variety, with 
flowers of good substance, clean, neat in outline, deep, and of 
an extremely rich crimson tint, scarcely rivalled in hue when at 
its best. John Bennett (Rawlings), very distinct and effective, 
of neat form, the florets being tinged with yellow and tipped with 
scarlet, the contrast of the shades having a peculiar appearance. 
Lady Gladys Herbert (Keynes), like the last this is remarkable 
for the contrast of colours in the flowers, the body of the florets 
being white and the margin rich crimson ; the flowers are usually 
of good size and symmetrical. Earl Radnor (Keynes), a handsome 
flower of considerable size, good form and substance, the colour 
being a warm purplish plum tint. John Greenaway (Fellowes), 
one of the finest crimson seifs, excellent in symmetry, size, and 
substance. Ovid (Turner), an exceptionally beautiful variety 
with large well-built flowers of great depth, good centre, and 
altogether a nearly perfect flower. The colour, too, is an additional 
attraction, the shade being very distinct—a deep clear puce. 
Samuel Plimsoll (Turner;, a very attractive purple self, flower 
of good form. Toison d’Or (Turner), a charming bright yellow 
or golden-coloured variety, admirable in all respects. Sarah 
McMullen (Rawlings), a pretty variety with mauve-coloured sym¬ 
metrical flowers. Picotee (Keynes), is a bright variety, the 
florets of which are of a golden yellow tinge margined with 
crimson. Among the glowing colours the following are especially 
noteworthy :—Victory, crimson ; Vivid, scarlet; Crimson King, 
fine tint; Dauntless, orange ; and John Laing, bright crimson, 
all of Keynes’ raising; while among whites, Julia Wyatt (Keynes), 
Mrs. Hartopp Nash (Turner), Mrs. Henshaw (Turner), and Purity 
(Fellowes), are noteworthy. Among the new varieties the follow¬ 
ing are especially deserving of notice :—Cyprus, a fine flower, 
excellent in form, and of a pale orange tint, the edges of the 
florets being faintly tinged with red. Mr. Spofforth, a handsome 
rich crimson flower of good substance ; Helen Macgregor, white, 
tipped with purple, deep and full in form ; Revival, a grand 
variety, with flowers of moderate size, great depth, symmetrical 
form, and rich scarlet colour; and Goldfinder, a clear bright 
yellow variety, of excellent form and substance. All these have 
been raised by Mr, Fellowes, and the two last mentioned were ex¬ 
hibited by Mr. C. Turner at a recent meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, when first-class certificates were awarded for 
them, honours that were also accorded to the following varieties 
from Messrs. Keynes :—Lady Wimborne, a beautiful variety with 
full neat flowers of a pale rose tint; James Vick, also excellent 
in form, rich purple in colour ; and Mrs. Compton, fine purplish 
maroon colour, rather more globular than the preceding. 
Fancy Varieties. —There is also a great number of these, many 
presenting some peculiar combinations of colours that are more 
striking than beautiful, but there are others of considerable beauty, 
the tints of the stripes or margins harmonising with the body 
colour very pleasingly. The forms of some new varieties are very 
good, but generally the fancy varieties would not come up to the 
standard of the show section in that respect. The undermentioned 
are all worth growing, and will bear comparison with any others 
in commerce :—Henry Glasscock, buff-coloured ground striped 
with crimson, rather variable ; Monsieur Chauvffire, lilac, spotted 
and streaked with rich crimson ; and Grand Sultan, yellowish 
buff, striped with bright red, all of which are Keynes’ varieties. 
Mrs. Saunders, a beautiful variety, yellow ground tipped with white, 
excellent form ; and Peacock, deep purplish maroon, the florets 
edged with white, very distinct; both of Turner’s raising. Singu¬ 
larity (Rawlings), yellowish ground colour, the florets tipped and 
edged with red and white, very aptly named; and Prospero 
(Goodwin), a fine flower, maroon colour edged with white. In 
addition to those noted above, Messrs. Keynes’ Parrot, Maid of 
Athens, and Lucy Fawcett; Mr. Fellowes’ Oracle ; Mr. Turner’s 
Pauline and Mrs. Standish; and Messrs. Rawlings’ James Carter, 
are all good varieties. 
Bovqvet Varieties. —The improvements that have been effected 
in this section of Dahlias during recent years is remarkable. Not 
only have we a most satisfactory symmetry of form combined 
with diminutive size, but the colours are very rich and varied. 
