September 16, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 251 
VEGETABLES IN 1880.—No. 1. 
POTATOES AND PEAS. 
being 
\ITH the exception of many Potatoes 
diseased, I hear from various quarters that this 
is one of the best seasons for vegetables which 
has been experienced for a considerable time. 
P°t a to e s, however, are very much diseased, 
I which is greatly to be regretted, as there are 
many vegetables we could ^better afford to lose 
than this most valuable crop. Now that the Govern- 
•yj ment Committee have failed to find us either a pre¬ 
vention or cure for the Potato disease, and all pre¬ 
scriptions have proved of little or no benefit, the matter must 
rest with gardeners and farmers to try and find out which are 
the best varieties to resist the disease in the various climates, 
soils, and situations, and then to grow these alone. Very 
much might be done in this way, as no one will have grown a 
few dozen sorts of Potatoes without soon proving that some 
are very liable to the disease, while others resist it to a greater 
or less extent under the same circumstances. 
Last year I cultivated over seventy varieties of Potatoes in 
the garden. Some were so much diseased that they became 
quite extinct, others nearly so, while some were hardly affected, 
and a few not at all. Thinking that last season was one of the 
worst ever experienced for trying Potatoes, I resolved to 
give all the varieties of which I had seed left another chance 
this year. This has not been carried on under the most favour¬ 
able circumstances, as the persistent rain we had in July was 
much in favour of the disease, but now when lifting the 
crops I find with one or two exceptions that the condition 
of each variety corresponds very closely with the results of 
last year. Those which best resisted the disease last year 
have done so this, and the varieties badly affected then are the 
same now. Had 1 been satisfied with the result of the trial 
last year, and only grown the disease-resisting varieties in 
1880, we might have had fine crops of Potatoes nearly or quite 
exempt from disease ; but the experience of this season has 
enabled me to make a more reliable selection for future cul¬ 
tivation than I could have done before. Practice of this 
kind would, I think, lead many to obtain sound crops, and as 
we are now in the midst of the Potato-lifting season I advise 
all interested in the matter to give the subject their con¬ 
sideration. 
Varieties which are half lost and the tubers left of doubtful 
condition should not be stored near a sound variety. The 
latter should be kept by themselves ; and instead of using the 
best or greater part of them for cooking purposes, let the whole 
of them be saved for seed, and eat the varieties which have 
partly succumbed to the disease. 
All gardeners, indeed every possessor of a garden, has always 
a hankering after “variety.” Growing a great number of 
varieties is commendable if done with the object of making a 
“ selection,” but further than this the plan should not be 
carried. Growing, say, fifty varieties of Potatoes may be in¬ 
teresting cultural exercise, but if more than the half of them 
are annually lost through disease it would certainly be wiser 
to adhere only to those varieties, no matter how few they may 
be, that experience proves are the most to be relied on for 
securing sound crops. 
Eespeeting my selection, it will not include more than six or 
eight varieties, and these will be Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf and the 
Gloucestershire Kidney for early work ; and Scotch Champion, 
Magnum Bonum, Schoolmaster, Porter’s Excelsior, and Im¬ 
proved Peach Blow for autumn and winter. These are the 
cream of the seventy varieties, being almost or entirely free 
from disease. Magnum Bonum has resisted the disease wonder¬ 
fully this season. It has a better constitution than any Potato 
grown. The stems grow to a height of 4, 5, and 6 feet, and 
they are about as hard and tough as a piece of Filbert wood. 
Improved Peach Blow has done admirably well with us. It is 
pink and white in colour, round, rather deep in the eye, of 
good average size, and very prolific. Some of our single sets 
have produced forty fine tubers, and not a diseased one 
amongst them. 
PEAS. 
These have been very satisfactory this season. A favour¬ 
able spring brought the early varieties in well, and the mid¬ 
season Peas were all that could be desired. During August 
the dry weather was slightly against later varieties, but pro¬ 
spects are favourable for a late supply. Mildew affected some 
of the rows to a certain extent. This I attribute to in¬ 
sufficient moisture at the roots, because, although all the seed was 
placed in the ground singly some inches apart, the top growth 
was so robust and became such a mass that the rain was not 
able to reach the roots, and artificial watering was not always 
convenient. Of all ways of growing Peas there is nothing to 
surpass a good length of row with the plants growing a few 
inches apart. This increases the produce in quantity as well 
as quality. Growing them in trenches is a good plan in dry 
weather, or where the soil is very light; but in heavy soil the 
practice is unnecessary. 1 have tried some dozens of varie¬ 
ties of Peas from many different sources, but have eliminated 
gradually and carefully until I have only a few of the best 
and most distinct. 
William I. has until this season been the earliest Pea grown, 
but it is surpassed in this respect now by a new variety we 
had on trial from Messrs. James Carter & Co., the eminent 
seed firm, and I might say the eminent Pea firm of London. 
This new variety was the first of all, and attained a height of 
2 feet. The pods are smaller than those of William I., but 
they are more abundant, are ready for gathering quite two 
weeks earlier, and the peas are of equally good flavour. As 
early Peas are so much appreciated by all, these facts will no 
doubt soon be corroborated by other cultivators, and this variety 
will take the place it merits. 
As rather tall-growing, second-early, midseason, and even 
late varieties, Telegraph and Telephone are most valuable. For 
growing freely, cropping abundantly, and producing peas of 
No. 12.—Yol. I., Third Serihe, 
No. 1668.—Yol. LXlY.j Old Sehies, 
