September 30, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
301 
Round Whites. — Schoolmaster, Early Goodrich, Rector of 
Woodstock, Porter’s Excelsior, Davidson’s Surprise, Model, White 
Emperor, and Sim’s Early Seedling, and Wiltshire Snowflake. 
Round' Reds. —Blanchard, Vicar of Laleham, Grampian, Red 
Emperor, Triumph, and Fenn’s Cricket Ball. 
Those who desire to “ go in ” for exhibiting Potatoes may with 
confidence make a selection from the above varieties, and if they 
grow them well and stage them without spot and blemish, and of 
good size, they may hope to have a place in the prize list. I have 
said of good size, for it was observable that all the best prizes 
went to Potatoes that were decidedly too large for a gentleman’s 
table; and another thing was noticeable—namely, all the prin¬ 
cipal prize collections contained varieties the great majority of 
which will never be of use for culinary purposes. Potatoes of 
this character largely predominated, and this, I presume, accord¬ 
ing to the fashion of the day, is termed “ improving ” the Potato. 
A great number of people are asking, “ What good is such a 
Show ? What use is it growing Potatoes that will not be eaten ?” 
1 heard such questions as these a hundred times, and they elicited 
few satisfactory answers. It is clear, too, that the Potato shows 
are no great attraction for the general public. The attendance 
was disappointingly thiD, and only gardeners and “fanciers” 
appeared to take real interest in the display, and at least half the 
former could not see the utility of growing Potatoes merely to be 
looked at. One of them cogently observed that “ if there was a 
Melon show he supposed the prizes would not go to the fruits of 
the worst quality simply because they looked the best.” 
The awards were being closely criticised by several competitors, 
and there was little grumbling. By far the most fault was found 
with the first-prize collection of twenty-four varieties, not because 
the tubers were not fine, but because it was alleged there were 
not twenty-four distinct varieties. Not a few “ fanciers ” asserted 
there were only twenty-two really distinct dishes. At one end of 
the lot was a fine dish of Blanchard, at the other one of White 
Emperor. The tubers of the latter were decidedly red round the 
eyes, but not nearly so red as the former, yet it is undeniable that 
there were many dishes of Grampian in other collections as pale 
in colour as this dish of White Emperor, while the White Em¬ 
perors in other portions of the Show were really white and not 
“red-ended.” I pass no opinion on this point, as Potatoes vary 
much in different soils. All I know is the tubers of the two dishes 
were identical in form but different in colour; in one they were 
darkly streaked with red round the eyes, and in the other faintly 
streaked. The other alleged duplicate dishes were Beauty of 
Hebron and Early Ohio. On this point one thing is quite clear— 
namely, there were many dishes of Beauty of Hebron in the Show 
identical in the form of the tubers, size, colour, and the arrange¬ 
ment of the eyes with the Early Ohio as staged in this collection ; 
and another thing is equally clear—in Messrs. Daniels’ collection 
there was a dish of Early Ohio which was manifestly dissimilar 
from the dish referred to. The matter, therefore, comes to this— 
if Mr. Dean’s Early Ohio is true, the one sold under that name 
by Messrs. Daniels is not true, judging at least by the form and 
colour of the tubers staged in the two collections. I allude to 
this subject because it was the one topic of discus-ion when I 
visited the Show. In some of the classes the Judges had taken a 
slice off some of the tubers that had a close outward resemblance, 
and the colour of the flesh generally determined the point at 
once. It would have been satisfactory had this test been applied 
to the tubers indicated, for as the matter now stands it is indis¬ 
putable that some practical “ fancy Potato-growers ” and success¬ 
ful exhibitors are firm in the conviction that the collection in 
question did not contain the requisite number of distinct 
varieties. 
Although a great number of people subscribe to the Potato 
Exhibition, and with the object ot improving the Potato as an 
article of food, others appear to estimate its value by its price per 
pound or peck. The shows have failed hitherto to bring out aDy 
new Potatoes of special excellence for table purposes ; but on the 
contrary, varieties of known high quality are each year represented 
in less numbers than before ; those of imposing appearance, how¬ 
ever bad the tubers may be as “cookers,” finding most favour 
with the Judges. 
But if failure has resulted in this phase of the subject, success 
has been achieved in the other object of the Society. A better 
and more intelligent system of culture has been instituted, which 
ought to exert a great and widespread influence for good on 
Potato culture generally. Since the introduction of new and 
costly fancy varieties much thought has been given to the selec¬ 
tion, preparation, and storing of the tubers, also to the manage¬ 
ment of the soil, planting, and manures. The same care cannot 
be practised in planting, say, 10 acres of Potatoes in a field as 
a few rods in a garden, yet the general principles that are found 
of value in the former case are to a great extent applicable to 
the latter, and great good ought to result generally. The prizes 
offered have encouraged the culture of fancy and show varieties, 
and a better system of culture has been instituted, so that a 
gardener can grow a few Potatoes for showing, and by according 
the same system of culture that is necessary to grow them well 
to the main crops for cooking purposes, these crops are better than 
before. Thus nothing is lost in usefulness, the newer varieties 
being grown in addition to, and not instead of, those best adapted 
for culinary purposes. Potato shows have therefore done good 
culturally ; yet something more than a mere show seems to be 
wanted to render the gathering really instructive. 
A foreign competitor, Mr. Oscar Mooyer of Angermiinde, North 
Prussia, staged a collection of upwards of forty varieties. The 
tubers were mostly small and poor in appearance, yet no collec¬ 
tion attracted more attention, from the fact that the average per¬ 
centage of starch each variety contained was stated. This is a 
step in the right direction, for without some such information, 
approximative though it be (for it is presumable that the amount 
of starch varies under varying conditions), it is impossible to 
form even a vague idea of the culinary value of the newer varieties 
that are exhibited. If the Directors of the Potato Show could 
obtain some land for cultural and experimental purposes it is 
reasonable to suppose they might make it “ pay,” and at the same 
time obtain and disseminate valuable information relative to the 
most important of all root crops. 
It is curious to notice in the starch per-centages above referred 
to that Champion heads the list with 22, a somewhat startling 
result, while Victoria is only credited with 17 percent., Peachblow 
and Magnum Bonum the same. German Reds closely follow the 
Champion with 21 per cent., and the lowest per-centage of all 
(ten) is attached to international Kidney, the finest Potato in the 
Show, but “ not fit to eat.” 
In the shows as at present satisfaction is mixed with disappoint¬ 
ment, and something more is needed to meet with anything like 
the general approval of the Potato-growing public.—A Gardener. 
To all interested in the Potato who had no chance of seeing or 
taking part in the International Show, your excellent report of it 
must have been particularly pleasing. If we may judge by the 
numbers and appearance of the tubers shown, some parts of 
Wales must be more unfortunate in the disease this season than 
other parts of the country, as many of the varieties named have 
been all but lost; but it is well known that only the very pick of 
the country is shown at such places, aud a graud display may not 
indicate perfection in the crops generally, auy more than the 
exhibits at an international poultry show would prove that all the 
fowls in the country equalled in quality those shown. Be this as 
it may, however, there is one thing sure enough—if the Interna¬ 
tional brings out the largest and best-looking tubers to give prizes 
to, it certainly does not honour eating qualities. This is what 
many would like to see done ; and if liberal prizes were offered for 
dishes of cooked Potatoes, many varieties which are at present 
ignored for their small ordinary size and rough coat would come 
well to the fore. No worse Potatoes could be grown for eating 
than Beauty of Hebron, Snowflake, Climax, Garibaldi, American 
Purple, Blanchard, Trophy, Early Vermont, International, Salmon 
Kidney, Bresee’s Prolific, and many others named in the winning 
collections; while Scotch Champion, Paterson’s Victoria, the 
Dunbar Regent, and others of the true mealy fine-flavoured 
character are not named. Were a number of prizes given for the 
best-flavoured Potatoes, it would be an excellent indication to 
those who wish to grow good-flavoured varieties irrespective of 
mere size and appearance. Some of those varieties named by me 
at page 251 would probably not be noticed in a show class of 
rounds or kidneys, but, as was stated before, they resist the 
disease, and are excellent when properly cooked. It must not be 
inferred that I am against Potato shows, but I am sorry to s ee 
quality so much in the background. 
Besides giving prizes for cooked Potatoes next year, I hope the 
International Committee will debar people from offering prizes 
and then competing for them. For any coloured kidney variety 
Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, offered a first prize of £1, and in that class 
Mr. R. Dean was first. I was amused to see one of your contem¬ 
poraries state particularly the donors and winners of the prizes, 
but curiously omit the donor of this ; and no wonder, as it shows 
a principle seldom found in the true gardener’s circle, and one 
not likely to encourage exhibitors.—J. Muir, Margcm. 
Blue Hydrangeas. —I have just arrived at the Leenane Hotel 
Co. Galway, the very centre of Connemara, on the edge of Killery 
Bay, and with the broad Atlantic in the distance, and amoug the 
various items of horticultural interest are the above, which I find 
