3G8 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ October si, isso. 
being about the size of a sparrow’s egg and bright red in colour. 
Employed as they are at Kew, dotted between the other foliage 
plants, it is really surprising what a cheerful appearance they 
have. That was the first time 1 had seen them grown in pots, and 
under more liberal treatment it would make a plant worthy a 
place in a conservatory. Intermixed with foliage and flowering 
plants it would have a very pretty effect.— Visitoe. 
GLADIOLUS DISEASE. 
“ R. P. B.,” on page 323, has struck what I hope is but a key¬ 
note to an interesting overture. I with him await with interest 
the contribution of “ D., Deal," with regard to this year’s ex¬ 
perience. I have now successfully cultivated these, the grandest 
of all our autumn flowers, for several years. This I may say, 
after the testimony expressed in the presence of our friend “ D., 
Deal," at Helensburgh, and the fact that an extra prize was 
awarded me last month at the Show of the Royal Caledonian 
Horticultural Society in Edinburgh. What is the sequel ? I 
have drawn out of the ground and burnt the corms that produced 
the spikes so much admired in the Waverley market. Among 
these was De Mirbel which never failed me before This I flowered 
literally from bottom to top, and those who grow the variety will 
know what nineteen open flowers of De Mirbel mean. Then 
followed, I mean to the waste heap and cremation, Adolphe 
Brongniart, Andromeda, Brennus, Carnation, Daubenton, Lady 
Bridport, Le Phare, Pictus, Psyche, and others. Now comes 
the difficulty. I once wrote to our Journal on the same sub¬ 
ject, and specified Madame Desportes, Meyerbeer, and Ondine 
as the varieties that failed regularly with me and my neighbour 
amateurs. Well, one out of three corms of Madame Desportes 
has gone, and not one of the others I have mentioned as bad 
keepers, and which I made up my mind to purchase every spring. 
—A Noetheen Amateue. 
PLANTING POTATOES IN THE AUTUMN. 
I HAVE been preparing some ground to-day, more by w r ay of 
experiment than otherwise, for early Potatoes, and wish to draw 
the attention of the readers of the Journal to a subject of import¬ 
ance, with the hope that those who habitually plant at this time 
of the year may be induced to give us their experience. A few 
words on each of the following heads would be useful—the soil, 
sets, manure, and preservation against frost. The main point to 
be kept in view is the latter, and this must be borne in mind 
when considering all the rest. The soil cannot be too friable from 
this standpoint, as frost cannot enter so easily nor moisture be 
retained as if not possessing that characteristic ; and the non¬ 
retention of moisture means that the sets are less liable to decay 
and the soil less liable to be congealed. I am using a prepared space 
by a warm south wall. The sets have been thoroughly ripened and 
greened ; and though I have had the large tubers cut and cau¬ 
terised with slaked lime, I prefer for this planting to use whole small 
tubers, as being healthier and less liable to decay in a wet season. 
At present I am trying Ashleaf Kidney, Early Rose, and Bresee’s 
Peerless, still keeping in view their preservation in early spring. 
I am using old hotbed manure exposed some time and now rather 
dry. In any soil with this no moisture can lodge. I do not agree 
with those who recommend no manure for autumn Potatoes. As 
a precautionary measure it is generally recommended to put the 
sets 2 inches deeper than usual.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
Will you kindly answer the following questions through the 
Journal of Horticulture ? My master went out last week and 
saw the best (as he said) horticulturist in England, who told 
him to plant Potatoes in October, as they are much better than 
those planted in spring. The gentleman told him the system 
was quite a new one. I ventured to say it was not new, as 
I feel sure I read of it in the Journal a long time back. Can 
you tell me tie numbers it is in, how old the practice is, and 
where it originated ? Our Potatoes are to be planted at once.—■ 
Wimbledon. 
[This “ new ” mode of planting Potatoes in the autumn is in 
reality a very old one. So far as we know the first person who 
publicly advocated autumn planting was Mr. James Tindall, gar¬ 
dener to J. Errington, Esq., of Beaufort House, Durham. He has 
stated that he adopted the practice in 1820, and published his 
recommendation in the “ Transactions of the Horticultural Society 
of Durham.” In the very first number of the Cottage Gardener 
the system is referred to approvingly, and in the first half-yearly 
volume more is published relative to the practice than probably 
in any other work. In the years 1844, 1845, and 1846 the 
practice was adopted by many cultivators, and often very suc¬ 
cessfully. For instance, Mr. Barnes of Bicton, who was known 
as one of the most practical gardeners of the day, wrote as follows 
in 1846 :—“ We have had astonishing crops of Potatoes this season 
from the autumn-planted, and what we have left in store keep 
very well in charred matters. Our seed tubers, too, at present 
are soupd and good, having no appearance of disease ; but then 
they have been well dressed with soot and charred sawdust, with 
a small portion of slacked lime added, and well greened. I am 
quite satisfied with them at present. Though our autumn-planted 
crops are so abundant, we have none worth digging or taking up 
from those planted in spring.” 
Yet notwithstanding much evidence that was published in 
favour of the practice the system never became general, possibly 
because it was not always correctly carried out, that it did not 
succeed equally well under all seasons, or it was not well adapted 
for all soils and districts. It is certain that the plan never 
became common in the large Potato-growing districts of Lincoln¬ 
shire and Yorkshire, nor was it practised or advocated by such 
experienced cultivators as Mr. Fenn or the late Mr. R. Fish ; nor 
is it adopted now by such gardeners as Mr. Abbey, Mr. Luckhurst, 
and others ; indeed, the gieat majority of gardeners find it ad¬ 
vantageous to store and prepare the seed intelligently and plant 
in spring. This also is, we think, the practice of the Potato 
fanciers whose object is to grow the best produce for exhibition. 
Potatoes that have been planted in autumn in some strong soils 
have not come up regularly on account of the soil settling so 
close and firmly round the tubers by the winter’s rains, and then 
being “ baked ” by the sun in early spring. The land also, under 
field culture at any rate, could not be so well cleaned when 
planted in autumn, and weeds often gained the ascendency. In 
your district the soil is light, and autumn planting will probably 
succeed. Try it and let us know the result. The tubers should 
be covered 6 inches deep, and they will be safe from frost; in 
colder localities they should be planted a little deeper. We will 
readily publish the experience of those who have proved the 
advantages or disadvantages of this very old system of culture.] 
EVERLASTING PEAS. 
The Everlasting Peas seem to me neglected. They may be 
made to do good service in many aspects. Perhaps their best 
position is a back row in large borders and open spaces in the 
shrubbery, and covering old stumps. They are fine on lawns, 
and for trelliswork and rockery. We do sometimes see Lathyrus 
latifolius and L. latifolius albus, L. splendens, L. tuberosus, L. 
grandiflorus, L. mutabilis, and L. maritimus ; but others, such as 
Lathyrus rotundifolius, one of the most beautiful of the race, 
ought to be in every herbaceous border, but is seldom seen. It 
grows to the height of 6 feet in good loam, and is covered with a 
profusion of beautiful reddish-crimson flowers for a long time in 
the summer. Lathyrus magellanicus is very beautiful. I do not 
mean what many know as Lord Anson’s blue Pea. There appears 
to be some confusion between this and L. magellanicus, which is 
from Cape Horn introduced many years ago, a bluish-purple 
Everlasting Pea. I am afraid this will be very bad to meet with ; 
I have not seen it for a long time. Can any of the readers of our 
Journal tell us where it can be obtained ? Such a plant ought not 
to remain neglected. There are others that might be named, but 
the above will suffice ; they are useful where cut flowers are in 
demand. Good sandy loam will meet their requirements. They 
cannot endure stagnant moisture, though bearing drought well. 
They may be increased by division, but are more readily increased 
by seed sown either in pots or borders in the spring.— Lathyeus. 
FUNGI A CAUSE OF DISEASE. 
We appear to make but little progress in our discussion of this 
subject, for Mr. Luckhurst seems solely occupied with the object 
of endeavouring to support the opinions he has so often expressed 
in the pages of the Journal; and I cannot help thinking that if he 
were not quite so positive in his assertions, and manifested more 
desire to discover the correct view of the matter, it would give 
more chance of our arriving at an understanding. I accept the 
explanation that his remarks only apply to the three instances 
we have discussed, but I am not the only individual who placed 
a wider signification upon his first statement ; and if it was origi¬ 
nally intended to apply only to the Potato disease, Peach blister, 
and the shanking of Grapes, the expression “ every instance ” was 
misleading. He also could not have read my last communication 
very carefully, or he would have seen that I did not imply in any 
way that he was alone in his opinion, for my remarks applied to 
the shanking of Grapes, the fungoid cause of which has been ad¬ 
vanced by Mr. Harrison Weir and only by him as far as I know 
