504 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 2, 1880. 
of opinion on this point that I think the subject worth discussion 
in the Journal of Horticulture. —G. O. S. 
PROPAGATING THE POTATO. 
Messes. Hogg & Robertson have sent us the accompanying 
woodcut, which represents an instrument that has been employed 
for the purpose of taking 
out the eyes of Potatoes 
with as small a portion of 
the substance of the tuber 
as possible, so that the re¬ 
mainder may be used as 
food. The following expe¬ 
riments with it were made 
by Jolliffe Tufnell, Esq., of 
Dublin, and by whom they 
were recorded in the Irish 
Farmers' Gazette :—“I pur¬ 
chased the scoop in question, 
and proceeded to the esta¬ 
blishment of Messrs. Hogg 
and Robertson, Mary Street, 
and obtained from them , 
a Rock Potato weighing / 
5£ ozs., and containing nine 5 ^ v 
eyes. I scooped out each \ ^ f 
of the eyes, seven of which 1 
V 
were good and strong, and 
two very weak indeed. The --" 
weight of these nine eyes 
amounted only to 1^ oz. 
“ I took the eyes to the 
house of a friend—the Rev. 
Mr. Alcock, 38, Lansdowne 
Road, Dublin—and asked 
his permission to plant them 
in his vegetable garden, 
which he kindly granted, 
and they were set in good 
rich ground, as ordinarily 
manured with stable dung 
for the rest of his vegetables. 
They were put in a drill a 
foot from each other. Eight 
of these eyes vegetated and 
came up ; the ninth (one of 
the weak ones) died. These 
eight plants received no 
further treatment in the 
way of extra covering with 
earth or any artificial ma¬ 
nure. They were left to 
Nature, as any ordinary 
Potatoes, and dug upon the 
23rd of October—that is, 
six months after planting. 
“ The result was as follows: 
—The total number of Pota¬ 
toes under the eight stalks 
was 114, of these 52 were 
small, but many quite large 
enough for seed. Thirty- 
eight were table Potatoes of 
ordinary size, and thirteen 
very large, while only eleven 
showed any trace of spot or 
disease. 
“This scoop, I afterwards 
learned from Mr. Hensbaw, 
was never intended for the 
purpose to w’hich I put it, 
but i3 simply what the 
cooks employ for scooping 
out pieces of Carrots and Turnips for soups.” 
Fig. 91. 
PLANTS FOR HOUSE DECORATION. 
Plants for house decoration, as well as those that are useful for 
cutting, are what most gardeners require. I have to supply large 
quantities for both purposes with but little convenience, yet I 
have been rather successful. I will now, however, only enumerate 
those plants which are useful at this season of the year. Bouvar- 
dias Bridal Wreath, Yreelandi, and Maiden’s Blush are valuable 
varieties, being so free in blooming. Cyclamens raised from seed 
sown in January will flower the following autumn, and if grown 
in a rather warm house and kept moist during the summer they 
will produce from twelve to eighteen or more blooms. Plants of 
Solanum Capsicastrum from early-sown seed, grown in pots 
plunged in good soil on a south aspect (which I prefer to plant¬ 
ing out), will grow 18 inches high, as much in diameter, and be 
laden with berries. Chrysanthemums are extremely useful, the 
Japanese varieties being the best for cutting ; Elaine is very fine, 
and flowers early. Schizostylis coccinea succeeds best if shaken 
out of the pots the plants have bloomed in, placing the largest in 
9-inch pots ; this is better than planting them out, as is generally 
advised. Begonia fuchsioides, B. insignis, B. Saundersii, and B. as- 
cotensis should be grown to bloom through December and January 
with bulbs, Lily of the Valley, Spiraea japonica, Plumbago rosea, 
Poinsettias, the old white Azaleas, Euphorbia jacquinireflora, 
Linum trigynum, and Zonal Geraniums. The last-named, if not 
allowed to bloom during the summer and grown in the full sun, 
will flower well during the winter months. Calanthes of the 
vestita and Veitchii section are also very useful. From Christmas 
onwards many of those enumerated will continue a supply of 
flowers. The Bouvardias, if kept in heat, will bloom through the 
winter. Forced shrubs and Roses may be had in succession till 
they come in naturally out of doors. Chinese Primulas come in 
well about this time. The old Solomon’s Seal, if taken up, may 
be forced in a vinery just started ; it is one of the most beautiful 
plants grown. Cinerarias are good for -house decoration, but not 
for cutting. Dielytra spectabilis is useful if brought on gradually. 
In most gardens there are abundance of plants and cut blooms 
during the spring ; it is in the autumn and early winter that a 
scarcity occurs. All those named are well suited for house deco¬ 
ration. During the summer, show Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Cam¬ 
panula pyramidalis and C. calycanthema, Liliums, and Palms, are 
what we chiefly grow. I have omitted one plant which ought not 
to be passed unnoticed—namely, Dendrobium nobile, one of the 
most useful of Orchids, as it may be had in bloom with a succession 
of plants from November to June.— Florist. 
THE UPTON NURSERIES. 
Few towns can boast of such celebrated nurseries as Chester. 
The old town has many attractions, but the most interesting to all 
true horticulturists are the nu .’series, and among them that of 
Messrs. F. and A. Dickson & Sons. This is situated at Upton, 
about twenty minutes’ walk from the railway station, and is 
approached on one side from Upton Park, and on the opposite 
side by the main road leading from the city to Birkenhead. This 
is the principal entrance, and has a lengthy, wide, and well-kept 
drive, on each side of which is a border 30 to 40 feet wide, which 
is planted at the end near the road with hundreds of very effective 
Golden and Silver Hollies. Following the Hollies right and left 
are thousands of choice Conifers varying from 2 feet 6 inches to 
5 feet in height. Numbers of each variety are grouped together, 
and in the background are some fine specimens of Araucaria 
imbricata. Noticeable amongst the Conifers are Cupressus Law- 
soniana erecta viridis, C. L. gracilis, C. L. spica ; Retinospora 
filifera alba, R. pisifera gracilis, R. plumosa, and its beautiful 
golden form R. plumosa aurea, Abies Englemannii, A. Menziesii 
and others are very effective. This drive leads to the offices, 
packing sheds, and glass houses; but before reaching them the 
drive turns to the right, and at the left-hand corner a large quantity 
of Thujopsis borealis and its variety compacta are very con¬ 
spicuous ; they are fine specimens from 8 to 10 feet high. The 
border to the right is planted with specimen Hollies, Picea nobilis 
and P. Nordmanniana, Wellingtonias and choice shrubs, while the 
front of the border is made gay during the summer with bedding 
plants, and in winter with Daisies, Pansies, and others. 
The glass houses are very extensive, forming one of the principal 
features of the Upton Nurseries. During the past few years much 
attention has been devoted to the glass department, and in few 
of the provincial nurseries is there so great an extent. New 
houses are built every year—a sufficient guarantee that the trade 
in this department is rapidly increasing. The first two houses are 
90 feet long each and 9 feet wide filled with grafted Cupressus, 
Thujas, Retinosporas, Abies, Hollies, and choice Yews, with Toma¬ 
toes covering the roof, bearing an enormous crop of fruit, the 
variety grown being Dickson’s Improved Trophy. A house 
100 feet long is devoted to the propagation of Conifers, Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, and Clematises ; and another large house has recently 
been erected for specimens in pots. Three or four large houses 
are appropriated to Azaleas of the indica type, the majority in 
6-inch pots. Numbers are worked in the nurseries on stems about 
