192 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 8, 1883. 
1. First week in November or first week in February. Rivers’ 
Royal Ashleaf, Myatt’s Prolific Asbleaf, King of the Earlies, and 
Porter’s Excelsior. Soil.—Grey sand on sandstone or limestone sub¬ 
soil. 2. End of February or first week in March. Dalmahoy, Daniel’s 
White Elephant, Walker’s Improved Regent, and Rector of Wood- 
stock. Soil.—Hazel soil on gravel subsoil. 3. From the middle of 
March to the middle of April. Magnum Bonum, Scotch Champion, 
Paterson’s Victoria, and Schoolmaster. Soil.—Sandy loam on mild 
brickearth or marl subsoil. Manures and Application.—For applica¬ 
tion in the autumn farmyard or stable manure or green vegetable 
crops such as late Turnips or Mustard dug or ploughed under. For 
the spring, artificial manures 5 cwt. of Peruvian guano and 4cwt. 
of German kainit, applied in admixture with damp ashes in the 
trench or furrow with the sets at planting time. We have found 
when guano formerly contained 14 per cent, of ammonia, that 5 cwt. 
alone proved superior to any amount of other kinds of manure 
which we could apply, and this was the case on all soils to all 
varieties of Potatoes under our experiments. General Culture.— 
Autumn cultivation must be done either by the spade or plough 
12 inches in depth, or to be effected by a cultivating implement or 
subsoiler with tines only immediately after harvest or earlier. Any 
couch or weeds to be forked out first week in November, and again 
before the last digging or ploughing the first week in February. 
Plant whole tubers of medium size not less than 9 inches deep either 
in the autumn or spring, in the first case to avoid frost, in the latter 
o avoid disease, for we have noticed that the soundest tubers always 
lie deepest in the soil in those seasons when the disease appears. 
Early sorts of Potatoes to be planted 18 inches in the lines and 22 
to 24 inches between the lines; the second earlies at 30 inches 
between the lines and 20 inches in the lines. The late sorts are 
planted 3 feet apart between the rows and 2 feet apart in the lines. 
In earthing at the wide distance the deeper the furrow the better.— 
Joseph Blundell, Land Agent, Southampton. 
Herefordshire. —1. Veitch’s Improved Asbleaf, Rivers’ Royal 
Ashleaf, and Mona’s Pride. 2. Lady Paget, Coldstream or Smith’s 
Early, and Covent Garden Perfection. 3. Lapstone, Snowflake, and 
Schoolmaster. Field. — Scotch Champion and Magnum Bonum. 
General Culture.—I have not grown twelve kinds of Potatoes, con¬ 
sequently I cannot undertake to name that number of varieties which 
shall eclipse the endless new sorts now bewildering the public ; but I 
grow the following, and find them suitable to my soil and requirements. 
I never use animal manure when planting. I plant early in February 
and March, place the tubers or sets on the surface of the ground, 
then dress with a mixture of charred earth, lime, and well-pulverised 
soil from old Vine borders. Ridges 9 inches high are then formed 
over the rows of sets, and the work is finished until the young growths 
begin to push through. Our soil being cold and heavy, I find sur¬ 
face planting favourable to quick growth and early maturity. Of 
the two varieties named for field culture, Champions are fast gaining 
upon Magnum Bonum, as they are superior in quality and command 
the best price in the market. Neither of them is disease-proof.— 
W. Coleman. Eastnnr Castle Gardens, Ledbury. 
Hertfordshire —1. Prom the middle of February. Old Ashleaf, 
Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, and Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf. Soil.—Light, 
on gravelly subsoil. 2. March. Smith’s Early or Coldstream, Rector 
of Woodstock, *Schoolmaster, and Dalmahoy. 3. From the middle 
of March to the middle of April. Paterson’s Victoria, Scotch 
Champion, and *Magnum Bonum. Manures and Application.—No 
manure is used unless ground is in poor condition, when stable 
manure is preferred. General Culture.—For first early Potatoes I 
usually select some good tubers of the old Ashleaf, laying them 
singly on the fruit-room floor or any light cool place until the first 
week in May. They have then made shoots from 3 to 4 inches long, 
and are planted on a warm sunny border in rows about 20 inches 
apart, laying them in the trenches as the ground is being dug, pro¬ 
tecting wdth boughs if weather is frosty. These are ready for table a 
fortnight earlier than those planted in February.— Richard Ruffett, 
Panshanger. 
1. 1st to middle of March, and the same time for the second 
earlies. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, *Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, Beauty 
of Hebron, and *Paterson’s Victoria. Soil.—These Potatoes are in¬ 
variably grown here in the gardens, and generally follow crops which 
have been previously dressed heavily with farmyard manure. The 
soil has only been under cultivation for six years, and is chiefly of a 
medium texture resting upon a gravelly subsoil. The soil 'is the 
same for the second earlies. 2. Prince Arthur, the *Schoolmaster, 
Huntingdon, and Covent Garden Perfection. 3. Middle to end of 
March. *Scotch Champion, *Magnum Bonum, and Wormleighton 
Seedling. Soil.—These are always cultivated on the farm, and the 
character of the soil is of a light, free, open texture 1 to foot in 
depth, resting upon a coarse gravelly substratum. Horse" manure 
is chiefly used for field cultivation ploughed in about the beginning 
of October at about eighteen loads per acre, and when planting w'e 
prefer using a sprinkling of Clay’s fertiliser before covering the sets 
with the plough. General Culture.—For the early varieties grown in 
the gardens the soil is thrown up into ridges 2£ feet wide, remaining 
in this state all the winter ; when planting the sets are placed between 
them and the ridges levelled. When sufficiently advanced the 
Potatoes are earthed up again and kept clean. The late varieties 
grown in the field are planted after the plough, setting the plough so 
that every third furrow is seeded, using medium-sized sets 1 foot 
apart and 2 feet 9 inches between the rows. When ready the horse 
hoe is applied between the rows, and they are ultimately earthed up. 
—J. Myers, The Grove, near Watford. 
Huntingdonshire. —1. Middle to the end of February. *Myatt’s 
Prolific Ashleaf, Extra Early Vermont, Hammersmith Kidney, and 
Alpha, very early. Soil.—Medium loam, and if possible a south¬ 
west aspect; well drained. 2. Beginning of March. *Paterson’s 
Victoria, Matchless, Snowflake, and York Regent. Soil.—Soil in¬ 
clined to be rather heavy. 3. The end of March and first week in 
April. *Magnum Bonum, Red-skinned Flourball, Champion, and 
Bresee’s Climax. Soil.—Generally rather a heavy loam. Manures 
and Application.—For early crops, half-decomposed leaves applied 
under and over the sets makes a good manure. The Potatoes come 
out clean, and generally of good quality. For later crops, spent 
hotbeds and stable litter I sometimes use. By incorporating them 
with the soil in the autumn before planting, and a little guano, not 
more than 4 cwt. an acre, sown over the drills at the time of planting 
before covering the seed, will both increase the quantity and improve 
the quality of the crop. General Culture.—The soil here is generally 
of a tenacious character and clay subsoil, so that named is what we 
use from necessity, not from choice. A plan that I find succeeds 
well is—In the autumn after applying the manure, dig deeply, and 
ridge up as roughly as possible in 3-feet ridges, thus leaving the soil 
well exposed to the atmospheric influences, which causes it to pul¬ 
verise and work much better in spring. Before planting level the 
bottom of the ridges with the prongs of a fork or a rough iron rake, 
then plant the sets and cover with the soil, then the seed is all sur¬ 
rounded by soil that has been well exposed to the weather. I have 
obtained larger crops from Potatoes planted m the middle of Novem¬ 
ber than from those planted alongside in spring, even after standing 
the severe winters of 1879, 1880, and 1880-81 ; but it is seldom 
that ground under crops can be secured in condition to carry it out 
on a large scale at the proper time.— William Kennedy, Kimbolton 
Castle. 
1. If the land is in good order the middle of March. *01d Ashleaf, 
*Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf, Beauty of Hebron, and Suttons’ First and 
Best. Soil.—Good deep loam on clay. 2. Middle March. School¬ 
master, ^Reading Russet, *Prizetaker, and Suttons’ Fillbasket. 3. 
Beginning of March. *Magnum Bonum. Reading Hero, ^Scotch 
Champion, and Paterson’s Victoria. Manures and Application.— 
Stable manure for the early kinds, with a dressing of soot and Amies’ 
manure or guano ; soot and Amies’ manure for late kinds after a crop 
that has been well manured the year before. General Culture.—Land 
should be dug or ploughed early before Christmas, and the oftener it is 
moved when dry the better. Plant early varieties 2 feet apart in the 
rows and 1 foot from set to set. Late kinds 3 feet apart and 1J foot 
between the rows, and thin them when well up, only leaving the 
two main shoots; earth up twice.— Robert Stowe, Kimbolton. 
1. Last half of February. *Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, *Myatt’s 
Prolific Ashleaf, *Early Shaw, and Coldstream. Soil.—Loam, medium 
texture, resting on gravel. 2. March. Lapstone, '♦Early Rose, 
*Dalmahoy, and Schoolmaster. 3. March. ’•'Magnum Bonum, *Pater- 
son’s Victoria, *Scotch Regent, and *Fluke. Manures and Appli¬ 
cation.—Stable and farmyard manure, well decayed, should be applied 
in the autumn, and if possible the land to be dug before Christmas 
and left rough. General Culture.—In planting the sets I prefer drills 
drawn 6 inches deep instead of dibbling, the first earlies 2 feet apart, 
the second and late varieties 30 inches. The sets should be at least 
a foot apart in the drills. When the plants are up two hoeings are 
beneficial before earthing to extirpate weeds and promote growth. 
A position fully exposed to the sun is essential for Potato culture, 
and the late kinds should not be dug until the skins are well set, and 
choosing, if possible, dry weather for harvesting them.— A. Harding, 
The Gardens, Orton Longueville. 
Kent. —1. Early in March. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf and Beauty 
of Hebron. Soil.—Heavy in all cases. 2. March. Schoolmaster. 
3. End of March. *Magnum Bonum and Champion. General Culture. 
—No manure is used here for Potatoes. Schoolmaster is a first-clas3 
Potato, but with us is very liable to disease. Magnum Bonum and 
the Champion are of the finest quality if left in the ground till 
October; some were not lifted till November last year, owing to 
the wet, and no Potatoes could be better. Schoolmaster, owing to 
its liability to disease, will not be grown again.— R. Gray, Chevening, 
Sevenoalcs. 
1. Early in March if the ground is suitable. Old Ashleaf, Veitch’s 
Improved Ashleaf, and Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf. Soil.—Light soil. 
2. Middle of March. Woodstock Kidney, Jackson’s Kidney, Beauty 
of Kent, and Schoolmaster. 3. For all varieties. Magnum Bonum, 
Paterson’s Victoria, Vicar of Laleham, and Champion. Manures and 
Application.—I chiefly use horse manure applied in the autumn ; but 
if the ground is very wet turn it up roughly, and throw the dung on 
the top with the ashes from all the burnt rubbish, and fork it in in 
spring.— Frederick Miller, The Gardens, Northdown, Thanet. 
