232 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 22, 1883, 
field culture, except, of course, that the plough must be substituted 
for the spade. I am sorry to find that many cultivators, especially 
cottagers, do not attach sufficient importance to the working of the 
soil. They think manure is the chief element of success; but for 
garden cultivation, where the ground is rich and has been manured 
for the previous crop, it is quite unnecessary, indeed it often does 
more harm than good, as the richer the ground the more disease there 
will be. Myatt’s Prolific is so well known that it needs no description. 
I consider it the best all-round early variety. Beauty of Hebron for 
light soils is good for all purposes, but on no account should it be 
planted on very rich or heavy soils, as from such its table qualities 
are anything but good. For second early varieties I can strongly 
recommend the two I have named. Fiftyfold is an enormous cropper, 
resists disease, and possesses excellent table qualities. The same 
may be said of Reading Russ-1, but that it is much handsomer in 
appearance. These two va-ietits were untouched by disease with me 
last year, although it was the worst year (except 1879) for disease in 
this neighbourhood that h is been experienced for a long time. I 
have placed Scotch Champion first on the list of late varieties, and 
for the reason that as grown on the soil about here (which is light 
and sandy, resting on a rock of sandstone), it has no equal as a late 
variety for table qualities ; and were I asked to name one late 
variety for light, shallow, and poor soils I should have no hesitation 
in recommending Scotch Champion. Unfortunately it has deep eyes, 
in consequence of which it do< s not take well in the market. Reading 
Hero is an excellent cropper, disease-resister, and table variety; its 
greatest drawback is its very luxuriant haulm. Magnum Bonum is 
not good here, but I have seen excellent crops obtained from medium 
and heavy soils, and it sel ! s well in the market. The same remarks 
apply to Schoolmaster. Regents and Victorias will not do at all 
here, they seem to be quite worn out. I think that in the course of 
a year or two we shall have some new varieties of sterling merit, 
as Potato raisers are now on the right track. Cosmopolitan sent out 
last year is a promising early variety, but as I grew a limited quan¬ 
tity of it I aui unable at present to say more about it.— J. Hughes, 
I'jjdon Hall Gardens , By field. 
1. First week in April for all the sections. *Empress Eugenie, 
W ilson’s Early Frame, and Myatt’s Ashleaf. Wilson’s Early Frame 
Potato is the earliest 1 know, and has all the good cropping qualities 
of Myatt’s Ashbaf. Soil.—Rich old garden soil well manured. 
2. Rector of Woodstock, Porter’s Excelsior, *Beauty of Hebron, and 
Milky White. I consider Beauty of Hebron the best. Soil.—Medium, 
resting on gravel, manured every two years at the rate of 10 tons to 
the acre. 3. *Scotch Champion, Magnum Bonum, Uxbridge Kidney, 
and *Wormleighton’s Seedling. I consider Wormleighton’s Seedling 
to be the coming Potato, but the Champion is at present the most use- 
fnl. Soil.—Medium, resting on gravel; no manure used since land 
was broken up for the purpose two years since (having previously 
had a rrop of Turnips fed off with «heep), and we find last year’s crop 
to be the soundest and best by far, and not containing any with 
hollow centres. Manures and Application.—Champions are grown 
on sandy land three years in succession without any manure. The 
manure we use for Potatoes generally is farmyard manure, 10 tons 
to the acre.^R. Gilbert, Buryhley Gardens, Stamford. 
Northumberland. —1. About the middle of February. Old Ash¬ 
leaf, Alpha, and Sandringham. Soil.—I have had strong loam, sandy 
loam, and gravel soil. 2. About the middle of March. Fortyfold, 
Rector of Woodstock, and Porter’s Excelsior. 3. About the middle 
of March. Rintoul’s White Don, Lapstone Kidney, and Magnum 
Bonum. Manures and Application.—After more than twenty years 
of Potato planting I have found that the less manure Potatoes re¬ 
ceive in gardens the better, and I never give them any. I employ 
with the sets plenty of leaf soil, which I find they like well. If the 
ground has be* n pieviously dug I set the line, and with a draw hoe 
take out an opening about 4 inches deep, and after planting the Pota¬ 
toes I cover them with about 3 inches of leaf soil or half-decayed 
leaves, then with the hoe draw on the soil over the leaf soil or half- 
decayed leaves, and this forming a low drill. Should weeds appear 
before the Potatoes they can bedestroyed with the Dutch hoe. Pota¬ 
toes should never be planted if the soil is wet, as it becomes too hard 
and they do not like it. Before earthing-up the soil should be well 
forked over.— Wm. MoCombik, The Gardens, Mitford Hal!, Morpeth. 
Nottinghamshire. —1 . March. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf and 
Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf. Soil.—Light, sandy, or medium. 2. First 
week in April. Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf and Porter’s Excelsior, the 
latter a wonderful cropper. Soil.—Light and medium soils suit 
them best. . 3. First week in April. A variety called Haigh’s 
Improved Kidney does well here, also Schoolmaster, and Magnum 
Bonum. Soil.—Medium and strong. Manures and Application.— 
Farmyard manure is dug in the ground, and a little malt coombes 
applied round the stems when earthed up I find very good for early 
varieties. For second and late varieties farmyard manure is dug in, 
and the drills dressed at p’anting time with rape dust or soot and 
lime to great advantage. Salt at the rate of 5 cwt. per acre is very 
good previous to digging. General Culture.—We plant early varieties 
in rows 3 feet apart. Four feet apart for second ea-lies after earthing 
up leaves a good space to plant Eclipse and Yeitch’s Autumn Giant 
Cauliflowers or B usselt Sprouts. Plant late varieties 5 feet apart 
by 2 feet, which leavt-s good s; ace for Broccoli between. We earth 
the rows like rows of Celery.—T hos. H. Sutton, The Gardens, Work' 
sop Manor. 
Oxfordshire. —1. March, also for the second earlies. Yeitch’s 
Improved Ashleaf, Early Hammersmith, Myatt's Prolific Ashleaf, 
and Rector of Woodstock. Soil.—Medium. 2. Edgcott Seedling, 
Woodstock Kidney, and Grampian. 3. End of March or early in 
April. Magnum Bonum, Reading Hero, Bresee’s Prolific, and Vicar 
of Laleham. There are several new varieties I think highly of, but 
have grown them one season—viz., Suttons’ First and Best, Suttons’ 
Early Border, Reading Russet, and Fortyfold. Manures and Appli¬ 
cation.—No manure used, the ground being previously well manured 
for other vegetables. General Culture.—The ground is dug two 
spits deep, and again dug with five-tined steel forks and thoroughly 
broken.— William Finlay, The Gardens, Wroxton Abbey, Banbury. 
Rutlandshire.— 1 . First week to end of February. The old Ash¬ 
leaf, Uxbridge Kidney, and Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf. Soil.—Medium, 
planted on south border. 2. Middle to end of March. Snowflake, 
International Kidney, Rector of Woodstock, and Beauty of Hebron. 
Soil.—Heavy, also for the late varieties. 3. Middle to end of April. 
Schoolmaster, Magnum Bonum, Fortyfold, and Paterson’s Victoria. 
Manures and Application.—Old hotbed material and burnt refuse from 
garden are dug in during the winter season. No artificial manure 
used. Soil naturally good. Uxbridge Kidney procured from Mr. 
Gilbert of Burghlev is decidedly the best cropper of the early 
varieties. General Culture.—Ground winter-dug, trenches taken out 
at planting time with the spade. The first trench taken out at end 
of quarter, the next trench taken out to cover Potatoes planted in 
first trench, and so on through the quarter. Distance from 2 to 3 feet 
between rows according to varieties, the sets from 10 inches to 1 foot 
apart.— John Lindsay, Exton Park , Oakham. 
Shropshire. —1. April for all the sections. Mona’s Pride, *Myatt’s 
Prolific, Beauty of Hebron, and Early Bird. Soil.—Light. 2. Wood- 
stock Kidney, Gloucestershire, *Schoolmaster, and International. 
Soil.—Medium. 3. *Magnum Bonum, Scotch Champion, Vicar of 
Laleham, and White Elephant. Soil —Heavy. Manures and Appli¬ 
cation.—Farmyard manure is applied at the time of planting.— James 
Ricks, Oakley Park, Market Drayton. 
Somersetshire. —1. On a warm border early in February. In the 
open towards the end of March. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, Rivers’ 
Ashleaf, Suttons’ First and Best (round), and *Beauty of Hebron. 
Soil.—Medium. 2. End of March. ’Bliss's Triumph, *Suttons’ 
Early Regent, Lapstone Kidney, and Woodstock Kidney. Soil.— 
Medium, clay subsoil. 3. Early in March as possible. *Schoolmaster, 
^Reading Hero, ’Magnum. Bonum, and *Scotch Champion. Soil.— 
Rather heavy, stiff clay subsoil. Manures and Application.—The 
early borders, being heavily manured for preceding crop, receive a 
dressing of lime only, applied in a quick state a few days prior to 
planting. The ground for the bulk of earlies and second earlies is 
usually heavily dressed with a mixture obtained from a large heap 
of decomposed garden rubbish applied when planting. The land fol¬ 
iate varieties receives a liberal dressing of horse manure, and either 
soot or superphosphate of lime is dusted in the drills. General 
Culture.—We attach much importance to the preservation of the 
central sprout, especially those on the kidney varieties. We plant 
in shallow drills and earth up heavily, more particularly the late 
varieties. Earlies on warm borders are planted in rows 2 feet apart, 
and the sets 9 inches asunder, while those in the open receive another 
(5 inches. The same distance (30 inches) is found sufficient for the 
second earlies and Schoolmaster. The more vigorous late varieties 
are planted in rows 3 feet apart, and the sets 12 inches asunder. 
This proved ample room last season.—W. Iggulden, Marston 
Gardens, Frome. 
1. End of February or early in March. Carter’s Champion, Veitch’s 
Improved Ashleaf, and *My-att’s Prolific. Soil.—Garden Crops.—Soil 
varies ; naturally a loam of medium texture. The upper portion has 
through long cultivation and enrichment become a light soil, while 
the low-lying ground, originally heavy, has been so ameliorated by 
the continued application of limestone siftings, road sand, ashes, Ac., 
as to be classed as medium. 2. End of March. *Fluke and *Dalma- 
hoy. Soil.—Field Crops.—Medium loam. 3. End of March or early 
in April. Victoria, ^Walker’s Regent, *Scotch Champion, and *Mag- 
num Bonum. Soil.—Field Crops.—Medium loam. Manures and 
Application.—In the garden culture of the earlies we prefer to plant 
without manure on ground liberally dressed with farmyard manure 
for the previous crop, or use well-decayed leaf soil and old Mushroom 
beds mixed, strewing it in the trenches under the sets. In the field 
we apply in the same way a mixture of burnt ashes from the common 
rubbish heap, sifted coal ashes, and malt dust well incorporated. The 
malt dust is an excellent, and in this vicinity a very popular Potato 
manure. General Culture.—The greater part of our early and all late 
supplies are grown in the open field, alternating as far a3 possible 
with root and grain crops, for which the land is heavily dressed with 
farmyard manure. Planting is done with the spade, digging the 
ground and placing the sets in front of the line as the work proceeds. 
The rows for earlies are 2 feet apart, 1 foot from plant to plant, 
and about 4 inches deep, and disposed in beds running east and west 
