Aprils 1883.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 275 
I described to him at the time the growth and flowering of a 
G. afflnis that I raised from seed purchased of Mr. Thompson of 
Ipswich, which is totally different from the Kew specimen. Mr. 
Thompson’s species enjoyed a place hy the side of the swampy 
Bavarian species. It grew about 1 foot high, quite erect, having 
rather distantly ohlong-lanceolate, obtuse, dark green leaves, about 
1 inch long. The flower-stems were terminated by clusters of 
rather small, but quite expanded, purple-blue flowers. On the 
whole a very meritorious species, and well worth a place in the 
bog garden. 
G. Kurroo, the Indian Gentian, is one of the most distinct 
species I have seen. It carries a bunch-like whorl of closely 
arranged, sheathing, lanceolate, recurving leaves, terminating the 
stem-like rootstock, which does not divide. The flowering stems 
decumbently radiate from amongst the older leaves, are bracteate, 
and bear singly at intervals very beautifully striped, well-formed, 
azure-blue flowers. They open only when the sun is bright. I 
will only mention one more, G. auvernensis, recently sent out by 
Messrs. Backhouse. It is after our British G. Pneumonanthe, but 
far superior in size and brilliancy of flower, enjoys drier parts of 
the bog. The above have been selected from a list of thirty-one 
kinds, but many have not been fully tried. I hope, however, at 
some future date to draw attention to some of these.—M. B. 
POTATOES FOR TABLE AND MARKET. 
(Continued frontpage 255.) 
WALES. 
In the following notes the figures 1, 2, and 3 indicate first early, second early, 
and late varieties ; the months the time of planting; and the asterisks those 
varieties that are considered the best for market purposes by the respective 
cultivators. 
Anglesea. —1. Early in February to early in March. Mona’s 
Pride, *Veitch’s Ashleaf, *Myatt’s Prolific, and Early Oxford. Soil. 
—Medium to heavy. 2. March. *Beauty of Hebron, *Fortyfold, 
*Covent Garden Perfection, and St. Patrick. 3. Middle of March to 
middle of April. *Magnum Bonum, ^Scotch Champion, and *White 
Rock. Manures and Application.—Generally ordinary farmyard or 
stable manure well decayed. For early kinds I usually dig the 
manure in during the winter, and open a trench with the spade for 
planting, using a dressing of well-decayed leaves or garden refuse in 
the trench. Kidney varieties are always started half to three-quarters 
of an inch before planting. Medium and late varieties are usually 
planted on the manure. General Culture.—The usual practice in this 
island, where Potatoes are largely grown for sale, is to spread the 
manure between the ridges opened by the plough from 32 to 36 inches 
apart. Artificial manures are comparatively little used for Potatoes. 
Providing the weather is favourable, the bulk of the planting is over 
by the first week in April. Seaweed is often used on light or sandy 
land near the sea, and with good effect. I have not observed Pota¬ 
toes to be more liable to disease when planted directly on the manure 
than if it is dug or ploughed in previous to planting and the tubers 
not in direct contact with it. I am of opinion that it is better to 
grow more of the early varieties, such as Myatt’s Ashleaf and other 
kinds ripening early, before the disease generally appears than is 
usually done. In cold wet seasons such late sorts as Champion and 
White Rock are often cut down when in full growth. The kinds 
last mentioned are the principal field Potatoes in this island ; Magnum 
Bonum on the same land is excellent in crop and quality, but not 
nearly so much grown. Beauty of Hebron is good in quality and 
crop, and is early.— Joseph Ellam, Bodorgan Gardens. 
Cardiganshire. —1. Second week in February. Suttons’ Ashleaf, 
^Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf, and *Myatt’s Ashleaf. Soil.—Rich light soil. 
2. First week in March. Suttons’ Woodstock Kidney, Suttons’ King of 
Potatoes, and Snowflake. Soil.—Medium soil. 3. Third week in March. 
*Suttons’ Magnum Bonum, Suttons’ Reading Hero, and *Schoolmaster. 
Manures and Application.—A dressing of lime and old hotbed manure 
for the garden crop. General Culture.—For main field crop work the 
ground well in fine weather, and have the soil as fine as possible. Give a 
good dressing of lime, and open trenches with the plough 30 inches 
apart. Apply a good dressing of farmyard manure in the trenches, 
setting the Potatoes on the manure 12 inches apart, and cover with 
the plough, leaving the ground in ridges. Suttons’ Magnum Bonum 
has proved to be the best Potato for the main crop both for quality 
and quantity ; it resists the disease better than any other kind, and it 
becomes a great favourite in this neighbourhood.— James Yearey, 
The Gardens, Goggerddan Ilall, Aberystwith. 
Carmarthenshire. —1. February. *Rivers’Royal Ashleaf, Early 
Rose, *Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, and Gloucestershire Kidney. Soil.— 
Light, and a damp climate. 2. March. Fortyfold, Lapstone, Gryffe 
Castle, and American Snowflake. 3. March. *Magnum Bonum, 
*Scotch Champion, the best late Potato grown, Yictoria, and School¬ 
master. Soil.—Medium. Manures and Application.—For early and 
second early sorts a good dressing of decayed manure should be dug 
in the ground a short time before planting. For late sorts, after the 
ground is dug trenches about 9 inches deep should be opened, some 
rather fresh manure being laid in the bottom and the Potatoes planted 
on it. General Culture.—Should the Potato haulm appear above 
ground before all danger of frost is over, a little soil drawn over it on 
a dry day will protect it. During April the ground should be hoed 
and forked to keep it loose, and when about a foot high they should 
be finally earthed up.— James Ticehurst, The Gardens, Dynevor 
Castle, Llandilo. 
Carnarvonshire. —1. First or second week in March. *Veitch’s 
Improved Early Ashleaf, *Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, and *Covent 
Garden Perfection. Soil.—Light and medium. 3. Not later than 
middle of April. *Magnum Bonum, *Scotch Champion, and Pater¬ 
son’s Yictoria. Soil.—Medium. Manures and Application.—We find 
nothing so good as good farmyard manure well decomposed.— Walter 
Speed, Penrhyn Castle, Bangor. 
Denbighshire. —1. March. Yeitch’s Early Ashleaf, *Myatt’s Pro¬ 
lific Ashleaf, Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf, and Beauty of Hebron. Soil.— 
Light loam, resting on gravel; sideland facing south. 2. End of March. 
^Captain White, Mona’s Pride, Snowflake, and *Dalmahoy. Soil.— 
Light and boggy vegetable soil, water 2 feet below the surface. 
3. End of March or first week in April. *Lapstone Kidney, 
*Magnum Bonum, *3cotch Champion, *Dunbar Regent, and 
^Victoria. Soil.—Very light, gravelly, very steep, sideland facing 
north. Manures and Application. — Farmyard manure dug in 
previous to planting. Peruvian guano strewn broadcast before 
earthing-up ; all the better if a shower of rain after the guano 
is strewn before earthing-up. General Culture.—I never plant too 
early. Keep the ground clean and well stirred with a hoe. The 
distance apart for early Potatoes is 18 inches each way, and for 
late varieties 2 feet between the sets, 2£ feet between the rows. 
Of Dalmahoys last year on the bog here twelve tubers carelessly 
picked off the heaps weighed 14 lbs., sound, and white as snow. 
Snowflake was also good on the same ground. Magnum Bonum gave 
a good crop of inferior quality. Mona’s Pride was also good. My 
favourite, the Fluke, I cannot grow here, although I have had tubers 
14 inches long; they are always taken with disease.— Abraham 
Hutty, Chirk Castle Gardens, Llangollen Road, Ruabon. 
1. First week in March. *Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, Myatt's 
Prolific ; *a seedling kidney raised here and grown largely, being 
highly prized on account of its productiveness and superior flavour ; 
*Covent Garden Perfection, *Mona’s Pride. Soil medium ; subsoil 
gravel. 2. First week in April. *Woodstock Kidney, *Beauty of 
Hebron, Schoolmaster. 3. Second week in April. *Suttons’ Reading 
Hero, a grand advance on our late varieties and valuable for market, 
*Magnum Bonum, ^Scotch Champion. Manures and Application.— 
Farmyard manure is dug in all vacant ground during autumn and 
winter months in readiness for spring planting at the time of planting 
the sets. I usually find good results accrue by applying a good 
sprinkling of wood ashes and soot in the drills with the sets. Fo’ - 
exhibition purposes I find Clay’s and Amies’ manures can be applied 
with good results.—J. Clarke, The Gardens, Brynkinalt. 
Flintshire. —1. Middle of March. Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf and 
*Mona’s Pride. Soil.—Light. 2. End of March. *Schoolmaster, 
Porter’s Excelsior, and Rector of Woodstock. 3. First week in April. 
^Reading Hero, *Magnum Bonum, and Grampian. Manures and 
Application.—Good decayed cow manure dug-in in the winter.— 
J. Forsyth, Hawarden Castle Gardens. 
Glamorganshire. —From February to the middle of March. Old 
Ashleaf, Myatt’s Ashleaf, Mona’s Pride, and Rector of Woodstock. 
Soil.—Light rich medium soil resting on gravel. 2. Middle of March. 
American Rose, ^Walker’s Early, *Schoolmaster, and Snowflake. 
3. Middle to the end of March. *Dalmahoy, *Paterson’s Victoria, 
*Scotch Champion,and *Magnum Bonum. Manures and Application. 
—Good stable manure. In the garden it is dug into the ground pre¬ 
vious to planting, and in the field it is spread in the drills and the 
Potatoes are planted upon it. General Culture.—The Potatoes in the 
garden are planted in drills 4 inches deep, and from 2 feet to 30 inches 
apart (according to the variety), and a foot between the sets. The 
only treatment they receive after this is to keep the ground clean 
by frequent hoeings and forking it between the rows previous to 
earthing them up. Those in the field are planted in drills 32 inches 
apart, and 15 inches from set to set. They are kept clear, drill- 
harrowed, grubbed, and finally earthed up with the plough.— 
A. Pettigrew, Castle Gardens, Cardiff. 
1. February. *Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf, Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, 
Suttons’ First and Best, and Beauty of Hebron. Soil.—Light from 
choice. 2. March. *Gloucestershire Kidney, Covent Garden Per¬ 
fection, *Prince Arthur, and Porter’s Excelsior. Soil.—Medium. 
3. April. *Magnum Bonum, *8choolmaster, *Champion, and Pater¬ 
son’s Victoria. Soil.—Heavy, but medium would be preferred. 
Manures and Application.—Ordinary manure, composed chiefly of 
horse and cow droppings, such as may be had from any farmyard, is 
the principal manure used for Potatoes here. It is spread over the 
surface and dug deeply into the whole of the ground. Of artificial 
