JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 12, 1883. ] 
303 
*Late Regent, *Paterson’s Victoria, and *Scotch Champion. Manures 
and Application.—Manure is put on during winter, and the ground 
thrown up into ridges feet wide. I prefer manure for the Potato 
ground from old hotbeds well decomposed. General Culture.—When 
planting time comes level the bottom of the drills and plant about 
15 inches apart, and level the ridges on the seed. Hoe to keep down 
weeds; when ready fork between the rows and earth up.— Peter 
Rintoul, Raith Gardens, Kirkcaldy. 
Forfarshire. —1. 1st April to the middle. Old Ashleaf Sidney, 
Sandringham Early Kidney, and *Myatt’s Prolific. Soil.—Medium rich 
free soil. 2. 1st of March to the middle of April, according to weather. 
Fortyfold, White Don, ^Schoolmaster, and *Hagnum Bonum. Soil.— 
From medium to heavy, porous. 3. 1st March to middle of April, 
according to the state of the weather. *Paterson’s Victoria and 
♦Scotch Champion. Soil.—Light to medium, open gravelly subsoil. 
Manures and Application.—When the land is in good heart manure 
is given sparingly, but in light poor soil a heavy manuring is neces¬ 
sary to procure a paying crop, as well as thoroughly working the 
soil. Farmyard manure is preferred. General Culture.—All the 
kidneys for early use are started into growth before planting out, 
hence the reason why they are not planted so early, it being neces¬ 
sary to have a little sun heat in the soil to preserve the growth already 
formed. I find later varieties do best when planted early, providing 
the weather is dry. All the names given are sorts grown here for 
years, and among many other sorts I have found these the most 
satisfactory in every respect.— Geo. Johnston, Glamis Castle. 
Kinrosshire. —1. From 1st of February till end of March. Old 
Ashleaf, Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf, and Veitch’s 
Improved Ashleaf. Soil.—Medium. 2. From 1st of March till end 
of April. Lapstone Kidney, Snowflake, Forty fold Red, and School¬ 
master. 3. From 1st of March till end of April. Regent, Paterson’s 
Victoria, Magnum Bonum, and Champion. Manures and Application. 
—For the first earlies I apply manure in autumn or winter, with a 
little ordinary farmyard manure well decayed, and at planting time 
I give some leaf soil. For my second earlies and iates I give ordi¬ 
nary farmyard manure, and sometimes the ashes of our primings 
and any other rubbish that will burn. General Culture.—Last year 
after the early kidneys were over I had to begin the late ones, as 
my second earlies were entirely destroyed by the disease. Magnum 
Bonum and Champion stood well.— John Fortune, Blair Adam. 
East Lothian. —1. Middle of March. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf 
Kidney, *Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf, Smith’s Early Round (syn. Smith’s 
Curly), and Coldstream Early. 2. In garden third week of April. 
*White Don (round), Early Fortyfold (round), *Grampian (round), 
and Covent Garden Perfection (kidney). 3. April to third week in May. 
Walker’s Regent, Victoria, *Scotch Champion, and *Magnum Bonum. 
Soil.—In good condition for from 2 to 3 feet in depth. Rich in lime, 
naturally deficient in phosphates and potash. Subsoil generally 
gravelly or sandy, in parts disintegrated trap. Geological formation 
(underlying) old red sandstone. Manures and Application.—For Nos. 
1 and 2 for three-quarters of an acre (imperial) 2J cwt. superphos¬ 
phate of lime, 2 cwt. chloride of potash, 1^ cwt. sulphate of ammonia, 
without dung, employed in a fine condition, mixed with equal pro¬ 
portions of dry fine soil, sown along the drills as Potatoes are planted. 
No. 3 in field, per acre, 15 tons cattle manure, 3 cwt. best bonemeal, 
3 cwt. superphosphate of lime, 1 cwt. nitrate of soda. In certain 
conditions 3 cwt. chloride of potash is added. Sown in drills. 
General Culture.—In the case of first and second earlies our treat¬ 
ment in the garden is noted ; in that of late varieties that of one of 
the most eminent farming families has been noted. A change of 
seed is found of great benefit with all kinds. Lawes’ “ Special ” 
Potato manure is used somewhat extensively. The ammonia in 
this manure is obtained from sulphate of ammonia ; it is adapted for 
the more loamy class of soils.—R. P. Brotherston, Tyninghame. 
Midlothian. —1. Middle of January. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf 
and Coldstream. Soil.—Warm light soil; south aspect. 2. February. 
Grampian, Dalmahoy, and Regent. Soil.—Medium and dry soil. 
3. March and April. Victoria, Champion, and Magnum Bonum. 
Manures and Application.—Manured for previous crop. No manure 
is given direct to the Potato crop. A dressing of lime previous to 
planting is beneficial.—M. Dunn, Dalkeith Gardens. 
West Lothian. —1. From the 1st of March to the middle of 
March. Smith’s Round, *Veitch’s Perfection, Mona’s Pride, and 
♦American Early Rose. Soil.—A free loamy soil, inclining to sandy 
subsoil. 2. Latter end of March. *Schoolmaster, Dalmahoy, *01d 
Round American, and *Myatt’s Prolific Ashleaf. 3. First or second 
week of April. *Magnum Bonum, Regents, *3cotch Champion, and 
♦Paterson’s Victoria. Manures and Application.—One part cow dung, 
two parts horse dung, three parts old hotbed, mixed up with three parts 
leaves and one of stable litter, the whole thrown into a heap until it 
cuts with the spade, and spread in the rows when the Potatoes are 
planted. General Culture.—In choosing Potato ground the first 
point is to get the highest part, with, if possible, a south aspect, 
keeping the same well exposed to the wintry weather with the 
surface loose and rough, planting when the ground is dry, and before 
giving a final earth-up going between the rows with a fork and 
raising the soil, but not turning it over.— John. Motes, Dalmeny 
Park Gardens, Edinburgh. 
STRAY NOTES. 
MONSTERA deliciosa. 
This handsome Aroid deserves to be more generally known 
and grown than it is. It is not only one of the most useful 
and effective of ornamental-foliage stove plants, but is also 
greatly esteemed for the luscious fruit which it produces when 
the plant has attained a fair size. In order, however, to 
thoroughly ripen the fruit, a high and moist temperature is 
necessary, in addition to which the fruit must be exposed to 
the sun’s rays as much as possible. 
My principal object, however, in writing this note is not to 
direct attention to its fruiting qualities so much as to its great 
adaptability for planting out to cover bare walls in plant stoves 
and tropical ferneries. In a large tropical fernery under my 
charge I had two plants growing most luxuriantly against the 
end walls, the long roots of which cling and penetrate into the 
interstices of the brickwork and descend for many feet into the 
rock beds below. The peculiar appearance of its roots thus rami¬ 
fying and descending in every direction, coupled with the beauti¬ 
fully cut or slit-like formation of its handsome dark-green foliage, 
renders it a most desirable plant for the purpose I have mentioned ; 
especially so when, as in our case, the interior of the fernery is 
arranged as naturally and as informally as possible. I need scarcely 
add that this Aroid, similarly to its congeners, requires abundance 
of moisture. 
AMARYLLISES AT MESSRS. VEITCH’S. 
During a hurried peep through the plant houses at Messrs. 
Veitch’s the other day I was astonished on entering the Ama¬ 
ryllis house to behold such a magnificent display of new seedling 
varieties of these useful plants. The centre stage of this house 
was laden with a remarkably well-grown batch of these bulbs, 
nearly all of which were carrying a profusion of very fine and 
gorgeously coloured flowers. Both Messrs. Veitch and their able 
grower deserve the highest praise for their unceasing devotion to 
the great task of improving these, as well as many other races of 
plants. 
STAPHYLEA COLCHICA. 
My attention was drawn to a batch of this plant in flower in 
one of the plant houses at the above nursery. The plants 
were growing in small pots, each plant carrying on the summit 
of its stem, which was, as nearly as I can recollect, about a 
foot in height, clusters of lovely white blooms accompanied with 
bright green pinnate foliage. Judging from what I saw I should 
say this is a desirable plant for early forcing for decorative 
purposes. These examples had been forced. 
CAMPHOR ASSISTING THE GERMINATION OP SEEDS. 
It is, I believe, not generally known that most seeds are greatly 
hastened in their germinating process by beiDg soaked, previous 
to sowing, in soft water, to a pint of which a lump of camphor 
about the size of a large nut has been added. I have tried this 
experiment on many vegetable seeds, such as Peas, Beans, &c., as 
well as Palms, Ricinus, and various other tropical seeds, which we 
often receive with very hard testas, many of which would require 
soaking for a long period in the ordinary way ; but with the addi¬ 
tion of camphor, as before stated, only a very short period of 
soaking is required. When time will permit I intend under¬ 
taking a series of experiments relative to the value of camphor, &c., 
in influencing or hastening the germination of seeds generally, 
and will, with the Editor’s permission, communicate the results in 
these columns.—T. W. S., Lee. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
April 10th. 
GROUPS of Rhododendrons from Messrs. Lane & Son, Daffodils from 
Barr & Son, choice Orchids and stove plants from Mr. B. S. Williams, 
Anemones from Messrs. Cannell & Sons, and miscellaneous flowering 
and fine-foliage plants from the Society’s Garden at Chiswick, con¬ 
stituted the greater portion of the display on Tuesday last, and well 
filled one side of the conservatory. 
Fruit Committee.— John Lee, Esq., in the chair. The following 
were also present:—Messrs. G. Goldsmith, J. Willard, L. Lyon, J. 
Roberts, Wm. Paul, J. E. Lane, W. Denning, A. W. Sutton, R. D. 
Blackmore, L. A. Killick, J. Woodbridge, F. Rutland, James Smith, 
