JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
334 
other matters in connection with this subject that are 
worthy of record. I am particular in acknowledging 
my indebtedness for information, because I know 
nothing more unfair, nothing more regretable. than 
the practice that exists of appropriating information in 
a clandestine manner in the manufacture of articles 
founded on the experience of others and passing them 
off, in whatever form and under whatever guise, as the 
genuine productions of the operator. 
To resume. For comprehending the relative dif¬ 
ferences between the two kinds of leaf soil alluded to, 
it is necessary that the full import of the terms em¬ 
ployed—“decay” and “fermentation”—be clearly 
understood; for although the mechanical results of 
both are the same—decomposition, yet there is a great 
chemical difference attending the two processes of re¬ 
ducing leaves to soil. During the heating or fermen¬ 
tation of leaves in large heaps, acids and gases are 
formed in the absence of oxygen that are inimical to 
plant-growth either positively so by their nature or 
practically so by the excess in which they are presented, 
this excess being most indubitably injurious. Decay 
without fermentation is a steady process of oxidation, 
different from putrefaction, being dependent on the 
presence of oxygen or air. It is this that gives the 
brown colour to the mass similar to that produced by 
scorching by fire. This is true leaf soil—humus, in its 
best form for the use of plants, and it can be obtained 
from the surface of the ground in Oak and Beech woods 
as well in one country as another. 
Mr. Van Geert mentioned to me a fact which at the 
moment I thought singular—that leaf soil the produce 
of trees grown on sandy land is very much superior to 
that obtained where the trees grow in deep rich ground; 
and not only so, but the quantity is much greater in 
the former case than the latter. Leaves that fall from 
trees on rich land quickly decay to what may be termed 
the vanishing point; but leaves falling on poor sandy 
land decompose slowly, and leave a residue of valuable 
brown vegetable matter perfectly sweet and of consider¬ 
able fertilising power. The reason for the difference 
noted may be twofold. First, a sandy soil is usually 
dry and water passes from the surface freely, hence the 
decay of the leaves would naturally be less rapid than 
if resting on a saturated base. Secondly, trees grown 
on poor sandy or thin gravelly land contain more 
ligneous fibre, are less “ sappy ” and closer in the grain 
than trees are on richer soil; and the leaves also 
doubtless vary in the same way, those grown on sandy 
soil containing more fibre than the more succulent 
foliage of luxuriant trees. However, whatever the 
cause of the difference in the quality and quantity of 
the decayed matter, the facts of the case are worth 
recording. 
Mr. Yan Geert further stated, and the hint may be 
useful to collectors of vegetable matter from planta¬ 
tions, that leaf soil taken from ditches or hollows where 
it naturally accumulates in large quantities is very 
inferior to that gathered on the level surface where it 
has been fully exposed to the air. Leaf soil, then, 
should never be taken from ditches, as some of it there 
found is worthless, if not worse than that—injurious. 
Just one other hint of the excellent horticulturist, 
and this, too, a little curious. It is this. If there are 
any old hollow pollarded Willows which have stood for 
generations the vegetable matter enclosed in their 
shells is the best of all leaf soil, and should be pre¬ 
[ April 26, 1883. 
served for any choice plants that it is desired to grow 
quickly, or for restoring to health any that are in a 
sickly condition. 
This is the teaching of a gentleman whose long ex¬ 
perience and great success entitles him to be listened 
to with respect, and the condition of his plants in his 
small Antwerp nursery—from the Azaleas and Camel¬ 
lias to the magnificent Palms Coryplia australis and 
Latania borbonica, that were not surpassed at Ghent, 
to the beautiful Bays, and the general stock in his 
larger establishment at Calmptliout—shows that he 
practises more than he preaches, and this is more than 
can be said of everybody now-a-days at home or abroad. 
I thank Mr. Yan Geert for his hints on leaf soil, which 
will be of service to many readers. Perhaps on another 
occasion I may refer to the Belgian method of growing 
Azaleas.—J. Weight. 
PROFITABLE POTATO-GROWING. 
About two years ago a Committee of the House of Commons 
sat for some time to inquire how the great losses to this 
country by the Potato disease could be prevented, or, if not 
prevented, considerably reduced. They examined a great 
number of witnesses both scientific and practical, collected 
together a large body of evidence, and published a report with 
certain recommendations ; but since then nothing has been 
done, and I fear unless public attention is drawn to the matter 
the subject will drop out of sight altogether. That would be 
a pity. The successful growth of the Potato is an important 
question for this country. Potatoes form a considerable por¬ 
tion of the food of the people, and, as I say in my book on the 
Potato disease, they are a crop which we ought to be able to 
grow in this country as well or better than they can be pro¬ 
duced in any other, but we must set about it in the right way 
and make the best use of our opportunities. 
There is no doubt our losses have been much less since the 
introduction of what are called disease-resisting Potatoes. It 
is possible, as I before remarked, with care and confining your 
growth to one or two Potatoes to escape loss by the disease 
altogether, but we very much want some more disease-resisting 
Potatoes, particularly one which would come in about the same 
time as the Early Rose. The Potato-crop Committee recom¬ 
mend the establishment of several stations in different parts 
of the country to grow new varieties of the Potato and make 
experiments, &c. There is no need for this. It would cost a 
considerable sum of money, and I think the end in view would 
be more readily obtained by offering a few £100 prizes for 
the class of Potatoes required. I think we should soon have 
them. I would offer £100 for the best early disease-resisting 
Potato, and £50 for the second ; £100 for“a second early to 
come in about the same time as Early Rose, and £50 for the 
second ; £100 for a late round, and £50 for the second ; and 
£100 for a late kidney-shaped, and £50 for the second. All 
these to be for seedling Potatoes not in commerce, to resist the 
disease well, and to be of fair quality. In addition to this I 
would offer £200 for a Potato which would entirely resist 
the disease. I thought I had found the philosopher’s stone, 
for I have one which I grew for five years entirely free from 
the malady, but alas ! this spring I found one diseased tuber. 
Raising seedling Potatoes is an interesting amusement to 
those fond of gardening. The seeds are sown on a cool hot¬ 
bed in spring (now is a very good time), and when the seed¬ 
lings are 3 or 4 inches high they are transplanted to the open 
ground at the end of May or beginning of June, and well 
earthed up whilst growing. The produce varies very much. 
Sometimes you have a dozen or more tubers under a root nearly 
large enough for cooking ; at another time disease takes the 
young plants before they have made much growth, and then 
the young Potatoes are only about as larg.e as peas. 
But to return to the original point. Our agricultural affairs 
are in a very depressed condition, and we want a little assist¬ 
ance from the Government. The Americans are collecting and 
disseminating information all over their country as to the most 
