November 4, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
409 
leaves 28 inches long by 13 inches hroad. The plants have stood 7° of 
frost uninjured. 
- At a recent meeting of the Wakefield Paxton Society the 
subject for discussion was the Potato. Mr. T. Senior, the President, was 
in the chair, and the vice-chair was filled by Mr. Arthur Goldthorpe. The 
subject for discussion was introduced by Mr. Herbert ChapmaD, one of 
the Honorary Secretaries, who read a brief but excellent paper on “ The 
Potato,” some remarkably fine specimens being exhibited. Mr. Chapman 
referred to the introduction of the Potato into this country by Sir Walter 
Raleigh, spoke of its great value as an article of food, clearly and fully 
explained its chemical properties, and exhibited the results of an analysis, 
showing the proportions of sugar, starch, fatty matter, and other pro¬ 
perties contained in the Potato. An interesting discussion ensued, in 
which Messrs. Garnett, Carbert, Calvert, Thomas, Brown, Hudson) 
Preston, and others took part. On the motion of Mr. Carbert, seconded 
by Mr. Preston, St. John’s Nursery, and supported by Messrs. Garnett 
and Hudson, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Chapman for 
his paper, and then the members of the Society proceeded to test cooked 
specimens of various kinds of Potatoes. 
- With a view to drawing the attention of cultivators to the 
subject in a wider and more popular way than the learned Societies 
have done, it is proposed to hold a Potato Tercentenary Exhibition 
at the St. Stephen’s Hall, Westminster, from Wednesday, December 1st 
to Saturday, December 4th, and to appoint one of those days for a Con¬ 
ference, when some of the unsettled questions may be discussed. The 
exhibition will consist of four sections:—1. A historic and scientific 
collection, to include early works on Botany in which the Potato is 
figured ; maps showing the European knowledge of the New World three 
hundred years ago, and the proximity of Potato-growing districts to the 
ports most frequented ; early books on travel and voyages in which 
references to the Potato occur; works and papers in which attempts to 
define the different species are made ; illustrations of the species and 
varieties ; contemporary references to the voyages of Hawkins, Drake, 
Grenville, and Raleigh. 2. Illustrations of Potato disease, and Works on 
the subject. Sections 1 and 2 will be arranged under the advice of a 
committee of scientific gentlemen, who have consented to give their co¬ 
operation. 3. Methods of storing and preserving Potatoes ; methods of 
using partly diseased Potatoes ; Potato products of any kind. 4. A dis¬ 
play of tubers of the various varieties grown. It is hoped that 
a nearly complete series will be shown. In this section, gold, silver, and 
bronze medals will be awarded. Each exhibit must he accompanied by a 
statement of date of planting, locality, nature of soil, See. Full particulars 
will be found in entry form, to be obtained on application at the office, 
St. Stephen’s Hall, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, S.W. 
- The following gentlemen have consented to act as a Scientific 
Committee of Consultation, to co-operate with the Executive, in 
relation to the sections as below :—President, Earl Cathcart ; J. G. Baker, 
F.R.S., F.L.S. (Kew) ; Clements R. Maikham, C.B., F.R.S. ; George 
Murray, F.L.S. (British Museum); Worthington G. Smith, F.L.S.; 
J. Scott Keltie (Librarian R.G.S.); H. B. Wheatley, F S.A. ; and B. 
Daydon Jackson, F.L.S. Ihe following are the subjects to be dealt 
with :—1. Illustrations of the order Solanaceaa and the tuber-bearing 
species in particular. 2. Batatas, Yams, Ignahames, Sec., that in Eliza¬ 
bethan times were confounded with the Potato. 3. Distinct species of 
tuber-bearing Solanums. 4. Cultivation by the Incas. 5. Early cultiva¬ 
tion in the British Isles. 6. Cultivation at Chiswick. 7. Cultivation of 
species at Kew. 8. Cultivation at Reading and other places. 9. Potato 
disease (Phytophthora infestans). 10. Methods proposed for pre¬ 
venting the disease. 11. Other diseases affecting the Potato. 12. Chem¬ 
istry of Potato and of Batata as food. 13. Soils suitable for Potatoes, 
geologically considered. 14. Meteorology as affecting disease. 15. His¬ 
toric literature of the Potato. 16. Maps showing European knowledge 
of the New World in Elizabethan times, 17. Raleigh. 18. Drake. 
19. Hawkins. 20. Other voyages of Elizabethan reign. 21. Heriott. 
22. Gerard. 23. Statistics of produce. 
- Mr. R. Falconer Jameson, Hessle, sends this paragraph on 
A plague of aphides —“ About three or four weeks ago the East 
Riding of Yorkshire was visited by great clouds of the winged form of 
these troublesome pests, and we now seem to be reaping the result, as 1 
find that Chrysanthemum blooms just opening have quantities of the 
insects ensconced completely within ; in fact, right down at the tase of 
the florets. Partially developed blooms, which show no signs of animate 
life on the exterior, yet on the florets being parted with the fingers, are 
discovered to be the abode of numbers of wingless aphis. It would appear 
as though the wingless aphis had laid their eggs among the florets, and 
these eggs, which in ordinary course would lay dormant until the spring, 
have been hatched by the warmth of the atmosphere under the glass. 
Several fumigators are necessary to scotch the untimely visitors, as the 
smoke does not seem sufficiently penetrating to reach them in the interior 
of the blooms. The Yorkshire Weekly Post of the 9 th inst. contained a 
most interesting and instructive article by Mr. G. Paul, F.G.S., on the 
habits of these creatures.” 
CHALLENGE TROPHIES. 
As 1 anticipated, the insertion of my notes on this subject has 
brought me a considerable number of letters, some offering assistance, 
and others suggestions. These have been of various kinds, hut one idea 
seems to he very prevalent—viz., that it would be a great misfortune to 
divide the forces. This idea is excellently expressed by your corre¬ 
spondent, “ A Southern Amateur,” and I must confess that his arguments 
have considerable force, although I do not quite agree with the conclusion 
that he draws from them. 
The main objection which has been brought against the proposition 
(which, as 1 have already said, was made to me by northern growers), is 
that the competition for this would be too narrowed, and that there would 
not he the same kevdos in gaining a trophy for which all might not 
compete, as there would be in gaining one which was open to all comers. 
Should this take a decided form, I do not think that it would be obviated 
by altering the date of the metropolitan show, hut by arranging that the 
trophy should be competed for at the provincial, and not at the metro¬ 
politan exhibition. When the Society was established it was arranged 
at a meeting, which comprised all the best growers in the kingdom of 
that date, that the metropolitan show should be either in the last week 
in June or the first in July. Gradually however, whether owing to change 
in the seasons, or because experience determined that the former date was 
too early, the first Tuesday in July came to be the recognised date ; but 
older rosarians will remember that the Crystal Palace Show used in 
former days always to be on the last Saturday in June, and I do not 
think that any evidence has been brought forward that would justify the 
statement that the first Tuesday in July is too early. We must remember 
that we have competitors from Devonshire, Gloucestershire, and the 
south-west generally, and that there Roses are early. The same may be 
said of such home districts as Kent and Surrey. The Canterbury Show 
is always in the last week in June, so is Farningham, while Reigate has 
its before the National is held, and the Crystal Palace Show in most years 
precedes the National, and I feel tolerably certain that if any change 
were proposed in this fixture it would be very generally condemned. 
The Provincial or Northern Exhibition is held about ten days or a 
fortnight later. This gives the midland and northern counties a better 
chance, but would it be equally fair on the southern growers ? Well, as 
a matter of fact the principal prizes at our provincial shows generally 
fall to the southern growers, although northerners do gain a place in ir. 
The fixtures for this show depend on a variety of circumstances. It 
must be remembered that the National is not quite independent in this 
matter. It combines with the provincial authorities in arranging the 
show, and I think very wisely does not attempt to ride roughshod over 
them, but acts pari passu with them, and leaves to them within certa n 
limits the date of fixture, for many local circumstances have to be taken 
into consideration. Let me give next year’s fixture as an instance. 
I was deputed by the Committee to confer with the Council of the Royal 
Caledonian Society to arrange matters. I found on meeting them that 
two things were absolutely necessary—the show must be held on a 
Wednesday, and it must be held before the 20 .h of July, as then the courts 
broke up and Edinburgh was emptied of the usual supporters of its show. 
Consequently, the show had to be fixed for the 13th, as the following 
Wednesday was the 20th. Some such reasons also determined the da'e 
of the Birmingham Show this year. These things show, I think, pretty 
clearly that it is not quite so easy to lay down a hard-and-fast line, 
but that, as Sir Roger de Coverley says, “ There is a great deal to he said 
on both sides." . 
It would seem to me that the question resolves itself into this, Shall 
we have separate trophies for the northern and midland Exhibitions, or 
shall we transfer the competilion for the metropolitan to the provincial 
Exhibition ? I do not think it would detract much from the interest of 
the metropolitan Show, and would considerably add to the eclat of the 
provincial one. I hardly think whatever is done can be well arranged 
unlit 1838. Edinburgh is too far north to commence.it with, and pro¬ 
bably the expense of the journey might deter some exhibitors who would 
otherwise put in an appearance. There is, moreover, the question of time. 
The Committee will soon be putting out their schedule, or at any rate 
making their arrangements, and matters like this require some consider¬ 
able time to ventilate, talk about, and arrange. 
Before quitting the subject let me just allude to “ T. W. G. s ” cri¬ 
ticism (I do not call it hypercriticism, for it had a foundation) on my 
statement about the gainers of the challenge trophy. It is true, as a 
matter of fact, that Hereford has not gained it, hut as a matter of prin¬ 
ciple I think that I am correct. No doubt, the challenge cup ofiered by 
Mr. Cranston was in my mind. This did go, after a hard-fought struggle, 
