Decembir 9, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
511 
/il III 
COMING EVENTS 
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Royal Sooiety at 4.S0 p m. 
Quekett Club at 8 P.M. 
Royal Botanic Society at 3.45 P.M. 
8rd Sunday In Advent. 
National Chrysanthemum Society (Annual Dinner). 
Society of Arts at 8 P.M. 
THE POTATO TERCENTENARY. 
PLANT that has been in cultivation for three 
hundred years, and has assumed the widest 
importance as a food product, is entitled to 
something more than a passing consideration 
upon the completion of its third century, and it 
is not therefore surprising that the Potato cele¬ 
bration reported in another column should have 
been planned. It is frequently urged against 
conferences or exhibitions devoted to special 
subjects that they are designed to support a “ craze ” or 
“ fad ” of interest only to a few persons, but this cannot be 
said respecting the Potato, for it is of the utmost importance 
to all cultivators both as a field and garden crop. Anything 
that will contribute to its improvement must be recognised 
as a public boon, and to ensure an advance it is impossible 
to obtain too wide a knowledge of the plant in all respects. A 
conference of practical and scientific men actuated by this 
desire ought to yield some good results, and such may be 
derived from the Potato Conference at Westminster, though 
the insufficient publicity given to the project partially 
nullified the efforts of the Committee. 
One suggestion well deserves farther consideration— 
namely, the possibility and desirability of establishing a 
Potato Society. This proposal came at too late a stage of 
the proceedings to admit of discussion, but a general impres¬ 
sion prevailed that such an institution would form a fitting 
memento of the Tercentenary. It is rather strange that the 
International Potato Show, which has been so successful 
from an exhibitor’s point of view, and which has certainly 
been beneficial in drawing attention to the raising of new 
varieties, should have been struck out of the list in the year 
when it might have extended its interest so greatly. Much 
useful work could be performed by a well-organised Potato 
Society, and the proposition merits full discussion. 
In the course of the consideration of Potato history several 
interesting and important facts were brought into prominent 
notice that seem to have been overlooked or disregarded. 
One of the principal of these is that when the Spaniards 
made their first incursions into Peru in the sixteenth century 
the Potato had been cultivated for ages, and formed one of 
the principal food products of the country. Though the 
methods of culture were undoubtedly rude, yet some differ¬ 
ence would probably be produced in the course of a long 
period, and it is found from a vocabulary of the extinct 
Chibcha language that several varieties of Potato were not 
only known but had received designations indicating their 
peculiarities. Many interesting particulars bearing upon 
this portion of the subject were detailed by Mr. Clements 
Markham in his masterly review of Peruvian cultivation, 
which threw a very clear light upon a somewhat complex 
matter. It is quite evident that the Potatoes first brought 
to this country were really cultivated varieties of some 
species which has been termed Solanum tuberosum, but 
which, as Mr. Baker has pointed out, might really be only 
the cultivated product of an older wild form. At least, it 
cannot be absolutely determined whether apparently wild 
No. 337.—Von. XIII., Third Series. 
plants of S. tuberosum now found in Peru are escapes from 
cultivation'or not. Two peculiar circumstances were men¬ 
tioned by Mr. Ap-Thomas—namely, that only three varieties 
are now generally grown in Peru, and that the Potato disease 
is unknown, being, he supposed, confined to the lower and 
more humid regions of Chili, whence comes the notorious 
S.'Maglia. 
The botany of the Potato found an able expositor in Mr. 
J. G. Baker, who went over much the same ground that he 
had previously so well explored, but he has apparently made 
a slight alteration in the landmarks. Hitherto he ha3 
recognised S. Maglia as a species, but now it is reduced to a 
variety of S. tuberosum, a view which is held by several 
other botanists, notably on the Continent. This would lower 
experiments with 8. tuberosum and 8. Maglia from the ri nk 
of hydridising to that of cross-breeding, but they might be 
none the less prolific of good results on that account. There 
is undoubtedly abundant room for many valuable experi¬ 
ments in hybridising the Potato, but it does not seem that 
Kew would be a suitable place for the purpose. If the Royal 
Horticultural Society cannot undertake something of the 
kind, perhaps it will be reserved |for a future “Potato 
Society. hAi p’.k! ku ow ’ . ■ ; c- i ■ 
Nothing particularly new or remarkable was advanced in 
the cultural department, though a few erroneous impressions 
were removed in the course of the discussion, as will be seen 
in the report. No other remedies could be proposed for the 
Potato disease than early lifting and the continued raising 
of new varieties to take the place of those that have become 
exhausted. It was, however, strongly and reasonably urged 
that much might be done to preserve the character of present 
varieties by more care in the selection of tubers for planting, 
a matter that is frequently neglected. The degeneracy of 
the Potato was considered at some length, and the general 
conclusion arrived ati, was that want of care in the matter 
just mentioned, and the application of fresh rank manure at 
or shortly before planting time, were tli9 chief causes of 
varieties deteriorating, i ' 
Two old varieties shown were at once examples of de¬ 
generacy and the maintenance of good qualities oyer a long 
period. One of these was the White Rock from Youghal, Go. 
Cork, where it is grown generally by the peasantry, the 
samples being coarse irregular tubers with very deep eyes, 
and differing greatly in size, presenting a surprising contrast 
with the handsome even tubers of varieties that are now 
chiefly in favour in England. The other example was the 
old and well-known Dunbar Regent, that has partially 
dropped out of cultivation, but which is still highly valued 
in some gardens. The tubers were cooked, and were veritable 
“ balls of flour,” an expression frequently used with regard'to 
Potatoes, but too seldom realised. It is doubtful if there 
were any of the more recent Potatoes shown on this occasion 
that would have excelled or even equalled this variety when 
cooked. In the one case a naturally prolific variety had 
been neglected both in the selection of tubers for planting, in 
the subsequent culture, and in continually taking similar 
crops from the same land, and in the other the opposite 
treatment had preserved the original qualities of the variety 
admirably. 1 ' ' 
The Earl of Cathcart was present at the Conference a por¬ 
tion of each of the two days, and evidently was deeply inter¬ 
ested in the proceedings, eliciting much useful information by 
pertinent questions. If this gentleman could be induced to 
favour the scheme mentioned as to the formation of a Potato 
Society, and no one is more likely to do so owing to the long 
interest he has taken in the subject, its success would bo 
assured. The first point is, however, to indicate the prac¬ 
tical advantages that are likely to result from sfich an asso¬ 
ciation, and then ho doubt ample support will be forth¬ 
coming. 
Some credit is due Jo the originators of this Tercentepary 
celebration, but they would have acted wisely -in making 
) u ' Noi 1993.-^You. I/XXV1, Old.Series/ 
