256 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April T, 1892. 
is. A delicate tint of pale primrose, entirely free from any rays 
or blotches, and of the habit of Countess of Hopetoun in size and 
form of flower. 
Other kinds sent were Crimson King, Lady Amory, William 
Neal, Princess Beatrice, and Beauty, five first-rate varieties, and all 
beautiful. Illuminator is a striped pale lilac and pink, pretty, but 
sadly wanting in substance, and is what florists call flimsy. Pea¬ 
cock is a German variety of the Pansy, and is not to be c’assed 
with our bedding Violas. I saw a quantity of plants of the Pea¬ 
cock variety in bloom at Mr. Eckford’s Nursery, Wem, Salop, last 
August, when I went to inspect his acres of Sweet Peas, and 
they varied in colours and marking, but none was good enough, 
in my opinion, to grow, although Mr. Eckford offered me as many 
as I liked. 
Columbine is an old variety now, with pale lilac top petals and 
margin to the lower petals. Hartree is seemingly a seedling from 
it, with pale creamy lilac top petals and in the margin of the lower 
petals, and pale cream centre. A seedling marked “ P.B.” is also of 
the same type, a miniature Pansy in fact, with pale salmon tinted 
lilac top petals and margin to the lower petals, pale yellow body 
colour, and rayed centre. I could not worship it, however. And 
then Moonlight is a reproduction of fifty years ago, simply a 
seedling of the old wild Pansy, as found by Lord Gambler 
in the fields at Iver, near Uxbridge, sixty years since or so, 
and cultivated by his head gardener, Mr. Thomson. With the 
wealth of fine varieties we now have I grieve to see such a worth¬ 
less variety introduced. Still, honour must be given to Messrs. 
Dobbie & Co. for their persistency in exhibiting our beautiful 
Violas as they have done at the great shows about the country, and 
for the fine collection they cultivate. Like myself they have 
discarded a large number of so-called fine varieties.— William 
Dean. 
POTATOES AND EXHIBITIONS. 
It would be exceedingly interesting to have revived once more 
some of the features of the old Potato exhibitions. Should the 
proposed Potato Show at Earl’s Court be carried out, it is hoped 
that we may see Potatoes in the fine form we were so familiar 
with at the Crystal Palace a few years since. It is very important 
in relation to this Show that the schedules of prizes should be got 
out as early as possible, and considering the period which has elapsed 
since the subject was mooted it would seem as if much time has 
been wasted. It is certain that for several years there has been an 
appreciable falling off of interest in Potatoes, and that the culture 
of many good varieties, especially those having coloured skins, has 
been materially neglected. It may be true that in a certain sense 
there are many varieties which have obtained the appellation of 
show sorts—not that they are deficient in quality or productiveness, 
but rather because they have not come into market favour through 
colour of skins or some other causes. We cannot hope to have a 
•very attractive Potato show without there is a plentiful admixture 
of colour on the tables. A show of entirely green Apples would 
•be as pleasing as an exhibition of all white Potatoes, and whilst 
it is well to have in all large shows classes for coloured as also for 
white varieties, all mixed collections should include at least one- 
third coloured varieties to give effect and add unquestioned 
distinctness. In this latter sense colour proves specially valuable, 
because in the white forms there is often such sameness that 
undoubtedly distinct varieties in growth have little or no dis¬ 
tinctiveness in tuber. 
At the International Potato Shows, all other points in collections 
being equal, it was found specially advantageous to an exhibitor 
to have good variation both in form and in colour, as the special 
object of creating collections of twelve or twenty-four varieties is 
to encourage distinctness, without which both monotony and 
possible deception may arise. The great importance of having 
schedules for a Potato show at once issued is evident when 
it is understood that we are now right into the midst of the 
planting season. Ordinarily, it is not too late to plant so j^hwards 
so late as the first week in May, but the middle of April is a good 
average time, as if only the commonest trouble has been taken to 
properly sprout Potato tubers in shallow boxes, growth from the 
planting is rapid and strong, and the production of tubers more 
readily assured. No one who purposes growing Potatoes in the 
hope of getting fine, handsome, exhibition samples should neglect 
the sprouting of the tubers, not only to have growth rapid and 
certain from the moment of planting, but also to have only the 
stoutest of the eye buds or shoots on the tubers preserved, and all 
others removed. Under any conditions, but especially for the 
production of show Potatoes, the seed tubers should not be allowed 
to carry more than one or two at the most of eye buds, as only one 
or two main stems is productive of fine even samples, whilst 
.several stems are productive only of inferior tubers. 
Usually it is a waste of time to endeavour to obtain handsome 
clean tubers from stiff, cold, or ungenial soils. Still, if ever 
there was a season when such soils should be found in an unusually 
favourable condition it is just now, when we have had so much of 
drying wind, and of late sunshine, with a comparative absence of 
rain. A dry spring always favours Potato planting, whilst a wet 
spring is disastrous. But let the season be ever so favourable, the 
grower of Potatoes for exhibition is likely to have the best results 
from stiff land if the tubers are planted in furrows at 3 feet apart; 
and it is better to be liberal with space than otherwise. When a 
plentiful supply of fine soil of some description—leaf mould, old 
potting soil, and road trimmings, well mixed—is at hand, lay some a 
few inches thick about the sets ere the ordinary soil is filled in. If in 
planting Potatoes in this way the intervening soil be somewhat 
trodden, if the weather be dry, a free forking-up soon afterwards 
will still further assist to pulverise it fit for earthing later. 
It is a special advantage also in planting tubers in furrows that 
dressings of any form of phosphatic manure, it may be desirable to 
use, can be cast in with the sets. When so applied the little 
rootlets which the shoots throw out almost at once feed upon the 
dressings, and thus strong growth ensues, laying the foundation of 
specially robust stems. It is unwise to cover the sets too deeply. 
Ordinarily a covering of 4 inches of soil is ample, as the stems do 
not develop strength until leaves are formed, and, of course, the 
sooner they reach the light the better. If shallow planting tends 
to the production of tubers near the surface, that is an evil 
which can be remedied by the addition later of plenty of fine 
soil, and having ample room between the rows to enable earthing 
to be done with entire facility. A good body of well-pulverised 
soil over the tubers tends to exclude the air and maintain natural 
colour in all its purity, and also to exclude disease spores when 
wet weather prevails. It is unwise to plant Potatoes grown for 
any purpose in too rich soil, because rank top growth usually 
induces the production of coarse or unduly large tubers. Without 
doubt we do now pass as meritorious, larger tubers than was the case 
twenty years ago, for the reason, perhaps, not only have later varieties 
shown greater average size, but also have with that size displayed 
higher average quality. Still, it is unwise to trust too much to size 
as an exhibition element. A good average sample, very even in 
size throughout, whether in single dishes or in collections of many 
dishes, is invariably more worthy of trust and of consideration than 
is an unduly large sample. With these features, however, must 
be conjoined freshness of colour, cleanness of skin, and general 
handsomeness. 
Success in exhibiting Potatoes depends first on culture, second on 
care in lifting and preserving, and third on knowledge of what 
samples to select and how to set them up with most taste and judg¬ 
ment, A good deal of care is essential in relation to lifting tubers. 
The fork should go in rather wide of, and be thrust well under the 
roots, lifting them bodily out from the rows and dropping them 
down so that they fall to pieces gently. Then should come care in 
selecting the best tubers, gathering them into shallow boxes or 
baskets, having a little soft hay or moss in them ; the tubers do not 
then suffer from abrasions, and then be at once either wrapped singly 
in soft paper and be placed away in close boxes in a dark shed, or else 
be laid in layers in sand in boxes, each sort being carefully labelled ; 
and kept there until a few days before the show is due ; then all 
should be looked over, the very best selected, washed in soft warm 
water with a little soap and a soft brush, be afterwards wiped dry, 
then again selected so as to set aside specially the quantities 
required for exhibition, and then again papered and packed into 
baskets or hampers, lined with hay so that they will travel well and 
safely long distances without injury. If Potato culture is entered 
into for the production of exhibition tubers it is worth doing well, 
and once a good collection is tabled there are few garden products 
after all which make so attractive as well as so profitable a 
display. 
Although those previously known as exhibition varieties have 
somewhat fallen out of cultivation, yet they are to be had if sought 
for from growers. Of fine show sorts of white kidneys there is an 
abundance. Reading Giant, Magnum Bonum, Chancellor, Snowdrop, 
The Canon, Sutton’s Perfection, White Beauty, Puritan, White 
Kidney, Covent Garden Perfection, Holborn Perfection (we 
have numerous Perfections), and The Bruce, offer a fine selection, 
both for the production of show tubers and for ordinary con¬ 
sumption. 
Of white rounds there are Satisfaction, Windsor Castle, London 
Hero, Schoolmaster, Prime Minister, Holborn Prolific, General 
Gordon, Sutton’s Seedling, Fidler’s Prolific, Snowball, Clipper, and 
The Doctor, all excellent. 
Coloured varieties are less abundant, but good kidneys are 
Dempsey’s Red, Prizetaker, red ; Beauty of Hebron, pink ; Bed- 
font Purple, Edgcote Purple, Mottled Beauty, Crimson Beauty, 
and Enterprise offering a liberal selection, whilst of rounds Reading 
