January 12, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
35 
character the tubers boil like soap. If those who take part in the dis¬ 
cussion would, in naming favourite varieties, state the kind of soil in 
which they are grown, such information would be really valuable. In 
common with many others I used to pin my faith on Myatt’s Prolific 
for the earliest supply in strong soil, but it is superseded by Ringleader 
(Sutton’s) both in earliness and flavour. It is good when fresh dug, and 
retains its quality for months. Sutton’s Seedling is a capital second 
early, although in some seasons it is rather liable to disease. Windsor 
Castle provides one of the finest late Potatoes we have. Lady Truscott 
I look upon as the best of the midseason kinds. Where exhibiting is not 
practised half a dozen varieties are quite suffisient to supply the wants 
of a good sized family. The soil here is heavy, cold, and retentive, and 
not calculated to bring out the highest qualities of any Potatoes.— 
E. Molyneux, Swanmore Park. 
THE COST OF MANURING FRUIT TREES. 
As “ W. P. W.” seems bent on misunderstanding my queries I do 
not desire to occupy your space with further useless discussion. I must, 
however, conclude by pointing out, in justice to myself, that I never 
asked nor wanted any information respecting my own trees. On the 
contrary, all 1 wished was to ascertain, if possible, the total cost of 
applying certain artificial manures recommended by “ W. P. W.” to 
particular trees whose fruit he had held up to the admiration of your 
readers. This apparently simple inquiry has caused him to fly off at a 
tangent, complaining, amongst other things, of the vagueness of my 
question, while overlooking the fact that it was a verbatim quotation 
from hia original letter ! Your correspondent appears unable to supply 
the only information I sought, or would be of any practical value.— 
B. D. K. 
[Our correspondent’s reply to the above note is as follows :— 
“ My simple parallel about the suit of clothes, it seems, has failed 
to enable ‘ B. D. K. ’ to comprehend the point of the matter. I will 
give him the A B C of it. If fertilisers are applied at the rate of 
4 ozs. to the square yard, a tree covering 10 square yards will want 
2 J lbs. ; but one covering 5 square yards will only require ^ lb. The 
quantities being different the expense will also vary ; consequently 
when he asks the cost of manuring trees, the only answer is that it 
depends upon their size. The quantities of the manures named would 
enable those readers who wished to use them to easily determine 
the cost per tree to themselves. I know to a farthing how much it 
costs to manure trees when I do them myself. I hope ‘ B. D. K.’ now 
understands. The matter is worked out very much on the same prin¬ 
ciple as that two and two make four. Whether the trees referred to 
are your correspondent’s, mine, or someone else’s does not alter the 
rules of arithmetic.—W. P. W.”] 
FORMATION OF SCHEDULES. 
I AM very pleased to see that this matter is being taken up and 
ventilated in ihQ Journal of Horticulture. No doubt that within the 
next few weeks schedules representing most of the horticultural exhibi¬ 
tions of the kingdom will have to be considered and revised. It is very 
necessary that committees entrusted with this important work should 
not only carefully consider each class upon its merits, but every line 
and every word should be well thought out and carefully deflned in 
order to prevent as far as possible any disputes and misunderstandings 
which may arise 'oetween exhibitors and officials. 
Exhibitors, too, will do well to carefully peruse all the matter con¬ 
tained in the schedule. Looking through the classes and noting the 
amount of prize money is not sufficient; but the rules and regulations 
under which such prizes are awarded should be well considered. 
Anyone officially connected with horticultural societies knows very well 
what an amount of correspondence may be spared them if only a little 
more care and attention were bestowed upon this matter by exhibitors. 
The mixing of advertisements between the leaves of the schedule is a 
custom that should not be sanctioned under any circumstances what¬ 
ever. I consider that every word of matter belonging to the Society is 
of too great importance to allow anything being put in that is at all 
likely to draw attention from it. No doubt advertising in schedules is 
a source of income which many societies will not readily abandon; but 
if it is necessary to have advertisements, then I say by all means let 
them be kept quite separate and distinct from schedule matter, and 
divide them by a blank page. Personally I prefer to see a well printed 
and neatly bound schedule, containing no extraneous matter whatever, 
rather than one so voluminous that requires so much perusal to find 
what you are looking for.— James Hicks. 
TINNEA HllTHIOPICA. 
With this note I am sending you a flowering spray of a most 
beautiful stove plant, and one moreover that appears to be exceedingly 
scarce. As a rule Tinnea Eethiopica (fig. 6) commences to flower 
early in the year, and by the beginning of February the plants are 
at their best. This year, however, my plants are flowering much 
earlier than usual, which, in my opinion, enhances their value con¬ 
siderably. 
Not only is the plant elegant in habit, and the flowers richly and 
distinctly coloured, but they also possess a delicious fragrance very 
strongly suggestive of Violets, so that a few specimens in bloom will 
agreeably perfume a moderately large house. When, in addition to 
these qualities, the season of its flowering is considered, further recom¬ 
mendation is needless. The corolla is two lipped, the lower lip being 
of a fine maroon colour, and the upper one more of a rich crimson 
hue. The calyx is large, slightly inflated, and pale green. The 
flowers are freely produced in axillary clusters at the upper portion of 
the shoots. 
The culture of the plant is easy. A stove temperature is required, 
and this may debar many amateurs from growing it. A light, rich 
compost of loam, leaf soil and sand, suits the plant well ; and the pots 
FIG. 6.—TINNEA ^THIOPICA. 
should be carefully drained. Cuttings of the young shoots strike 
readily under a bellglass in a little bottom heat.—F. M. B. 
DISCUSSION ON APPLES. 
D’Aecy Spice Apple. 
I HAVE been much interested in the notes on Apples which have 
appeared in the Journal, and 1 have patiently waited for the above 
variety to be mentioned. I do not think this Apple is well known, but 
those who once try will never fail to grow it. It is by no means 
beautiful in appearance (I have had very ugly fruit on two trees I had 
in Essex, but here in Suffolk on a clay soil it is not so bad), being 
usually of a russety green colour, but in hot summers it carries a dull 
red flush on the sunny side. The most important recommendation con¬ 
sists in the delicious taste the fruit has in the months of February and 
March, for no Ribston Pippin is better, and it is the best follower to 
that old favourite. It is a very fair cropper, and the tree a good grower, 
being clean and healthy. It commands the highest price of all in 
districts where it is known, but I found it useless to send to London, 
where I suppose it was unknown, and was not sufficiently highly coloured 
for that market. It is not so hard in texture as the Ribston Pippin, 
and therefore will find favour among people who cannot digest hard 
Apples. 
Fearn’s Pippin. 
This Apple is called hereabouts (Suffolk) “ None so Pretty,” and I 
think it fairly comes up to this name, being very pretty indeed, but the 
taste does not come up to appearance. It is, however, very saleable, and, 
being a fair cropper, it is profitable to grow for market, I find it is not 
such a clean grower as might be desired on my heavy soil, but doubtless 
