January 26, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDE NEIL 
69 
potash, 0'08; and phosphoric acid, O'10 ; the two last are the most important 
to apply to the soil, because they are most abstraeted by fruit trees and 
taken ofE the ground in fruit, but it is much better in the other most 
important element to be applied to the soil in the production of fruit, 
namely, nitrogen O il, equal to ammonia O'13 per cent. Mr. Kruse’s 
soil is mechanically 14'30 better than the Herts soil, that is, in insoluble 
siliceous matter, much poorer in iron (1*01), alumina 1'91, and carbonate 
of lime 9'62. 
The lesson is this—the Herts soil lacks mechanical texture and 
chemical constituents—potash and phosphoric acid ; the Leeds soil, 
nitrogenous matter. The Herts soil is suited for Plums, so is the Kent 
(Mr. Kruse) ; Apples succeed on Paradise stocks on the Herts soil ; 
Pears on Pear stocks produce pale, sickly foliage, grow freely, and hardly 
ever canker (note the fact—oxide of iron, 4 39) ; the leaves blister and 
drop off, and the fruits refuse to swell, and are spotted and cracked. 
" Artificials have been tried—none any use.” Trees on Quince only live 
about three years, and then gradually die off. A similar soil to the 
Herts was made suitable for a general fruit garden by burning a foot 
of the clay beneath the ameliorated top soil, mixing all together so as 
to form a staple 2 feet 6 inches deep. This materially improved its 
texture, sun, air, and rain being able to act more beneficially, whilst the 
store of potash and phosphoric acid had been opened. 
Iron, unless forming a pan or disproportioned, has no predisposing 
or direct influence in causing canker, and in what direction it may be 
employed as a curative is merely conjectural. Only a few years ago it 
was considered the active agent in the production of chlorophyll (the 
green colouring matter of plants), Hoppe-Leyler, however, found that 
chlorophyll contained phosphoric acid, and Herr C. Loew proved that 
iron alone was not sufficient to cause the chlorophyll layer to assume a 
dark green colour when it was pale and yellowish. Mr. Kruse can prove 
this, and form an idea of the extent to which iron is likely to assist 
him in subduing canker. I will on another occasion suggest an 
experiment or two to Mr, Kruse by which he may possibly obtain an 
object lesson as to the manures best calculated to assist his culture.— 
G. Abbey. continued.) 
DISCUSSION ON POTATOES. 
Potatoes in Scotland. 
In writing of Potatoes it is a safe preliminary to remark that they 
are made or marred according to the soil, or, in other words, varieties 
have to be selected to suit soils. And yet another remark is required— 
that is, no vegetable is so much at the mercy of the cook, and along 
with that, it may be added, that tastes vary so much as to what con¬ 
stitutes quality in Potatoes, that one has always a difficulty in deciding 
on their merits until a trial is made by oneself., _ 
If a Potato is sufficiently floury a very large proportion of con¬ 
sumers are perfectly content to accept that condition as finally settling 
the question of good quality. The.Ashleaf Kidney, The Don, and the 
Dunbar Eegent furnish examples of Potatoes of the highest table 
quality. The Champion I should place as the lowest in quality ; albeit 
the Champion is floury to a degree. Up to the present the best 
varieties I have are these—Early Puritan for earliest, and if need be 
second early, too ; Sutton’s Early Eegent, though I have no doubt that 
this sort will be displaced before long, as Myatt’s has been by Puritan. 
For autumn I think Sutton’s Seedling is as good as any I have tried, 
and for later use The Bruce. Sutton’s Seedling is, of course, known as 
a second early, but I find it very good for autumn, and after the 
experience of another year I think more than ever of it as a good 
table Potato, combined, as that qualification is, with its abundant 
cropping qualities. Other kinds that can be recommended are Windsor 
Castle, Matchless, and Jeannie Deans, The first and last named of the 
above trio have to be tried again, but I certainly think they may prove 
standard sorts. 
Potatoes when well grown are still a paying crop. It is current that 
two years ago a Lothian farmer, with the profits from his Potato crop, 
could have bought the land he cultivates ; and during the past season 
an Ayrshire farmer is said to have done equallj' well with earlies.—B. 
Quality in Potatoes, 
Beavo, Pat Murphy ! But you have to thank a Saxon for sup¬ 
plying what you in your hereditary excitement omitted. “ The proof of 
the pudding is in eating,” is a very old proverb, but not less true is 
“ The proof of the Potato is in the Goohing." Why did not Pat Murphy 
(page 34) tells us this 1 Because he (and naturally too) assumed that 
even the wilful Saxon always boiled his “ taters ” in their skins. This 
poor Saxon does, but alas! he finds himself in a sorry niinority. He, 
however, is in full agreement with Pat as to the quality of the old 
Eegent and Lapstone; but does not 'the well-known quality of the Eegent 
rather upset “ W. T., Blantyre's," axiom (on the page alluded to) that 
quality means yellow flesh ?— East Anglian Saxon. 
Some Good Varieties. 
My few lines seem, to have called forth some very interesting con¬ 
tributions, and perhaps you will allow me to give my experience after 
growing very many varieties for the last fourteen years. Every new 
variety I invariably obtained twelve years or fourteen years ago, and I 
was very fond of exhibiting a collection at the neighbouring shows. In 
the multitude of varieties there is no wisdom, and I cannot recomrnend 
more than eight or nine varieties to be grown, except in cases where 
exhibiting is carried on. Too many kinds necessitate much trouble in 
keeping separate, and occupy so much space that they are not desirable. 
I have ever found that yellow-fleshed varieties are far away the best for 
flavour (more meaty, if I may be allowed to use such a word), and I 
firmly believe more nutritious. There is a great deal in what “ Pat 
Murphy ” states. I do not believe the present handsome Potatoes are 
equal in quality to some of the old, and although I have not even seen 
a Lapstone for twenty years or more, I have a very lively remembrance 
of what a splendid quality Potato it was ; but it deteriorated in cropping 
so much—seemed sick of the soil—that I gave it up, and have never 
seen it since. The round Potatoes I used to get in London eating houses 
twenty or even fifteen years ago were invariably of good quality, but 
now one does not get such a good Potato at the very same places. 
‘•A. D.’s” contribution, page 34, is very interesting, giving a 
description of so many varieties, with most of which I am well 
acquainted. Laxton’s Early Short Top is, I am glad to see, appreciated 
by “A. D.,” but he mistakes the other Potato. It is Sharpe’s Victor, 
not Albert Victor, which I do not consider a desirable variety, whereas 
Victor is good. Mr. Molyneux and “ A. D ” both speak highly of 
Sutton’s Eingleader, and I shall be tempted to try it before long. So 
far I know nothing to beat Laxton’s Short Top and Victor for earliest 
crops. To follow these I have Beds Hero and Sutton’s Seedling, 
which for many years I have ever found trustworthy both on very light 
and very heavy land. I consider these two are quite sufficient for 
midseason, but if another must be added it cannot be bettered than by 
Laxton’s Victorious, a heavy cropping kidney of flattish shape, and of 
first-class quality. Laxton’s Eeward, Sutton’s Satisfaction, and The 
Bruce are amply sufficient for main crop and I believe cannot ,be 
excelled. “ A. D.,” who, like me, appreciates a good yellow-fleshed 
Potato, cannot do better than try Eeward, for it is the best flavoured 
Potato I have tried of recent years. I have now selected eight kinds, 
which will be found amply sufficient for all ordinary purposes, and 
can be very well shortened. If two coloured Potatoes are desired to 
help an occasional exhibit or for the table, Vicar of Laleham and 
King of the Eussets are as good as any I have tried. These ten 
varieties have been selected from, I should say, quite 100 that I have 
thoroughly tried. 
In conclusion, I must state that I have grown Victor on both light 
and heavy land. Early Laxton on heavy, Beds Hero on heavy, Sutton’a 
Seedling both on heavy and light, as also Victorious and Satisfaction. 
Eeward and The Bruce were grown on heavy soil, with Vicar of Laleham 
and King of the Eussets on light land. These few notes may be some 
guide to others, and I do not think they will be found in any way 
misleading.—H. S. Easty. 
Too Many Varieties. 
The discussion on Potatoes seems likely to prove quite as interesting 
as that which has been carried on in the Journal of Horticulture with 
regard to Apples. Mr. Molyneux, on page 3G, is, I think, not very far 
wrong when he says half a dozen varieties are sufficient to supply the 
wants of a good sized family. Unless required for e.xhibition purposes 
a large number of varieties is not attendant with satisfaction at the 
dinner table, by reason of the varying qualities. The cook, too, has 
good reason for complaint when so many kinds are grown for home use, 
because in cooking Potatoes differ materially in the treatment necessary 
to present them in the best possible form. On light soils there is greater 
uniformity of quality than on heavy clayey land, as Mr. Molyneux 
points out, and there is less complaint heard concerning bad flavour and 
non-floury character of the tubers when they are obtained from light 
soil than from that of an opposite nature. 
On the page alluded to “ A. D.” names twenty-four sorts, calculated 
to cover a long season, but for all practical purposes—save that of 
exhibiting—a fourth part, I consider, would cover quite as long a 
seeson, and that, too, with more satisfaction to all concerned. With us 
Snowdrop is the best second early, and Windsor Castle the favourite 
main crop. Magnum Bonum continuing an excellent succession till the 
early Ashleafs are ready. 
Out of the many sorts grown in this garden during the past year or 
two, none proved so good a disease-resister as Sutton’s vV indsor Castle, 
nor did any other yield so heavy and uniform a crop, and several 
“ trial ” and exhibition sorts will be discarded to give place to this 
variety. Abundance, Satisfaction, Sutton’s Seedling, Nonesuch, and 
Masterpiece were all grown, but none bore any comparison in the 
quality or weight of crop with Windsor Castle. With one object only 
in view, namely, that of supplying a good article that must give all¬ 
round satisfaction, where is the need for endless sorts of Potatoes, 
when two or three will do so much better ? For exhibition, of course, 
variety must be had, but in this, I think, societies would do well to 
reduce their collections in point of numbers of varieties required.— 
W. Strugnell, Rood Ashton. 
Sutton’s Satisfaction Potato. 
So much did this remarkably fine flattish round’ Potato come to the 
front in the course of last summer and autumn, that I obtained a few 
tubers of it from several sources, and found in all cases that it was 
excellent, cooking admirably, and giving white mealy flesh and very 
good flavour. It is probably the heaviest cropping variety in cultivation, 
but it is also a common mistake to grow it on rich garden soil. If 
gardeners would limit their garden crops to the first early or more refined 
sorts, that would be comparatively small tubeiedin the fields, and plant 
