70 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 26, 1893. 
all their late strong growing large tubered kinds in field ground, they 
would have tubers of more even size, better quality, more free from 
disease, and on the whole far more useful than rich garden soils give. 
Satisfaction and other of these large tubered kinds are specially fitted for 
allotment growth also, because in these the soil is rarely too rich.—A. D. 
Potato Disease. 
I CANNOT accept Dr. J. Bbhm’s sta'ement (page 49) with respect to 
the Potato disease as conclusive. I have seen myriads of cases where 
disease spots have displayed themselves in and immediately beneath 
the skins of the new tubers where there were no abrasions or injuries 
by insects of any kind. What is to prevent a Phytophthora spore from 
penetrating into the extremely thin delicate cuticle or skin of newly 
forming tubers any more than keeping it from penetrating the cuticle 
or epidermis of the leaf or even stalk 1 As to where the disease 
spores hybernate during the resting period I thought Mr. Worthington 
Smith had long since conclusively shown that they hybernated in 
the soil. 
If Dr. Bbhm’s theory be correct what becomes of all Dr. Jensen’s 
opinions and theories, which we have so generally accepted because 
they seemed to be so conclusive and practical ? We have never yet, in 
this country, put his protective earthing experience to a practical test. 
We never had a better opportunity than was presented last summer 
owing to the frequent rains, but at last it was shown in numberless 
instances that the ordinary method of earthing, which is far from 
being truly protective, did not ward off disease attacks. I should require 
very strong evidence that the disease spores do not directly affect 
newly forming tubers. It is evident that there is yet plenty of room for 
experimenting in relation to the preservation of Potato crops from the 
•disease.—A. D. 
The National Rose Society. 
1 WAS very pleased to find in Mr. Grahame’s interesting letter (page 
26) that we are much more in accord than usual ; and I hope we may 
become even more united in our view's, though it is generally considered 
that a certain amount of diversity of opinion with plenty of free criticism 
is good for any Society, even as the Opposition is a healthy stimulus 
to Her Majesty’s Government. 
Judging. 
I do not quite agree with his comments on Mr. Shanks’ notes 
on judging. I think that a small grower may be as good a judge 
as a large grower, or even better, but at the same time I believe 
that the latter has the greater facilities, and all other things 
being equal is the more likely of the two to be a good judge. I 
should have thought this was obvious, that experience was one 
of the first essentials for a judge, and that the larger amount of 
blooms a man sees the better would probably be his knowledge of the 
average standard of a good Rose. If we wanted, say, a judge of boys, 
we should surely choose a large schoolmaster, other things being equal, 
in preference to one who had but few pupils. Again, though most 
little growers cultivate about the same sorts, you occasionally find an 
uncommon variety even in a small stand, and surely the judge who 
personally knows the greatest number of varieties must have some 
advantage. Once more, the small grower who has the most intimate 
knowledge of the “ manners and customs ” of the few specimens he has 
of each variety—perhaps all in one aspect and soil and on the same 
sort of stock — may chance to find his knowledge too minute and 
particu’ar, and not general, varied, and broad enough. But still all 
f,his does not prove that the large grower is necessarily the best judge 
—it is the old story of “ eyes and no eyes ” over again—but I think 
he certainly ihas the greater facilities and opportunities of becoming 
a good judge. 
Date of the Metropolitan Show. 
On this point I fear we are still as far asunder as we ever have been. 
For, though it is true that Mr. Pemberton’s motion if brought forward 
again at the next general meeting as a “hardy annual,” would, whether 
won or lost, make no difference to the date for 1894, that seems to me to 
be the very reason why it should be brought forward and discussed, as 
less likely to injure “good blood” than when it would produce immediate 
effect. Mr. Grahame having won two closely contested games, suggests 
that the other side should leave off playing ; and it is quite possible 
(for there is a good deal of human nature in rosarians) that if we had 
won we might have wished the same, though we might not have been 
bold enough to propose it. 
Moss. 
Some time ago a correspondent wrote in trouble about his supply of 
suitable moss, with an inquiry about the possibility of cultivating it. 
I could not give him any comfort, but hoped that someone else would, 
and thus give me a wrinkle as well, but there has been no answer. The 
Peterborough grower who used green plush or velvet instead of moss 
(could it have been thirty miles that he told me was his distance from the 
nearest place where he could get it ?) does not seem to have had many 
followers, and opinions were divided, I fancy, as to the effect. I did 
not think it looked bad, though not so good as the real thing ; but I 
have always been chary of expressing an opinion on a friend’s or rival’s 
moss since a day some years ago, when I and another amateur showed 
against each other at an out-of-the-way country show. We were then com¬ 
paratively novices ; but I have now a long way indeed to look up to the 
height he has since attained. I think he must have been more of a 
novice then than I was ; at all events, I felt called upon to say some¬ 
thing when the final moment at length arrived, and he silently placed 
his twelve beside mine. His moss was lovely, I do not know that I have 
ever seen better, and it was in all innocence that 1 said, “What beautiful 
moss you have got! ” His answer was a polite “ Thank you,” but it was 
evident that my unfortunate speech was taken as implying that the 
moss was more worthy of admiration than the Roses, and I was so taken 
aback as to offer no apology, though I have ever since been wanting to 
make one. 
I confess that when I am judging, the moss in any box must be 
exceptionally good or exceptionally bad to have even one point’s 
influence in the scale one way or the other. Still, it may have an 
unconscious effect oyi the eyes and minds of the judges, and we want to 
do the best we can for our boxes ; so it may be stated that the moss 
that grows on old roofs, either tiles or thatch, is the most effective if it 
be laid evenly, and especially if it can be induced to keep its colour. 
It is odd at the end of two or three weeks’ showing how little attention 
we pay to the moss of which we were so careful at first, and really if 
it is fairly green and tidy the judge in most cases probably hardly 
notices it at all. The ordinary moss can only be found, as a rule, of 
sufficient quantity and quality on a north bank on a clay soil, and much 
of the roof moss that looks so lovely in a mild winter will be found 
brown and useless in July. Two or three years ago some old thatch 
which had moss on it that I had marked as good was pulled down 
three or four weeks before the first show. I got some of the old thatch 
just as it was with the moss on it, but though I kept it in the shade, 
constantly watered, it soon lost its bright colour, and turned so brown 
and dingy that I had to give it up after all. 
The experiences of any exhi’oitor who has been successful in showing 
really good moss would, I am sure, be welcomed by others as well as by 
myself, and if accompanied by some rules for the preservation of the 
colour of roof moss their value would be increased.—W. R. Raillem. 
Proxy Voting. 
This may be all very well in certain cases, but the worst of the 
practice is that it puts into the hands of executive bodies a power 
which is invariably employed to the detriment of free and generally 
healthy criticism. Whilst the country subscriber naturally wishes to be 
free to vote at general meetings of his special societies he is at a dis¬ 
advantage, that in the case of any discussion arising he is incapable of 
voting according to argument, but his judgment has been given 
irrespective of argument. Those who are beaten at a general meeting 
once or twice should not be so anxious to invoke the aid of ihe proxy 
vote, which is always a two-edged sword ; but should peg away, and also 
work up country subscribers to attend the meetings, and thus carry 
points by force of numbers as well as try force of argument.—K. 
THE UNCERTAINTY OF BROCCOLI. 
For the past year or two this is a question that has been brought 
under notice in a very prominent manner by the action of the severe 
winters on the plantations of Broccoli, more particularly in the case of 
early sorts, or rather those which under favourable circumstances are 
calculated to “turn in” during January and February. Snow’s 
Broccoli, which is perhaps one of the best for maturing early in the 
year, when the winter is mild, is rendered valueless in my case by the 
late frost, which has been severe and protracted. Varieties that can be 
said to have stood such weather unharmed may be set down as hardy ; 
but the variety above mentioned, I am sorry to say, is one that cannot 
claim such a distinction, at least not in our case. I have a good 
breadth of “Snow’s” that previous to the last spell of frost gave 
promise of an excellent yield, but now presents a most pitiable aspect, 
and I shall not plant this variety on such a large scale in future. 
Where convenience exists for lifting and storing the plants in other¬ 
wise unoccupied fruit houses or heated pits not too thickly together 
their progress is carried on easily, and heads that could be produced by 
such methods would now prove invaluable ; but the frost setting in so 
early and severe gave but little warning or opportunity for storing them 
uninjured even to many who possess that convenience. A pit,furnished 
with a flow and return pipe is much better suited for protecting and 
forwarding Broccoli than houses; the latter, when used as a winter 
promenade, are rendered very objectionable by the somewhat offensive 
smell that always arise from such vegetables confined under glass. Un¬ 
heated pits this winter, without an abundance of protective material, 
would not be of much service because of the vigorous penetrating 
powers of the late frost. An ordinary 9-inch brick wall was not nearly 
enough to resist it penetrating the soil within. To those having protec¬ 
tive convenience early Broccoli culture would prove remunerative, but 
disappointment is sure to be rife among growers who must depend on 
open air conditions entirely,—W, S. 
