64 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 2(5, 1888. 
With so many new and old varieties in cultivation, numbers of 
which are more or less worthy of a trial, it may at first sight appear 
a difficult matter to decide which are the best, but if we pass over 
the showy section and come to the really useful Potatoes the weed¬ 
ing out process is by no means hard to accomplish. White 
Elephant has stood out pre-eminently good. It was never good 
with us. Hereabouts it is in the cottagers’ gardens, where it is 
mostly grown, and this season it yielded very heavy crops of extra 
large tubers. Fine solid tubers, 1 lb. in weight, were plentiful 
enough, and a few were forthcoming weighing 2 lbs. and upwards. 
All were of fairly good quality, and altogether it may be classed as 
a fairly reliable sort for hot or shallow soils and dry seasons. 
Idaho, a rather ugly rough-coated white round, also crops 
heavily, keeps well, and is of excellent quality. Its disease-resist¬ 
ing qualities have yet to be tested, but it is worthy of a trial by 
those who do not care for appearance so much as uniform good 
quality. It is of fairly vigorous habit, and reminds me of the 
“ Irish Lumpers ” of my boyhood days. 
Village Blacksmith scarcely comes up to the high character 
given it. With us it grows very vigorously, but does not crop so 
heavily as anticipated. The tubers are round, fairly shallow eyed, 
remarkably rough coated, and cook very satisfactorily. I should 
say it will prove disease-resisting and evidently will thrive under 
the same conditions as best suit the Scotch Champion. A trial may 
well be given it. 
The Dean, a blue round, is not a good cropper here, but the 
tubers grow to a large size. Both this and the foregoing keep well, 
but I am of opinion it will never become generally popular. Vicar 
of Laleham though largely grown is not reliable as a disease resister, 
and on heavy soils especially is apt to be poor in quality. Cosmo¬ 
politan apparently likes a hot and dry season, for we never had it so 
good either as regards the weight of crop or size, shape, and quality 
of tubers, but it is mvuch liable to disease, and even this season we 
found several affected. For this reason I cannot recommend it 
unless a good exhibition kidney is needed. 
Cole’s Favourite, a white kidney grown here for the first time, 
yielded exceptionally heavy crops of medium sized very handsome 
tubers, and these were of excellent quality. It is a second early, 
and forms sturdy branching haulm. This season I intend to plant 
it extensively, and strongly recommend others to do the same. A 
grand dish of it was exhibited at Taunton last autumn, and in com¬ 
petition is hard to surpass. Sutton’s Seedling again proved very 
serviceable, and ought eventually to become a favourite with market 
growers. It does not form a great amount of haulm, and matures 
a heavy crop of large handsome tubers sufficiently early to admit 
of an early clearance—a decided gain to those who double crop their 
ground. Abundance belongs to the disease-resisting class, and 
requires plenty of room and manure, for which it amply repays. 
Chiswick Favourite, white round, with rather deep eyes, forms 
sturdy haulm and crops heavily, the quality being also good. We 
have grown it for three seasons with highly satisfactory results, and 
can therefore strongly recommend it for the main crop and late 
supplies. Chancellor, a large and handsome white kidney, also does 
well and is a good companion for the last named. It forms plenty 
of haulm and promises to be disease-resisting. 
Of better known varieties, Reading Russet, second early, red 
round, is one of the most popular. It forms good sturdy haulm, 
always crops heavily, the tubers being handsome and fairly good in 
quality. Lady Truscott is a good white companion for it. School¬ 
master seems to have collapsed, and very few now cultivate it. 
Coveiit G-arden Perfection is largely cultivated by a friend oi mine, 
who considers it excellent for the second early supplies, but with us 
it was much liable to disease, and very rarely fit to eat. Pride of 
America, Snowflake, Triumph, Adirondack, and those of Yankee 
origin generally are useless in a wet season, being only profitable 
and good in quality on light soils and during a season somewhat 
similar to that last experienced. 
The Ashleaf section may also be briefly dismissed. The true 
Old Ashleaf is the best for pots, frames, and early borders, no other 
variety yielding such a good crop in proportion to the smallness of 
haulm formed. It is fit for lifting before the tubers are fully 
grown. Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf everybody is acquainted with, 
this being the most generally grown for the earliest supplies. This, 
besides being good when lifted early, also keeps well, and is one of 
1 he best for planting extensively in gardens where double cropping 
has to be closely practised. Myatt’s Ashleaf, if obtained true to 
name, is also to be strongly recommended, as it is fairly early, 
heavy cropping, and good in quality, also keeping good till mid¬ 
winter. 
Having commented on the comparatively new varieties, as well 
as older favourites, we must not omit the invaluable disease- 
resisters. Sooner or later the time will come when these will again 
be in the ascendant, and immunity from the disease must not make 
us forget what sad havoc it may again woik among the Potatoes. 
Fortunately the varieties that do weJl in a bad season are equally 
trustworthy under more favourable conditions—that is to say, they 
well repay for good culture at all times. Scotch Champion is yet 
the favourite here, and if ever superseded, it will be by the seedling 
raised from it by Mr. Laxton of Bedford, this apparently possessing 
all the good qualities of the Champion, and being, in addition, more 
shallow-eyed, and therefore much less wasteful. It is handsome 
enough for exhibition, and cooks beautifully. Scotch Champion 
has been, and still is, very good, this being what we send to the 
table up to midwinter. To follow this we have Magnum Bonum, 
but I am sorry to find this is not so uniformly good as usual. 
Supertubering did not spoil the quality of the Champion, but it 
has injured the Magnums. The latter stood the dry season well 
with us, and produced quite large tubers. A good round companion 
for it, if the Champion is objected to, will be found either in 
Abundance or the Reading Hero.—W. Iggui.den. 
EUCHARIS CULTURE. 
Few sights are more familiar when visiting gardens than to see 
in some out-of-the-way corner of the stove or forcing pits a number 
of overpotted sickly looking Eucharis amazonica. In most cases a 
great amount of labour has been bestowed upon them, but all to no 
purpose. “ The mite has attacked the bulbs, and they will never be 
any good” is the remark that is sometimes passed about their con¬ 
dition. Now, if there is really such an insect I have never yet 
made its acquaintance, so that I may be pardoned for doubting its 
existence. But it vras not to argue this point, an accomplishment 
which is decidedly not my forte, that I write this, but to state an 
easy method which I have seen successful in restoring plants to 
vigorous health after years of languishing. At any time when a 
gentle bottom heat can be obtained shake the plants out of their 
pots—they ought to be dust dry at the time, otherwise they cannot 
be shaken out clean—placing the bulbs in separate sizes for potting. 
Then have some pots of convenient sizes, thoroughly well drained, 
and over the rough material which protects the crocks sprinkle a 
good dash of soot. Pot them firmly in a compost of about equal 
parts of peat and loam of a sandy nature—if not a little can be 
added—and enough soot to show itself all through the compost. 
Water slightly and plunge the pots, or place them on the top of the 
hotbed. For a time they ought to be shaded rather heavily, which 
may be loosened as the plants seem to require it, but they ought 
never to be fuU in the sun. Keep the heat up to about the 
ordinary stove temperature. It is surprising how little water the 
Eucharis requires at any time, and it is far better practice to err in 
giving too little than too much. 
I do not say that this is an infallible remedy, but I have seen it 
give such satisfactory results that it may be found worth trying. [ 
think that a little soot agrees with the Eucharis, at least I attribute 
a great part of my success in their culture to the judicious use of 
soot water. When once established they may be grown in the 
same pots for many years with its assistance, and except to increase 
the stock they are better kept away from the potting bench.—M. D. 
STACHYS TUBERIFERA. 
Tins plant has attracted some attention as a new vegetable, 
and inquiries are becoming frequent respecting its qualities and 
the method of cultivation adapted to its requirements. Reference 
iias been repeatedly made to it under the name of Stachys affinis 
or Choro-Gi, and with the former name it was exhibited at South 
Kensington last December by Mr. A. G. Hookings, gardener to 
Sir H. Thompson, Moulsey. There seems to be a little uncer¬ 
tainty respecting its true name, but several leading botanists regard 
it as quite distinct from the true S. affinis, and have adopted the 
title S. tuberifera as more appropriate. It is of similar habit to 
many species of the well-known genus Stachys, but is chiefly 
notable for the large number of small, spirally shaped, fleshy tubers 
produced on the roots round the base of the stem. Plants of 
moderate size,bear some scores of these, and consequently it is 
very readily increased. The tubers are light, and contain a very 
large per-centage of water, being suggestive in texture and taste of 
the .Jerusalem Artichoke, though some have also compared it to 
Salsafy. They contain, according to analysis, nearly 20 per cent, 
of starch, and upon this their value as a vegetable mainly depends, 
though owing to their small size they are not likely, unless greatly 
improved, to become of much commercial value. 
The plant grows freely in ordinary garden soil that is not very 
heavy, but prefers a light, rich, and moist soil. The tubers should 
be planted in narrow shallow trenches, and covered 3 or 4 inches 
deep with soil, and may be assisted in dry summers with occasional 
supplies of water. One disadvantage is that the tubers will not 
