October 22, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
841 
thus enables the leaves to remain active the longer, the crop is 
increased almost if not wholly because of prolonged leaf action, 
and is not due to the obviously minute fertilising properties of the 
mixture. In the case of the early varieties it appears to have 
arrested growth, and from this check they had not time to recover, 
and therefore the crop was lessened in bulk and value. 
Turning to the later varieties the tables denote that Reading 
Giant, Sutton’s Satisfaction, Windsor Castle, and, generally speak¬ 
ing, varieties of the Regent type, Yictoria, AVoodstock Kidney, and 
others, grown to a limited extent for their high quality, benefited 
the most by the applications, while the strong growing, free crop¬ 
ping sorts, that yield produce for the million, were affected pre¬ 
judicially, and decidedly the expense and trouble involved in the 
dressing were not warranted by the results attained in this case. 
It is certainly a fact that out of thirty-four rows of Magnum 
Bonum only two showed any gain, three were unaffected, whilst 
twenty-nine were injured by the dressing, the result of the thirty- 
four trials showing a total weight of 5 cwts. 2 qrs. 24 lbs. for the 
dressed rows, and 7 cwts. 1 qr. 25 lbs. for the undressed rows, a 
difference in favour of the latter of 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 1 lb. Thirty-five 
rows of Abundance show a total weight of 8 cwt. 1 qr. 4 lbs. for 
the dressed rows, and 9 cwt. 1 qr. 22 lbs. for the undressed rows, a 
difference in favour of the latter of 1 cwt. 0 qrs. 18 lbs. 
It is clear that those varieties proved strong enough to take 
care of themselves in these trials, the leaf tissues having sufficient 
power to resist the germinal tubes of the fungus spores, which 
must have been present on the leaves. In rich or less porous soils 
the leaf tissues would be softer, hence more vulnerable, and in 
such case we may expect to hear that the Bouillie dressing has been 
of benefit in assisting the plants to obstruct the inroads of the 
enemy. Be that as it may, it is quite certain that if varieties 
possessing inherent vigour had not been raised and extensively 
grown for feeding the multitude in cities and towns the supply 
must have fallen far short of the demand, and prices have been 
prohibitive to the bulk of the people. There is also no doubt that 
intelligent land preparation, manuring, seed selection, aud general 
care in culture have contributed to more abundant and sounder 
crops. As an instance of the value of soil preparation, it may be 
recorded that most of the strong ground intended for Potatoes this 
year at Chiswick was deeply dug and thrown in ridges before winter. 
With subsequent working in favourable weather in spring the mass 
was pulverised, and brought into the best mechanical condition ; but 
a portion of the ground could not be dug till spring, and in this the 
disease was by far the most virulent ; but the best soil preparation 
alone did not prevent the outbreak, which seriously damaged the 
crops. 
Before noting some general results of Mr. Fenn’s “ fight with 
the fungus,” a simple record of special field experiments at Reading 
may be given as further illustrative of the work there. Three 
varieties were selected for experiment, with the following results :— 
Name of Variety. 
Sutton’sRingleader 
“White Beauty of 
Hebron. 
Chancellor . 
Extent cf Ground. 
5 poles dressed and 5 
poles undressed .... 
5 poles dressed and 5 
poles undressed .... 
2| poles dressed and 2| 
poles undressed .... 
Total 
weight 
dressed 
Total 
weight 
undressed. 
Total 
decrease 
after 
dressing. 
aa 
: o 
o5 
> CO DC 
rq ^ rC 
CT r—I 
CO 
O' 
CO 
rO 
CO CO 
& 5 
3 2 27 
5 
8 
22 
2 
1 23 
4 0 0 
6 
0 
11 
2 
0 11 
3 S 4 
3 
8 
8 
— 
Total 
increase 
after 
dressing. 
0 0 1 
It will be seen that the earliest variety suffered the most, its 
successor following closely ; the later, Chancellor, a very fine 
sample, showing a gain of a solitary pound, obtained at the 
expense of three dressings of Bouillie. If an acre of Ringleader 
had been dressed the decrease would have been upwards of 3 tons 
18 cwts. This suggests it is better to keep the growths of early 
Potatoes green than staining them blue with this cehb attd 
mixture, which all through the experiments arrested the growth 
of the tubers. 
Now we run on to Sulhamstead. Mr. Fenn was at Reading, 
and the crops of his trial plots lying on the land at home awaiting 
inspection. There was only just time to reach them and have a 
quick glance before dark. Here, as at Reading, half of some 
rows had been powdered, and in every case to advantage, the other 
half not. In some instances a moment’s examination of the crops 
sufficed to show how far the dressing had been done. One or two 
rows of some of Mr. Fenn’s precious high quality varieties prone 
to the disease had been dressed throughout, and the results appeared 
to be altogether satisfactory. The veteran rejoiced greatly. He 
had been fighting with the disease for forty-five years, but had 
always been beaten, and now for the first time he felt the proud 
victor. Every moment he was expected to throw up his hat and 
shout “powder for ever,” but he displayed his enthusiasm in a 
more unusual way, as will be noted presently. 
The varieties operated on in his garden were alluded to in this 
Journal a few weeks ago (September 3rd). In the field a con¬ 
siderable plantation was made of Eliza Fenn. Exactly opposite the 
entrance two or three rows were systematically powdered. These, 
when inspected towards the end of August, were green and grow¬ 
ing, the undressed rows stretching away on each side blackened. 
The difference was most striking, and the crops of tubers lying on 
the land last week were equally striking. The gain in the dressed 
rows appeared to approach 50 per cent. The produce with that of 
contiguous undressed rows will be weighed, and then we shall 
know. That in one case the crop was good and the other poor was 
plain enough. Ringleader, too, appeared to be improved by the 
powder, the first dressing having been given before earthing. Two 
rows of Potatoes planted after the early crop was dug in July were 
kept free from the fungus, and afforded sound, though naturally 
small tubers. This result, Mr. Fenn said, would have been im¬ 
possible this year without the powder. Granting the powder has 
been effective, what of the man ? Much is due to his persistent 
and persevering action. Whenever he saw mildew on anything, 
Roses outside and A/ines in, he ran for the bellows and “swept it 
away and how many times the young septuagenarian has skipped 
up and down the Potato rows puffing away will perhaps never be 
known. He cannot tell, and does not think it matters; he has 
conquered the enemy at last, and that is enough for him. 
His activity is wonderful and his enthusiasm boundless. By 
the aid of the old Guy Fawkes lantern we had to see his vinery, 
the roof a mass of clusters of Royal Muscadine Grapes for wine 
making. Until this year they have been eaten up with mildew, 
but now not a speck is to be ssen, nor on the Tomatoes in the same 
house. “ The powder was said to be dangerous,” he remirked, so 
thought “ the best way to prove it was to eat a couple of dressed 
bunches, and tell Eliza to send for the doctor if anything happened. ’ 
He thought they did him good. AVe had to go round the garden 
and shake down seedling Plums, while he flitted about like a AVill 
o’ the Wisp, holding up the light to his memorial trees that were 
sent to him by friends, many now departed, and he calls the trees 
by their names—AVildsmith, Woodbridge, Ball, Howe, and so on. 
AVhat a delight to him is his garden. Next we have to go into the 
barn and see the wine and cider-making paraphernalia, and the work 
in progress, theninto the creeper-draped commodious and picturesque 
cottage to try the jellies and everything else. Mrs. Fenn is an 
adept in getting the best that is to be had out of fruits, and not a 
pound of any kind is wasted, even the purple Berberries, Mahonia 
aquifolia, and Brambles being stored in the form of delicious 
conserves. 
But the talk was mainly about Potatoes and powder. “ What 
bellows do you use ? ” casually asked Mr. Barron, who was one of 
the trio of visitors. “Here, Alice, fetch the bellows, quick ! ” and 
forthwith came the maalbec. Miss Fenn is a young lady of taste, 
and likes to make the room attractive. The bunches of Grasses, 
Honesty, and other persistent sprays suspended round the walls in 
fitting receptacles made by deft fingers, had a pleasing effect. 
Well, what did the old Fennian do but started driving the powder 
into these to show us the way to use it ! It was of no use calling 
“ Father, Father, and Bob, Bob. What are you doing ?” for the 
powder had to fly, and fly it did, till all j fined in the cry, “ Hold, 
enough ; we understand it!” “ Ob, you do, do you ? Very well, 
if there’s mildew there it will be settled ; that’s the way to do it 
on everything, only do it soon enough and often enough and you will 
be the master even of the Potato disease.” Perhaps we should if 
we were Robert Fenns, but there is only one. and that is enough 
in a room when he is armed with a maalbec charged with an 
impalpable powder of sulphate of copper and lime.— Experientia 
DOCET. 
THE USE AND ABUSE OF AVATER. 
In your last issue I am glad to sse that Mr. Watsrs_ has in some way 
put himself right, and I can assuic him that it was neither his training 
nor his practice that I impeached ; it was his preaching. Mr. Waters 
also says that I ought to have ascertained whether he had any explana¬ 
tion to offer before questioning his doctrine. Well, I waited for a 
fortnight, hoping that he or someone else would have corrected what 
he now acknowledges were reporter’s errors. Surely it was his duty to 
put himself right. I am also glad to hear of the goodwill existing 
between Mr. Waters and his subordinates, but that point I never raised. 
As regards the watering of fruit borders, it is a well-xnown fact that in 
the majority of cases they are too sparingly watered. As a rule 
gardeners have far too much work to waste time in over-watering. 
As regards the old tree of Grosse Mignonne Peach to which I referred 
I am credibly informed that for the last twenty-five years it has borne 
fruits of equal size and weight to those mentioned—a crop numbering 
from fifteen to twenty dozen year by year. Mr. Waters speak.9 of 
