374 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October £9, 1885. 
ing sixty-one tubers weighing 2 lbs. 1 oz., white, of the shape 
of Paterson’s Victoria. No. 19 grew 62 inches high, pro¬ 
duced forty-four tubers weighing 2 lbs. 12 \ ozs., blush, with 
eyes of the smallest and a variety of promise; this plant 
flowered. No. 22 grew 75 inches high, produced twenty-nine 
tubers weighing 1 lb. 9£ ozs., a flattish round variety with 
white crackled skin. The tops of four varieties were taken off 
and struck as cuttings with the object of increasing the stock, 
but the experiment failed, for the seedlings “ bled and died; ” 
but one of the plants—a cutting from a seedling—attained a 
height of 70 inches, producing eleven tubers, which weighed 
1 lb. 2£ ozs., one of them large enough for cooking. This is 
a white round variety, and promises well as a cropper. All 
those mentioned ripened and were lifted in September. By 
way of contrast it may be noted that the combined produce of 
three plants that only grew a foot high, and lifted early, 
was only thirteen tubers weighing 28 grains. It is not neces¬ 
sary to particularise other varieties, as sufficient is said to 
indicate the character of these interesting seedlings. 
The hope of substantial improvement rests in the produc¬ 
tion of strong-growing, great-cropping varieties of good 
quality, and there are not wanting indications that some such 
may be found in the Maglia race under notice. All past ex¬ 
perience proves (the experience of “ disease years ”) that of 
late, and consequently the most productive varieties, only 
those possessing inherent vigour, great leaf power, and woody 
upright stems, can resist the murrain, such, for example, as 
Redskin Flourball, Magnum Bonum, Scotch Champion, 
and others of similarly robust growth. It is much too soon 
to rejoice at the Potato disease being banished. The fungus 
will in all probability be seen again when climatal conditions 
are favourable to its growth, and it will be fortunate if 
varieties of Potatoes are then established that will resist its 
rapid increase and development. If the “fresh blood” of 
Solanum Maglia will contribute to this end, those who have 
been the means of its introduction will deserve well of their 
country. The species itself is not disease-proof, as weak 
plants of it have been affected; but strong plants, or varieties 
raised from it with more ligneous stems, may have greater 
disease-resisting power, and further experience with the 
varieties now raised and others to follow will be watched with 
interest by growers of Potatoes in this and other countries. 
In the consideration of this question, the employment of 
Solanum Maglia as a seed parent, it is difficult to resist the 
impression that this species has not already had some share 
in establishing the present race of cultivated Potatoes. It 
has a much closer resemblance, both in its habit of growth 
and character and quality of tubers, with cultivated varieties 
than S. tuberosum has. Its improvement by cultivation in 
this country is much more decided than that of any other 
species ; and it is perfectly clear that the Reading seedlings 
possess all the characters of English commercial Potatoes. 
There is nothing whatever, so far as regards the appearance 
of the tubers, suggestive of a different race, and there is at 
least a possibility of the Maglia species having been confused 
by old botanists with S. tuberosum, and consequently of the 
pollen parent employed at Reading being a descendant of S. 
Maglia. The published descriptions of the species Maglia and 
tuberosum in old and even comparatively modern works is 
very unprecise, and in several instances one might do for the 
other, for the sufficient reason that one writer appears to have 
relied on the other, at least to a very great extent. 
One prominent characteristic of S. tuberosum seems to 
be pretty generally admitted—namely, the tubers being 
bitter, while those of S. Maglia are not. There is no sus¬ 
picion of bitterness in the Reading stock, which is admittedly 
true. The tubers of Maglia already referred to as sent to 
Chiswick by Mr. Caldcleugh, and grown there sixty years ago, 
were also, according to Mr. B^ker, undoubted examples of 
S. Maglia, and the figures of both of the tubers and growing 
stem represent the species grown at Reading much more 
closely than they represent S. tuberosum. Even the figures 
m both editions of Gerard's “Herbal” resemble S. Maglia, 
especially that in the second edition by Johnson, which was 
borrowed from Clusius. What evidence is there that the 
Potato of Gerard (which he received from Virginia) was not 
Solanum Maglia ? A botanist receiving a tuber-yielding 
Solanum that he had never seen before would quite naturally 
call it “ tuberosumand it does not seem extremely pro¬ 
bable that early explorers would pass over the coast plant 
called by the natives Maglia, and penetrate into the interior 
of the country, and only send home tubers of the true S. 
tuberosum found on the high mountain sides; as, apart from 
the trouble, not to say danger, involved, they would be collect¬ 
ing the inferior species. Caldcleugh’s tubers were sent to 
Chiswick as S. tuberosum, and described as being bitter in 
Chili, but when grown they proved to be in flavour exactly 
like the young cultivated Potato. They were Maglias. The 
collector had apparently made a mistake, and it is at least 
conceivable that others may have fallen into a similar error. 
Even such famed botanists as Dunal and De Candolle 
accepted Sabine’s figures of the Chiswick specimens as 
S. tuberosum. “ There cannot ”—to quote Mr. Baker’s 
words—“ be any doubt that they represent excellently the 
present type ” (Maglia). Yet Mr. Baker, after all his 
laborious investigations and examinations of dried and living 
specimens, is “ fully satisfied that all the numerous varieties 
in cultivation originated from S. tuberosum.” This verdict 
may be correct, and supported by evidence that has not been 
made public ; but at the same time it is impossible to over¬ 
look the weight of the Reading experiments, which tend to 
the contrary; and further, apart from possible mistakes of 
collectors, it must be asked, What became of the six hundred 
undoubtedly Maglia tubers raised at Chiswick ? If, as is not 
unlikely, they were distributed among the members of the 
Society, have they left no impress on the varieties now in 
cultivation ? 
In reply to this question it may be asked in what manner 
their influence could be conveyed, since S. Maglia is not 
known to have produced seed before last year. And it can 
also be said that the flowers at Reading produced no pollen. 
It does not follow, however, that they produced no pollen 
elsewhere. As a matter of fact flowers of S. Maglia have 
produced pollen which has been gathered by Dr. Hogg, 
who grows the true species, so that it is not impossible that 
seminal changes have resulted from the casual distribution 
of the “six hundred,” or from the introduction of S. Maglia 
under the name of S. tuberosum. 
But quite apart from that contingency (fertilisation), 
changes can be effected by the sporting of growths and tubers. 
It is well known that pure white tubers have occasionally 
been taken from roots of red Potatoes, and vice versa, and 
that these “ accidentals ” retain their character. A striking 
example of sportiveness may be seen in the Reading collec¬ 
tion, for already a white Maglia has been produced. The 
tubers of S. Maglia appear to vary somewhat in colour. Some 
of those sent by Lord Cathcart to Mr. Sutton were much 
paler than others, and the stock was thus divided into two 
sections; but the colours were not fixed, as the produce of 
both lots was practically identical; yet during the past 
summer one of the stems of a plant was light in colour (the 
prevailing colour of the stems is reddish). This light stem 
was taken off as a cutting, and the plant so established has 
produced white tubers, having all the appearance of tubers 
raised from a cultivated variety, and as such according to 
botanists a descendant of S. tuberosum. However this may 
be, there is every probability that next year varieties the 
produce of S. Maglia will be grown identical in character 
with Potatoes in general cultivation. 
Humboldt, in his essay on New Spain, believes the 
plant described by Molina under the name of Maglia is the 
original stock of this useful vegetable. In De Bry’s collec¬ 
tion of voyages Heriot’s report of the country visited by Sir 
Walter Raleigh is included, and the Potato is referred to as 
having tubers as large as Walnuts, some much larger. They 
grow in “ damp places,” and are good for food either boiled 
