August 15, 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
125 
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POTATOES FOR PLANTING, j 
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f\ ARDEXERS in the exercise of their calling must look well 
\X ahead, and in no one particular is this more necessary than in 
the case of saving Potatoes for planting during the next season. In 
most instances a considerable portion of the kitchen garden has to be 
■devoted to Potato culture, and whether the crop prove a success or 
not very much depends upon the quality of the sets used. If they 
are of all sizes, some of necessity being cut and others perhaps 
being really too small to plant, an uneven weakly haulm is almost 
certain to result. Sometimes very slightly diseased tubers are 
saved, and these do not decay till after they are planted and have 
formed some very weakly haulm. The greatest and most generally 
repeated mistake is the practice of saving all the crop in one heap, 
the largest tubers being used as required and the remainder planted. 
When the “ ware ” Potatoes are thus stored with the planting sets 
the former must be covered and otherwise favoured at the expense 
of the latter, frequent exhaustive sproutings being the inevitable 
result. It cannot be too often impressed on the minds of the 
inexperienced that a tuber intended to be planted in the next 
season ought not to produce but one, or at the most two, strong 
sprouts, these being short and firmly attached to the set when it is 
put out. The loss of the first strong sprout is not of so much 
importance, though it should be prevented, if possible, in the case 
of most of the round varieties ; but when the Ashleaf and Lapstone 
sections in particular are caused or allowed to sprout prematurely 
this has a most weakening effect, and a light crop is almost certain 
to be the result of this careless treatment. 
Whether or not “ a change of seed always pays ” it is not my 
intention to discuss, and will merely remark that, according to my 
experience, it is not generally so advantageous a measure as some 
would have us to believe. I have hitherto found our own well 
selected and properly cared for sets answer better than any brought 
from a distance, the new varieties especially rarely succeeding 
satisfactorily the first season they are tried. Our practice therefore 
is to save as many planting tubers as we can find room for, or ample 
for our purpose, and to keep these apart from the ware or those 
intended for consumption. All are sorted over according as they 
are lifted, the smallest finding their way to the labourers’ pigs, the 
medium-sized being selected for planting, and the rest stored for 
either boiling or baking, the larger sizes being much in demand 
for the latter purpose. Although we do not save very rough 
tubers for planting, I do not attach very much importance to the 
theory that the finest crops of Potatoes are to be obtained from 
the best formed tubers, as it frequently happens that the latter 
produce a great per-centage of malformed tubers, and on the other 
hand I have seen abundance of Potatoes fit for exhibition result 
from rough sets. Much in either case depends upon the nature of 
the ground, the manure used, and the cultivation accorded. What 
I wish most strongly to urge is the necessity for saving abundance 
■of planting tubers that will not require to be cut, unless to hasten 
■decay, so as to be well prepared for the next planting season. 
Especially is it wise to save plenty of the best early Ashleaf 
varieties, as these can only very rarely be bought so good as they 
can be saved on the place, whereas most of the later varieties, in 
addition to being cheaper, are, as I have shown, not so much 
weakened by the loss of first sprouts consequent either upon thick 
storing or travelling. One reason w'hy the invaluable Ashleaf 
No. 477.— Vol. XIX., Third Series. 
varieties are not more largely grown by amateurs generally, as 
well as those in charge of numerous small gardens, is the fact of 
the seed being both scarce and dear. Where double-cropping must 
be closely resorted to the Ashleafs are particularly valuable, these 
forming comparatively little haulm, and in addition mature early. 
Instead, therefore, of using these up so closely as usual let me advise 
that a much greater proportion of tubers be saved for planting, and 
when cnce matters are got into a good working groove there will 
be, disease permitting, less need of self-denial when the time again 
comes round for lifting and storing. 
I believe there are fewer collections of Potatoes grown than 
formerly, and that, too, in spite of the great increase in the number 
of varieties available. This is as it should be, for collections as 
a ru'e are unprofitable, only the enthusiast tolerating them. In 
addition to causing much extra labour a constant change on the 
table is anything but pleasing to those who rightly prefer to have a 
long succession of the best variety in season. It is, however, only 
by repeated trials that the varieties best adapted to any particular 
soils can be found, but when these few are selected—for after all 
that may be said or written there are only a limited number of 
gardens where a considerable number of varieties succeed satis¬ 
factorily in every way—let the rest be discarded. We find it pays 
best to grow only a few varieties, and these most extensively. The 
weeding out should be done now, and not after the sets have 
cumbered the store room all the winter. 
Not a few planting sets are forked out of the ground quite 
sound only to take the disease while laying on the surface, either 
to dry or, worse still, in order to conform to the fallacy that 
“greening” is either necessary or beneficial. Greened tubers may 
be stored apparently sound, yet with the disease in them, and as 
previously pointed out, may even be planted without its being 
detected. Those who are wise will not trouble to first green their 
tubers prior to storing, but will get them under cover as quickly as 
possible, especially if the weather is dull and showery. There are 
so many diseased Potatoes this season that it will hardly be possible 
to avoid storing a few of them, and there is all the more reason 
therefore to avoid courting disaster. It is when the tubers are 
newly lifted they are most susceptible of disease, and there is little 
danger of their taking it in airy open sheds or rooms where they 
are placed for the winter. If kept rather close, or in large heaps, 
the Ashleafs especially will sprout badly long before midwinter, and 
all ought to be stored as thinly as possible ; a single layer, whether 
in shallow boxes, trays, and baskets, or in latticed benches, is all 
that should be formed. The sooner the Ashleafs are set on end, 
thickest end uppermost, the better. This, however, is work for 
wet weather, and may safely be deferred for a few days or weeks. 
—W. Iggulden. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON TOMATOES. 
A grower in Wales told me one day last week that last year 
he sent 30 tons to market, and at present he had every prospect of 
increasing this during 1889 to 40 tons. Ten years ago Tomato 
culture was an unheard-of experience in the garden in question. 
The owner further said he could readily dispose of 100 tons a year, 
and that he knew one salesman who would contract for the whole 
at an average of Is. a lb. 
The Tomato disease fortunately is far from general, but when 
once it is established in a place it is difficult to eradicate. Not 
having to contend with it I have no opinion of my own to offer 
as to its removal, but a friend recently informed me that he had 
to deal with a very bad case , so bad, indeed, that his resolution 
was either to kill or cure, and he thinks he has effected the latter 
by very stringent mean 3 . The house was a large one, over 100 ftet 
in length, and a quantity of sulphur was placed in saucers along 
the gangway. The sulphur was kindled and allowed to burn until 
the house was so full of fumes as to compel the exit of those in 
No. 2133.—Vol. LXXXI., Old Series 
