26 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ .taniiary 9 18 O’ 
but I firmly believe it to be uearly, if not quite, the best flavoured 
Tomato grown. I am quite aware that it takes some years to educate 
your taste sufficiently to discriminate between the delicate differ¬ 
ences of flavour in Tomatoes, and I can only suggest that Mr. 
Iggulden’s taste is now in a transition stage. When fully educated, 
his taste will esteem Golden Sunrise at its proper value. I gave a 
plant to a gentleman who planted it against a wall, and to the same 
gentleman I sold several small quantities of fruit grown under 
glass. Now this gentleman is a Tomato connoisseur, and gives a 
good many dinner parties, and he came to me one day and said, 
‘‘ That yellow Tomato of yours is the best flavoured I ever ate, and 
all my friends say so also.” Another gentleman, also a connoisseur, 
was continually asking me for some, and said he never tasted such 
a Tomato. Many others said the same, and only having planted 
four or five of this variety I found it hard to satisfy inquirers after 
Sunrise, for no sooner was a fruit ripe than it was wanted by 
several people. “ T he proof of the pudding is in the eating,” as no 
doubt Mr. Iggulden has found out this Christmastide, and the 
proof of the high quality of Golden Sunrise is in the great demand 
for it by all who had tasted it. I prefer the evidence of so many 
gentlemen with highly cultivated taste to that of my friend, Mr. 
Iggulden, with whom I will agree to differ.—H. S. Easty. 
NOTES ON FORCING VEGETABLES. 
Potatoes. 
This extremely valuable root, although capable of being pre¬ 
served from one season to another, is nevertheless required in a 
young state nearly three-fourths of the year, and various modes 
have been tried to produce this esteemed vegetable at an early 
period of the year. It does not require a high temperature, but 
like many other exotic vegetables it is extremely impatient of 
frost. 
The most general and successful mode of forcing is upon beds 
of hot dung or leaves, or both mixed together. For the purpose 
a quantity should be prepared by repeated turning and fermenting, 
until all the rankness evaporates, and when in a proper state to 
make a hotbed it should be placed together to the height of about 
3 feet. In the process of making the bed the dung and leaves 
should be well shaken out and pressed down with the back of the 
fork, but not trodden. When finished the frame and lights should 
be placed on. In a few days, if the dung has been properly pre¬ 
pared, the bed will be ready to receive the plants. A quantity of 
light soil mixed with some good leaf mould and manure from old 
Mushroom beds should be spread over the bed to the depth of 
about G to 8 inches. In this the Potatoes, which should have been 
previously started by being placed in boxes among leaf soil and 
well rooted, should be planted in rows about 15 inches apart, and 
8 inches from plant to plant. They mu.st not be allowed to sufEer 
from insufficient water, and air should be admitted on all favour¬ 
able occasions, or they will be drawm up weakly, and the crop will 
not be so good. The temperature should be from 50° to 60°, 
allowing it to fall a little during the night. Should frost or cold 
winds prevail the frames should be covered at night with 
mats. &c. 
Where Potatoes are wanted very early they may be grown in 
pots, 15 size being most convenient. The pots should be well 
crocked and half filled with soil, three tubers being placed into each pot 
and covered with soil, arranging the pots in a temperature of about 
G0°, with a little bottom heat if it can be had. When they have 
grown about 4 inches or so, the pots should be filled with soil 
mixed with a little of Thomson’s or Clay’s manure, just leaving 
about half an inch for watering. 
They can also be successfully grown in heated pits or frames 
without any bottom heat. The tubers must first be started in 
boxes, and be well rooted before being placed in the pits or 
frames. Medium sized tubers uncut with all the eyes rubbed out 
with the exception of the three strongest are the best. Planting 
is best done with a spade, and a little old Mushroom-bed manure 
can be placed in the bottom of the drill before the Potatoes are 
placed in, and they should also be covered with the same or leaf 
mould. A little of some artificial manure sprinkled along the line 
is never lost. The lights can be kept closed till the Potatoes are 
up, after that air must be given on all favourable occasions. A 
temperature from 50° to 60° suits them. When water is required 
it should not be given from the cold water tank, but be warmed a 
little before being applied. When the shoots are a few inches high 
the soil should be drawn to them wich a hoe. 
The sorts I have found do best are Mona’s Pride, an excellent 
cropper and capital in flavour. There is no complaint when this 
goes to the table. Early Dwarf-top Ashleaf, the true old sort, is 
also first rate for frame work, and excellent in flavour. Sharpe’s 
Victor is also very good and forces well, but I like the two above 
mentioned quite as well. 
Carrots. 
These are very easily brought to perfection by sowing the seed- 
on hotbeds of dung or dung and leaves any time from November 
till they can be pulled from the early border in the kitchen garden. 
As a mild temperature only is required the bed need not be more 
than 24 feet high after it has settled, and is ready for the seed being- 
sown. After the frame is placed on the bed, a little more dung 
and leaves should be added, to bring the bed to within a foot of the 
glass. On this should be placed 4 or 6 inches of light sandy soil,, 
and when it is considered in a fit state to sow the seed—that is,, 
when all rank steam has gone off and a mild temperature is main¬ 
tained—the seed may be sown broadcast and just covered, or it may 
be sown in drills G inches apart and half an inch deep. A few“ 
Radish seeds may be sprinkled over the bed and raked in, which 
will be found to prove acceptable. A temperature of about 50° to- 
G0° will do very well, or even less towards spring. 
When the seeds have germinated admit plenty of air, but avoid 
cold draughts. If they are too thick they should be thinned O' 
little, but not overmuch, as they will be used when small. If the- 
bed becomes dry water the same temperature as the bed must be 
given. AVeeds must be kept down. If the beds bscome cold freshi 
hot manure should be placed round the frame, first pulling away 
some of the outside of the bed to allow a greater quantity of hot 
dung to be added. The best sort for forcing is the early Frencli 
Short Horn.—G. Hilton. 
Events of the Week. —The Royal Horticultural Society’s Fruit 
and Floral Committees will meet in the Drill Hall, James Street, 
Westminster, on Tuesday, January 14th, at 12 noon. In the afternoon 
the Rev. AV. Wilks will read a paper on AVinter Gardening.” The- 
annual dinner of members and friends of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevo¬ 
lent Institution will take place at Simpson’s, on Thursday, January IGth, 
- The Weather. —In the south of England the weather of the- 
past few days has been quite mild and spring-like, and upon one or two- 
nights the temperature did not fall below 45°. Mueh rain has fallen, 
but the earlier part of Tuesday was extremely clear and bright, and the 
temperature was remarkably high, averaging in the metropolis about 
52°, or more than 12° above the mean for the month. Indeed, it was- 
more than 2° warmer than the average temperature for the whole year,, 
and would have been just about right for the 1st of May or for the- 
middle of October. 
- The Season on tub Welsh Coast. — An occasional hoar 
frost is all that occurs here to remind us of winter, and even that of 
the feeblest kind, as will be gathered from the fact that Violets- 
Marie Louise and others are now plentiful, and have been since Sep¬ 
tember, in the open garden near Barmouth. Last week I saw a fine 
basket of Chrysanthemums recently cut, and others growing and bloom¬ 
ing freely in defiance of the elements, in the gardens at Tynycoed, 
Barmouth, Dr. H. Lloyd’s. I also saw a fine specimen of Eucalyptus- 
thriving well.— Mawddoch. 
- The Garden Oracle. —We have received a copy of Mr. 
Shirley Hibberd’s annual for 1890. Besides the usual tabulated and 
calendarial matter, it contains excellent selections of plants for cultiva¬ 
tion, and lists of new plants. Several pages are devoted to the vege¬ 
table garden, commencing with reference to the Conference at Chiswick 
and enumerating the varieties selected there. Compact cultural notes- 
are given on the different kinds of vegetables. The work is essentially 
useful and suitable alike for the gardener and amateur. It is published 
at 4, Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row. 
- The Florists’ Laced Pink.—A circular has been forwarded 
to us which states that a Committee has been formed with the object of 
establishing a National Pink Society, “ to promote the cultivation of the- 
Florists’ Laced and Border Pinks.” It is also proposed to bold Shows, 
at the Royal Aquarium in June and July of the present year. 
