April S. 1890. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
277 
Potatoes last year. They were thoroughly well cultivated, and the ground 
well worked, so that it was in a very good state of preparation. The 
beds had been well dug in the autumn, and the manure dug in. It 
■was more than once forked over during the winter, and thus thoroughly 
well exposed to the influence of frost. The beds as usual were 4 feet in 
width, thus allowing for four rows in each bed. 
Previous to planting I have an overhauling of my labels, for although 
I enter the roots in a garden book according as they are run on the beds, 
and thus by a species of double entry to provide against mistakes, I have 
a very great objection to getting names misplaced, and although I am not 
likely to have anyone droppingdown upon me, saying “ That is all wrong,” 
yet I am quite as particular as if such an event might take place at any 
time ; for indeed, as far as the knowledge of anyone who enters my 
garden is concerned, I might call them anything I liked. When about to 
plant I take the corms of any one variety, examine them carefully, and 
where their size admits of it, I cut them in halves, leaving an eye to each 
half. This is a somewhat tedious process, as it involves (with me) the 
stripping off the outer coat of the corm, in order to ascertain where the 
eyes are, or else one might cut right through them. This practice com¬ 
mends itself to me more and more. I find that smaller corms than I used 
to think suitable for the operation may be so treated. I like it because 
it at once doubles the stock and secures two blooms instead of one. I 
this year did what I have long since abandoned, left a few of my corms 
in paper bags, and, as a result, I found that several of them had started, 
and when they had done so I found one eye dormant, and had the corm 
been planted whole, I believe that first shoot would have given the 
other but little chance. I cut it in two, and the dormant eye is now 
beginning to assert itself. I believe that smaller corms than one has been 
in the habit of considering suitable for the purpose may be cut, but 
those who have not adopted this practice will be perhaps content with 
dividing only the large ones. 
The corms and labels being all ready I draw a drill the entire 
length of the bed, and about 6 inches in depth, so that when 
covered-in the top of the corm is about 4 inches from the surface. 
I used at one time to use sand largely in planting, placing some 
round each corm, but I have given this up. We are in the habit 
in this neighbourhood of preparing wood for charcoal, to be used 
in the Hop oasts for drying the Hops. The wood is placed in 
lumps and surrounded with sand, and then burned. As only 
the large lumps are used for the purpose of drying there is 
always a quantity of fine powdered charcoal mixed with burnt 
sand left, and I have used this to surround the corms with, and 
^nd it very useful. When the corms of a certain quantity and 
■variety are planted the label (I use one of about 10 inches) is 
placed, and then the next variety is planted. When the whole 
row is finished the seeond drill is drawn, the earth taken out by 
the hoe falling over the first one. When the whole bed is planted 
the earth is levelled down and then left. I did not in any way 
deviate from this, my usual practice, last year. I had a good 
bloom, but, as I have already said, not so good as in some previous 
years. We had not any spring frosts in May to injure, as I believe 
they sometimes do, the young shoots ; but we had a very cold 
July and August, and I cannot but think the plants received a 
check, then many of the flowering stems came crooked, thus 
rendering the spikes utterly unfit for exhibition. I do not think 
that 1 shall trouble myself much about protecting blooms for 
this purpose. I did so last season, and I do not believe I exhi¬ 
bited more than one or two of those thus protected, yet there 
can be no doubt it is the best way to secure pure and untinted 
blooms, especially of the white varieties. 
I had a difficult time in harvesting the corms. They like a 
dry warm autumn, and this is the reason why they do so well 
at Fontainebleau, and I may say at Cambridge ; but when I 
say that we had nearly 8 inches of rain in October it may be 
well imagined that harvesting was a matter of some difficulty, 
the corms get so saturated with moisture that they look large 
■and plump, but it is found when stored that they shrivel very 
much. I found too, that there was the same sort of season 
at Fontainebleau, and that Messrs. Souillard & Brunelet state 
that their harvesting was a very long and unpleasant one owing 
to the continuous rains. 
I received from Mr. Allen of New York a dozen roots of American 
seedlings, of which he appeared to think very highly, and for the oppor¬ 
tunity of growing them I was much obliged ; but I am sorry to say my 
estimate of them did not accord with his, and I was not disposed to 
keep any of them as named sorts, and so they were all thrown into 
mixture. I had, as usual, some of the newer French varieties, but not 
those of 1888, and there are some of them that I find of very excellent 
• quality. We want now flowers that will open well together, that show 
a good front (no blooms sideways), and now having obtained these size is 
sought for, and blooms are now to be seen, such as were never dreamed 
■of years ago. The best of the French flowers of 1887 are :— 
Arriere Garde. —Large flowers, rose salmon flamed with violet, 
creamy yellow blotches. 
Aurore de Fc%. —Clear rose, passing to scarlet, with golden yellow 
•centre, fresh brilliant colour. 
JDocteur Bailly. —Very large open flowers, brilliant fiery red, small 
•carmine blortcheson white ground ; a very striking flower. 
Erigone. —Magnificent flowers, white ground, largely striped with 
•rosy carmine, large rich carmine blotches. 
Formosa. —A very beautiful early flowering variety, soft satiny rose 
slightly ehriped with carmine red. 
Fanama .—Very large flower of great breadth, deep carmine rose 
flushed with scarlet, and slightly edged with slate colour. 
Picador .—Brilliant scarlet flower with pure white blotches. 
Mr. Burrell of Cambridge has raised some fine varieties. Amongst 
them was Avalanche, a long spike of white flowers opening weU to¬ 
gether ; The Mikado, a very brilliant scarlet flower ; Cygnet, a creamy 
white flower, very pretty ; Mrs. Lendull, a striped flower somewhat in 
the way of Dobbie, only much finer. All these I have grown. Not only 
are they good in themselves, but they are, I believe, the forerunners of 
some more fine flowers. 
In reference to planting, I would advise all 'who wish to grow 
Gladioli well to take advantage of fine weather, and only plant when 
the ground is iit a suitable condition. More harm than good is done 
when the corms are put into close and “ stodgy ” soil.—D., Deal. 
NARCISSUS COUNTESS OF ANNESLEY. 
From time to time during the past six weeks Mr. Baylor Hartland 
of Cork has sent us flowers of this variety. The earlier examples were 
FIG. 35.— NARCISSUS COUNTESS OP ANNESLEY. 
comparatively small, perhaps the produce of small bulbs, but the later 
flowers were quite as large as the figure supplied by Mr. Hartland, and 
we think more attractive than there represented. The trumpet is of a pure 
glossy yellow, and the perianth segments sulphur. The large flowers 
had a massive and hooded appearance, and were pleasantly fragrant. 
The variety appears to have been discovered in the garden of Lord 
Annesley at Castlewellan. Unfortunately, Mr. Hartland says the stock 
has got a little mixed, but, properly “ rogued,” he does not think there 
is a more vigorous or better market flower in cultivation. The variety 
appears to be spreading, as we find it was represented at the great 
quinquennial show of bulbous plants at Haarlem. 
CURIOUS SEEDS. 
I SEND you a small box containing a few seeds of a Euphorbia 
■which we received last July from one of our Mexican correspondents. 
If you will keep them a moment in your hand you will notice that 
