440 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f May 29, 1899. 
plant was found in Normandy, it has been sent out by MM. Croux et 
fils, an! is tow in the hands of most English nurserymen. Certificates 
have been recently awarded for it at the Crystal Palace, the Drill Hall, 
and elsewhere. 
It is by many stated that mere sun heat will do Roses under glass 
no harm, and that shading is not necessary for them. In view of the 
above assertions I want “ our Journal’s ” advice as to how to prevent 
Roses under glass being forced at such a rapid pace that they have not 
time to grow half their proper size, but rushed into openness, and then 
withered up as rapidly—completely wasted in fact, and this in spite of 
wet paths, surface of beds, &c.; in fact, the atmosphere kept charged 
full with moisture. During several days this week the temperature has 
risen up to 110° Fahr. What should be done in such case ? What kind 
of shading, or what means can be practically and advisedly adopted to 
prevent such waste and destruction 1 —S. S. 
W. A. Richardson. 
This Rose I have no doubt will bear cutting down, at the same time 
I do not think it needful unless it is in a house where room and 
light are wanted for ot’ner plants. There is one here that covers 
10 feet by 10 on a south waP. Last year it bloomed very freely, but 
sent up no young shoots from the base. To induce it to do so I cut 
out several o'd stems and all the flower shoots close to the main 
branches, with the result of plenty of wood and another crop of blooms 
equal to the first, and of a deeper colour. I was afraid the two crops 
would weaken the plant, but such is not the case. There is now as 
many blooms as could be wished just opening. I have not been 
successful with it as a standard. I am trying it on the back wall of 
a three-quarter span house, but I think it is more suited for outside 
walls or pillars. It is a Rose that takes most people’s fancy, although 
some Rose critics have not a good word for it. 
La Pactole. 
This creamy white variety makes a good companion to the above. 
It is a robust grower on standards, very free flowering, and the blooms 
are useful for small vases. It must not be pruned, removing some of the 
old shoots to keep it in shape. I am not certain it will prove quite hardy 
in all situations, owing to the strong shoots it makes. It is not much 
grown, only a few firms offer it.—J. M., Bath, 
CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO IN JERSEY. 
Continued from page 421A 
Planting. 
The time of planting varies according to the sorts grown and the 
situation, for although the island of Jersey is only twelve miles long 
by six wide, the climate varies considerably, there being fully three 
weeks’ difference between the lifting of the crops in places not more 
than three miles apart. In the most sheltered and early places planting 
begins about the second week in January, but the greater portion is 
planted between the last week in February and the last week in March. 
It is seldom that many are planted after that time, unless it has been 
a wet and late spring. The planting is invariably done with the spade ; 
seldom is the plough used for planting, even by the largest growers. 
In order that they may be planted with regularity the line is used. 
Close planting is the rule, but it varies according to the sorts, also the 
ground. On light soils Myatfs Kidneys are planted, not more than 
12 inches apart from row to row, and 6 to 8 inches apart in the rows, 
but on the stronger and richer ground the same sort is planted 14 to 
16 inches from row to row. The stronger growing sorts, such as Jersey 
Flukes, Kingsbridge Flukes, and Royal Jersey Flukes, are given a little 
more space, but never more than 18 inches apart, and 10 inches in the 
rows. The planting is done by gangs of men, boys, women, and girls. 
As the work of planting has to be done in a short time, all turn out 
and help, for at this time of the year there are not so many Frenchmen 
on the island as at lifting time. It is quite a common thing for the 
schools to be closed during the planting season. The rule in planting 
is to work in gangs of three in number, a man, a boy, and a girl, but 
here the women very often take the place of men in the field, and some 
of them can beat the men before half the day is over if they have to 
keep up with them when they are intent on work. The work of 
planting proceeds with rapidity when once begun. One of the gang 
turns out the drill with the spade, another spreads the guano in the 
drills, another plants the Potatoes. The sets are covered with about 
2 inches of soil as the work proceeds. When the planting is finished 
the ground is at once harrowed over with a fine harrow, it not being 
safe to leave this portion of the work many days after planting, for 
often the Potatoes are above ground in five or six days even early in 
March. This may seem rather quick to many people at that time of 
the year, but I have planted Potatoes and forked between the rows 
ready for moulding up within fifteen days in the month of March. I 
may here remark that it is at the time of planting that the great 
advantage of having the sets in boxes is seen. There being no picking 
or sorting to be done, one has only to pick up a box as they would a 
basket and place the sets in the drills. Misses or blanks are almost 
unknown. It is quite a common thing to see a field of Potatoes in 
Jersey that has not a single miss set in it. 
After Work. 
Owing to the great depth the ground is ploughed, it is as a rule free 
from weeds, and when the Potatoes are well above the ground there is 
not much hoeing to do to kill weeds. The first work, therefore, is to 
fork between the rows in readiness for the earthing up, so as to have 
the ground as light and friable as possible. Some people use a small 
scarifier instead of the fork for this work, but owing to the blades of 
the scarifier being liable to cut the roots, most people have given it 
up, and use a crook to do the work with. The crook is simply a four- 
prong fork with a long straight handle, wdth the prongs turned over 
like a draw hoe. This is a light and useful tool, and anyone can do 
twice as much work as they can with an ordinary fork in working 
between the rows of Potatoes or any other crop. When the forking 
between the rows is finished no time is lost in getting them moulded 
up, so as not to disturb the roots when in full growth. No time has to 
be lost in this work, for it is really surprising how rapidly they grow* 
I may here say that we have in Jersey what is called good growing 
days, and it is a marvel how things grow on these days. It is quite 
common for the Potatoes to make a growth of 3 inches in a day. From 
the time of earthing to lifting the crop little weeding is done. Only 
when large weeds are likely to seed they are pulled out by hand, as the 
Jersey farmers strongly object to the Potatoes being knocked about 
after they are earthed. 
Lifting the Crop. 
From the earthing to lifting the crop may be said to be the slack 
time of the year with the farmer, as nearly all their ground is under 
Potatoes. Some of them grow no corn, and many of them but little 
hay. Much hay and straw is imported yearly from France, therefore 
they endeavour to have all in readiness for the work of lifting. All 
vans and harness are put in good order, and the horses are given a good- 
rest. 
In the earliest parts of the island lifting begins about the 1st of May, 
but sometimes it is about the 10th, even in the most favoured spots, ancf 
with the earliest sorts. On the exposed ground along the top of the. 
island it is generally about the end of May before digging commences, 
but by the 15th of June the season may be said to be in full swing all 
over the island. At this time it is all Potatoes, and nothing but 
Potatoes. It is a sight once seen never to be forgotten. When onco 
anyone is clear of the town of St. Heliers—and he has to be a good 
driver to thread his.,way amongst the vanloads of Potatoes, and get 
clear out with all his wheels on—he cannot drive 100 yards any¬ 
where in the island without having diggers in view. It is impossible, 
to get the crop lifted in the short time that it has to be done in 
with the ordinary Jersey labourer. At this time many of the poorest 
French labourers come to Jersey for the Potato digging, and their ono 
object is to get all the money they can to take back to France, and spend 
as little as they can while in Jersey. Few of them ever see a bed while 
on the island. Men, women, and children sleep in sheds and stables on 
straw, in a way that would not be allowed in England, but they arc- 
good workers, and that is all that is wanted for the short time they are 
here, as they are not allowed to stay after the Potato season is over; 
Most of them come over in open boats, but they are not allowed to land, 
unless they have provided themselves with a pass to take them back 
again. The usual mode of working in lifting the crop is for a man or 
woman to dig with a fork, and a boy or girl picks up the Potatoes and 
lays them in rows and throws the haulm in heaps. When enough has 
been dug for a load, they are sorted in two sizes and sent to market. 
The bulk of the crop is sold in Jersey to English merchants, who come 
over and export them to England. Some are sent to France, and I have 
known ships come from America for a cargo. Some of the growers pack 
and export their crop themselves, but it is the exception rather than the 
