January 27, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
69 
thickly produced on the stems, are of medium size, very firm, and of 
delicious flavour when cooked. As this is the most useful green vegetable 
for winter use, it is important that a reliable variety should be grown, 
and those who give Paragon a trial will, I think, be quite satisfied with 
the result. Our quarter for Sprouts is always planted with Parly 
Kidney Potatoes, 3 feet apart. The plants of Brussels Sprouts are raised 
in a cold pit, and afterwards pricked out in a sheltered place in the 
frame ground. When large enough they are transplanted between the 
rows of Potatoes, after these have been earthed up. The protection here 
afforded helps to establish them quickly. When the Potatoes are lifted 
the soil is worked round the stems, which keeps them firm against wind. 
—Arthur Basket, Kindlip . 
AN OLD LECTURE ON POTATOES. 
By Mr. Robert Fenn. 
{Continued, from page 5 80, last v el.') 
Potatoes have been raised in England, from seed tubers received 
from New Zealand, for the purpose of testing an opinion that the 
produce from seed raised in those islands where the Potato disease is 
unknown might be free from its attack in this country. Experience, 
however, proved the contrary, as in three experiments the produce 
was as much affected as was that from English-raised seed. 
It is difficult to prove a constitutional weakness in any given 
variety of Potato, its existence can only be implied by the fact of 
its failure ; but the longer the cultivation of any variety of Potato is 
persevered in, the more certainly may we expect to see its vigour 
impaired. Hence the propriety of propagating fresh varieties from 
seed. The method of doing so is to gather the berries when fully 
ripe, and store them in tolerably dry soil, either whole or bruised ; 
keep them in the earth secure from frost, and in March or April 
mix the mould and seeds in which they have been kept, and sow 
all together, then cover with light soil about a quarter of an inch deep. 
New varieties with small tubers will be the result in due time, and 
these preserved and planted the second year will prove if they are 
desirable new kinds or not. 
As a point to bo insisted on, always procure seed tubers for plant¬ 
ing from soil of a nature directly in opposition to that of your own. 
If your land is a loam procure them from a gravelly soil; if clay get 
them from light ground, and so on. The quantity of seed required 
for a rood of land will vary according to distance of the sets and 
rows ; when the sets are placed from 8 to 12 inches apart in rows at 
2 feet intervals, about 5 bushels of small whole Potatoes will suffice, 
but when the bad practice of cut sets is resorted to, 6 bushels at 
least will be required. 
Having thus spoken of seed I will return to the soil and planting. 
On the supposition that the trenching has been carried out, and when 
the ridges are in a frozen state about the beginning of February, 
break them up, fork it over again on the first dry and favourable 
opportunity that occurs towards the end of the month, preparaiory 
for planting in March. In planting I adopt the Shropshire method 
—namely, stretch a line, and cast out the soil about 4 inches deep, 
with the back of the spade bearing against the line ; the sets are then 
placed in the drill about a foot a^-art, the line for the site of the 
next row is then placed there,the spade applied, and the soil removed 
cast over to fill up the previous drill, and so on. It is a very ex¬ 
peditious plan. As regards the width the drills should be from each 
other, this must depend in a great measure on the nature of the soil. 
If poor land plant closer ; if rich allow more room. I am a decided 
advocate for pure air, and manage to let it circulate as freely as 
possible amongst animals and vegetables under my charge. I allow 
30 inches between the rows for main crops of Potatoes, but the soil 
is in very good heart. 
According to my judgment, the custom of applying raw manure 
in the drills at planting time is wrong. When in a poor soil, manure 
is used to “ make the most of it,” in the rows only. The young 
plants grow very freely at first, because they then find abundant 
nourishment, and their roots extend rapidly, but they do so into a 
barren surrounding soil; and when the formation of the young 
Potatoes, and the advancing stage of the growth of the plants require 
an extra supply of nourishment, little is to be found. Manure is 
incapable of sustaining vegetable life unless decomposed and incor¬ 
porated with the soil, and everyone knows that roots spread in quest 
of this nourishment; but when in its raw state it is merely laid in 
narrow strips along the centre of the drills, where it is least wanted, 
and away from the roots ; is it to be wondered at that a poor orop is 
so often the result ? In opposition to this practice, however, stands a 
worse, and that is where the land is altogether too rich, such as we 
often find in gardens attached to dwelling-houses in and near towns. 
The Potato there runs to tops and roots with a vengeance, but it is at 
the expense of tubers ; and how often do we see good-intentioned 
people go on adding more manure as a means for the end. For such 
gardens I recomend quicklime. 
The preparation and use of lime was known to the Israelites some 
2500 years ago, for we read in the 38rd chapter of Isaiah, “ And 
the people shall be as the burnings of lime.” Cato and Pliny, ancient 
Roman writers, also speak of the same process, and of the use made 
of lime as a manure. The use of lime as a fertiliser is not so much 
used I think as it should be ; I know there is either ignorance, or 
prejudice, or perhaps both, against it. Light land requires it less in 
proportion than heavy soil, but all lands do require it, for there is not 
a fruit, flower, or pot-herb but contains a considerable amount of 
lime in its composition. Stiff clay land is rendered more friable by 
lime, and light soils are rendered more compact, in consequence of 
lime attracting moisture powerfully from the air. It is also very 
caustic, and when mixed with soil not only destroys insects but 
speedily reduces fragments of previous crops with which it may come 
in contact to mould. Besides, it acts on the inorganic ingredients of 
a soil, so as to render soluble many of the salts of the earth adapted 
for the nutriment of plants. Lime should never be mixed with 
dungs of any kind, as it promotes the escape from them of their 
most valuable property, ammonia. Most people will smell out what 
that means the next time they pass an uncovered dung heap. 
Land and plants, as well as mortals, however, can have too much 
of a good thing, and I know a farmer in Shropshire who went on 
burning and applying lime to such excess that it caused some of his 
ground to become caked like a brick, and threw it for a year or two, 
1 may almost say, out of cultivation. I know from practice, on 
moderate loams, that 50 to 70 bushels of lime fresh from the kiln, 
and worked into the surface just before planting time, will prove far 
more productive in generating those gases which are congenial to the 
Potato than the most bountiful application of manure that could be 
applied. 
Where lime would be unsuitable to the soil, soot and salt mixed 
in the proportion of 40 bushels of soot and 20 bushels of salt per 
acre, and applied in the same manner as lime, is a worthy substitute ; 
in fact, it could not be misapplied on any soil, but it should be done 
in moist weather, while lime should always be applied in a dry time. 
Lime rubbish, such as old mortar and plaster obtained when brick 
buildings are pulled down, is an excellent manure for Potatoes, 
abounding as it does with the salts of potash and lime. It should be 
reduced to powder, then spread and harrowed into the surface similar 
to lime. 
(To be continued.) 
WATERTIGHT ASHPITS. 
Mr. Riddell has been kind enough to admit a failing in his system 
at Duncombe Park which may to some extent account for the oxidation 
which takes place upon his bars. Being a daily occurrence, I estimate 
that it must be very small indeed, as computation must prove that a 
daily wasting sufficient to free the clinker from the bars at the least 
three times each day would mean speedy ruin. Agreeing, as we do, 
entirely as to principle, 1 would dwell a little more on details. Mr. 
Riddell may, I fear, convey to some a wrong impression with regard to 
the rapid evaporation from his ashpits, and one that Mr. Bardney at 
first entertained, partly causing him to recommend a flow in and out. 
When Mr. Riddell says all the water is evaporated long before morning. 
I cannot but think leakage must play an important part because from very 
close observation we find the quantity evaporated to be comparatively 
little, and this can be regulated with the greatest nicety by the amount 
of cold air admitted through the bottom doors, yet with open doors 
ours is far from been exhausted. 
I feel greatly obliged to your correspondent for his able support of 
the vapour theory generally. I hardly see how the subject can be 
further and usefully discussed outside the theory and nature of metals, 
nor do I think any space would be wasted by extending it on this point. 
What Mr. Riddell has found pleasure and evident use in studying would 
perhaps stimulate others, for surely a gardener with a special subject 
has more than ordinary concern in connection therewith. Chemical 
affinity is so clearly defined that forces or compounds of the most de¬ 
structive nature may be so united as to become preservative. We know 
that though oxygen is so abundantly present in the form of vapour, its 
destructive effects is increased or lessened according to the intensity of 
heat or manner of application. Steam acting upon cold metal or iron 
causes rapid oxidation, but I think no one who has knowledge of chemical 
science would for a moment suppose that a fire burning over water 
would attract by its heat more vapour than it was able to absorb. 
Mr. Riddell says I seem to doubt that red hot iron is oxidised by 
water and steam. A glance at my article will show that I never men¬ 
tioned the words “ red hot.” If Mr. Riddell infers that oxide produced by 
the various scientific appliances which are presented throughout every 
work of note on chemistry and often aided by acids is natural theory, I 
do not understand him, as, for instance, steam passing through a retort- 
like tube filled with iron borings. Such processes are to all intents and 
purposes artificial and represent the whole difference between natural 
and compulsory unity. It is at this point we must take our stand, 
because the primary aim in having water is in order to preserve the bars 
from becoming heated beyond a certain degree if possible, and this is 
wh it was meant in my first notes on the subject. I must confess to 
