208 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 17,1887. 
tion for one season at least is the almost certain consequence. 
Where large quantities of seed Potatoes are needed it is usually a 
difficulty to find sufficient storage room for them, and instead of 
being spread out thinly in a light room or shed and protected from 
frosts, they have of necessity to be stored in heaps. Some of the 
more vigorous rounds will even do good service after the loss of the 
prematurely formed sprouts, but many of the kidneys are inevitably 
much weakened by it. 
It may le asked, How are we to avoid planting weakened sets ? 
. I answer, Easily enough. Leave a certain breadfn of each sort in 
the ground till wanted for planting. Being well moulded up while 
the haulm is yet growing strongly, the frost must be severe indeed 
; that would injure the tubers buried 3 inches below the surface. If 
the'frost does reach them the thaw is gradual and leaves the tubers 
fin a sound state. Several bushels of Scotch Champion and Magnum 
Bonum we have quite recently lifted and replanted were perfectly 
sound and had scarcely commenced sprouting, and for all purposes 
were much superior to those lifted and stored in the usual manner. 
They will be late in starting, most probably escaping late frosts, and 
the vigorous haulm will assist to mature proportionately heavy 
crops. The medium-sized sets are planted whole and the large ones 
.cut, the remainder going to the labourers’ pigs. Contrast this with 
the plan of planting small and partially exhausted sets, and my 
case will be found unanswerable. 
Change of Seed and Soil. —I must plead guilty to having 
at one time advocated the practice of changing seed, under the idea 
that Potatoes coming off a soil of a totally different nature from that 
under our charge would be certain to be more profitable than any we 
.might have saved and planted. Whatever might have been to a 
.certain extent true in other districts as regards this theory, I have 
been obliged to confess it does not hold good here, the contrary 
more often being plainly discernible. If any new or old variety is 
received before ii has sprouted in any way its true character is 
-developed, but when the tubers have undergone the weakening process 
a correct opinion of its merits cannot be formed till we have had 
the preparation of the sets. Treat the home-saved and the imported 
sets similarly, and unless I am much mistaken it will be found that 
the necessity for changing seed is, to say the least, extremely 
doubtful. Purchased seed may sometimes give slightly better 
returns, from the fact that seedsmen supplying them usually take 
more care in selecting and storing Potatoes than do the majority of 
cultivators. 
I have nothing to say against the systematic rotation of crops 
practised by many good gardeners, but many besides myself have 
found it possible to grow profitable crops of Potatoes on the same 
ground for many years in succession. This is not done from choice, 
but from necessity, no other crop being safe from game and its 
usual accompaniment—viz., vermin, in large quarters outside the 
garden walls. Our rotation consists of Magnum Bonum one year 
and Scotch Champion the next, the latter not being grown two 
years running on the same ground owing to its grossness of habit. 
Nor can our success be attributed to an abundance of farmyard 
manure, as none ever reaches that part of the garden. An occa¬ 
sional dressing of decayed garden refuse and lime, and an annual 
sprinkling of either sort or some kind of artificial manure, prefer¬ 
ably that prepared and sold by reliable agents specially for Potatoes, 
answer our purpose. For the benefit of others who may use this 
for the first time this season, I should add we have no given 
quantity for an acre ; our plan being to sow in the drills with the 
sets much the same as we would pepper our food. A well-worked 
thoroughly pulverised soil is of more consequence than the sort or 
quantity of manure employed. Ground that is hard and lumpy is 
the first to suffer from drought, and without a sufficiency of mois¬ 
ture poor progress will be made, no matter what kind of artificial 
manure may be applied. Not only are the crops heavier and finer 
out of deeply and well-worked ground, but the tubers are better 
both as regards appearance and quality. I am an advocate of early 
planting of late sorts, or say as soon as the state of the ground 
permits, and at this time (March 10th) all ours is completed. They 
may not apparently be ahead of others planted later, but they will 
make good progress under ground, and eventually surpass those kept 
longer out of the ground. 
The Best Sorts. —Large collections of Potatoes are not to be 
commended, unless the owner happens to be an enthusiast. For all 
ordinary purposes six are am| le forgiving satisfaction to those who 
eat them. We cultivate more than six varieties, but it is principally 
by way of a hobby and not for supplying the table. Commencing 
v r ith the Old Ashleaf. This is found the best for frames and warm 
borders, being also extensively planted in the open. The rows are 
‘20 inches apart and the sets 9 inches. The young Potatoes are fit 
for use when rather larger than Walnuts, and the whole are cleared 
in time for various other successional crops. Then comes Yeitch’s 
I improved Ashleaf, which we plant either in rows 2 feet apart and 
the sets 9 inches asunder, clearing off and recropping the ground, 
or the rows are placed 3 feet apart and Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts 
planted between soon after the Potatoes are moulded up. Myatt’s 
Ashleaf, of whicli I believe we hold a true stock, crops more heavily 
than Veitch’s, and this season will be more extensively planted; as 
it requires no more room, and is fit for use quite as soon 
as needed. Yery shallow planting is resorted to with all our 
Potatoes, this both improving the quality and quantity of the crops 
resulting. 
There are plenty of good second early sorts suitable for. succeed¬ 
ing the Ashleafs, but strange to say we are now supposed to have 
Scotch Champion fit for use by the time wanted, and unless the 
crops of Ashleafs are very badly diseased the succession is complete. 
Mr. Taylor, when at Longleat, always commenced using the 
Champion much earlier than most people, and since we have adopted 
his plan nothing but praise has been accorded the Potatoes sent to 
table. The tubers are fit for use while yet the haulm is comparatively 
fresh. We commenced using the variety in September, and the 
supply is not yet exhausted. Magnum Bonum, the only other sort 
extensively grown, is not so dry when cooked, but can be sent to 
the table in good condition up to the time that new Potatoes are 
plentiful. If either of the last named are planted on fresh or 
rather rich ground the rows are disposed 3 feet apart ; but on com¬ 
paratively poor land or our regular Potato ground 30 inches is the 
most profitable distance, the sets being 10 inches apart. Neither is 
suitable for widely planting with the idea of cropping between, nor 
ought double cropping to be resorted to where manure is sparsely 
used, or the ground will soon refuse to grow anything satis¬ 
factorily. 
Adhering to such old-fashioned Potatoes may be thought unwise, 
but hiving bought my learning am not going to risk another failure. 
At one time disease-resisting was the principal recommendation for 
a new or old sort, but we hear less about it now, owing to the little 
disease prevalent of late years. Any season may see our enemy at 
its worst again, and away will ro half the fancy sorts. By all means 
try novelties that appear to be exactly what are required, but do not 
till they have stood the test of one or more bad seasons let them 
oust those that experience has proved are trustworthy. 
I have strong hopes that Sutton’s Abundance will prove disease- 
resisting, and should this be the case it will most probably take the 
place of the Champion. It is a vigorous grower, heavy cropping, 
the tubers round in shape, being clean, rough skinned, with shallow 
eyes, while the quality is decidedly good. Another tried disease- 
resister will be found in Sutton’s Reading Hero, and this may 
well be grown where either the Champion or Magnum Bonum is 
not of good quality, for they vary considerably in this respect. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons have introduced many undoubtedly sterling 
novelties in the Potato line, most of which I have given a good 
trial. Reading Russet, Lady Truscott, Sutton’s Early Regent, and 
Sutton’s Seedling are all of sturdy growth, crop heavily, and the 
tubers are mostly of good shape and quality. They possess the addi¬ 
tional advantage of maturing early, and are therefore most profitable 
to the owners of comparatively small gardens as well as useful for 
the exhibitor. 
Rapid Increase of New Varieties. —Those who purchase ex¬ 
pensive novelties naturally are anxious to plant as much ground as 
possible, and to these my plan of increasing the stock of any sort 
may be acceptable. I hit upon it when the much puffed up and 
very expensive Pride of Ame. ica was first sent out, and last season 
we further improved upon it. From one pound of Potatoes I can 
easily obtain sufficient to occupy a row fully 72 feet ling, and every 
plant shall, the season being favourable, produce as good if not 
better crops than result when whole sets are put out. About this 
time the tubers are | laced in a pan or box partially filled with soil 
and covered with sifted leaf soil, loam, and sand. Placed in a 
gentle heat, say the floor of a Peach house or vinery, and the soil 
just kept moist, the sprouts soon start and at once commence rooting 
into the tempting compost. When these are about 2 inches long 
all are pulled carefully from the tubers and potted, either singly into 
4-inch pots, or dibbled thinly in boxes of fine good soil, watered if 
the soil is at all dry, and returned to the gentle heat till well re¬ 
covered, when they are at once transferred to a cool shelf under 
glass or stood in a cold frame or pit. The tubers are returned to 
their former quarters and again induced to form more sprouts, the 
process of removing and potting being repeated as before. We 
have in this manner obtained three sets of plants, and finally cut up 
the tubers with sprouts attached fit for planting. It is the rounds 
that lend themselves most readily to this, as far as I am concerned, 
original method of rapidly increasing the stock, but kidneys of the 
Snowflake type are also nearly as readily increased. I ought to add 
that the plants should be transferred to the ground before they are 
badly rootbound and at or.ca be moulded up, and in case of frosts 
threatening be also lightly protected with branches of Evergreens 
