466 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I Jane 9, 1887. 
parative freedom from disease, and in others the Potato is virulently 
infested. The Potato haulm is rendered susceptible of disease by some 
predisposing agency, for until that condition is assumed it afEords no 
nidus, in fact is proof against its attack. We have seen patches or tracts 
of land over a wide or restricted area where the disease clears all before 
it, leaving, however, patches comparatively scatheless. We know also 
that certain conditions of soil not only as to moisture and location, but 
as to constituents, natural or applied as manures, have influences on the 
Potato in respect of freedom from disease. The Potato ought to do well 
■on clays through being rich in potash, but such soils are cold, and the 
■crops are very susceptible of disease. Potatoes do very well on sandy 
■soil though containing but a trace of silica, and grow well on limestone 
■or chalk, though they contain next to no lime, and aided by potash and 
phosphates, whether from farmyard dung or artificials, plenteous crops 
of Potatoes on siliceous and calcareous soils are had with increased 
liability to disease. In England we have Potatoes grown on fen land, 
■which are, I submit, unwholesome as human food. The land being 
suited to them is no apology for their being thrown on the markets. 
Is the Potato a flat low-lying country plant 2 I doubt it, for does it not 
contain more nitrogenised matter grown on siliceous and calcareous 
soils than in the bog-like soils of fens ? No one will eat them that can 
/get those grown on soils and in a climate more favourable to the for¬ 
mation of nitrogenised matter. Who, indeed, will look at them other 
/than the necessitous 1 Turn them into pork by all means, it will save 
importing bacon and benefit the grower and consumer greatly. 
In order to avoid disease, early planting, avoidance of soil or manure 
likely to induce grossness of haulm, and the selection of varieties with 
a steady ligneous haulm are the three cardinal points in Potato culture. 
The hardiest varieties withstand the fungus longest, and vice versa, fresh 
■manure tends to grossness of haulm, are well-known facts. There are, 
Tiowever, other factors to be reckoned with besides disease, which, if not 
so destructive, are very prejudicial to the crop. There is super-tubering, 
which is a consequence of check given the growth by drought after the 
Potato has commenced tubering. Super-tubering occurs more frequently 
•on good soil than on poor; indeed it is not so troublesome in the latter to 
-anything like the same extent, for the plants overtaken by prolonged 
drought ripen the crop as it is, and the tubers are small, sound, and of 
high quality, but of the crop the least said the better. Super-tubering 
is therefore resulting of the same cause which tends to disease. It may 
seem paradoxical, but it is really a too rich soil and gross plant that 
causes super-tubering, albeit it is attributed to the drought just as the 
■disease is to the dripping atmosphere. Mulching so far as llcnow in no 
way contributes, but in preventing super-tuberation the tendency is to 
:an earlier maturation of the crop, therefore greater likeliness of freedom 
from disease. 
Instead of putting in the manure at planting about the sets if the 
land needs enrichment I apply manure in autumn ; but I do not advise 
•autumn manuring only as a matter of convenience, though it can do no 
great harm in heavy soils, but on light soil much of the manurial matter 
will be washed out long before the time of putting in the crop. I there¬ 
fore advise the manure, if any is used prior to planting, to be applied 
some little time only before putting in the crop, and to the whole of the 
ground, and only lightly ploughed or pointed in, having it reduced by 
■turning and mixing as to be in good working order. Placing fresh 
manure in the ridges immediately in contact with the sets is a bad prac- 
•tice—bad as regards disease, worse in respect of super-tubering, and of 
least benefit as aliment. Our aim should be to encourage surface roots 
-and give the Potato as much advantage as possible of the ameliorated 
soil and matter assimilated in it as plant food. This is effected by the 
ridge system of culture. On a light soil I plant with the sets 3 to 
4 inches deep on the flat ; in a heavy soil I plant on the surface or 
make the least possible furrow, and cover the sets with soil as in mould¬ 
ing to the depth named. The crop is hoed once or twice to destroy any 
seed weeds, and not deep, as the roots will be near the surface, and it is 
the fibres that collect the food for forming the tubers. Earth them as 
soon as ready, not being afraid of making the ridges a good width, nor of 
giving the plants too much ameliorated soil to grow in, and let it reach 
-up to the stems, giving a depth altogether of 6 inches above the set, or 
for strong growing sorts a little more. This should be done in good 
■time, or before the fibres have extended into the space that will be dis¬ 
turbed by the moulding. The roots will reach the limit of the ridges 
■quickly and extended across the spaces. They feel the influences of the 
atmosphere and warmth of the sun, and the growth is sturdy and well 
solidified owing to the reciprocal action between the tops and bottoms. 
When the crop is well on the way the ground having had time to become 
warmed and the roots extended to the outside of the ridges, mulch the 
whole space between the ridges and their sides, but not top with the manure 
ithat under ordinary methods would have been put in the ridge furrow 
under or over the sets. Dispose it evenly and an inch or =o thick. Any 
rough material will do, as it will longer serve its purpose as a mulch. 
The time the mulch is put on depends on circumstances ; some plant 
■early sorts in February or early March unsprouted ; others do not plant 
until the end of the latter month or early April with the sets sprouted 
half to three-quarters of an inch. Such should be mulched soon after 
the middle of May, the second earlies early in June, and late varieties 
•soon after or at latest by midsummer. It is necessary that it be done 
before there is danger to the tops by its application and before dry hot 
weather. As a rule it may be done from a fortnight to three weeks after 
■earthing, or upon a push of work in prospect immediately after. 
Mulching encourages surface roots, keeps and feeds with the dews of 
drought, insuring a steady and progressive growth, making them inde¬ 
pendent of the weather or less susceptible of checks. The- current crop 
is better, and the succeeding has the soil enriched for it by the mulch, 
in the only way securing of its many virtues. It does more—viz., it 
reserves all the resources of the soil for the benefit of the current and 
following crop. It prevents weeds growing, therefore the Potato haulm 
has the benefit of the sun, of a free circulation of air, and those solidify 
the haulm, enable that to assimilate the sap and transmit it to tubers, 
large in size, and having the matter of which they are built nitrogenised 
in proportion to the elaboration of the sap, the criterion of quality 
The disease cannot be avoided ? I think it can, but certainly not by 
the variety we now possess ; at least, not until it has a hardier nature, 
and which I feel certain it will have. But can nothing be done to 
prevent and mitigate it ? Of course, the tops can be pulled up as soon 
as it appears in the haulm, and the tuber be saved; but what is the 
good if the haulm is allowed to fester on the soil 2 What becomes of 
the spores ? Surely when the fungus is young in the leaves and stems 
it could be prevented by burning the haulm. The haulm, instead, is 
left filling the soil with reproductive germs. Then there is the Potatoes 
left to foul the soil, it may be fill it with spores ready, to fasten on the 
succeeding cropping of the ground with Potatoes. There is also allow¬ 
ing diseased crops to remain for the fungus to pursue its course of 
destruction, not a hand raised to remove the diseased haulms, and the 
land is left as full as can be of the fungus. 
Soil should be well limed. It may be objected that lime is no deter¬ 
rent. It will not kill the spores, but it may liberate organic matter to feed 
the crop in the earlier stages of development and induce earlier matu¬ 
rity, therefore preventing disease, and it may have a mechanical action 
on the soil favourable to the Potato in growth and in preventing disease. 
No harm can come of a dressing of lime in spring—eighty bushels per 
acre, or if containing much vegetable matter as obtains on freshly 
broken up land, or rich from heavy dressings of manure and repeated 
croppings, double the quantity may be applied advantageously. The 
value of lime is also great as a base for the formation of nitrates, espe¬ 
cially so in soils full of humus. As a destroyer of fungus gas lime is 
perhaps unequalled. Five tons per acre is an ample quantity, applied 
to the surface not later than February, and lightly harrowed or pointed 
in. It is also good against slugs and other vermin. 
As to the rotation, if Potatoes follow Potatoes rest assured it will 
bring soapy esculents ; the tubers will be wanting in nitrogenised 
matter, the haulm will be long and weak, and the crop will not corre¬ 
spond. Every alternate year is as frequent as land ought to be cropped 
with Potatoes, and the best preceding one is a Leguminous crop or 
cereal. 
Seed tubers also have a considerable influence on the crop and its free¬ 
dom from disease. This also points in the direction of the Potato being a 
hill plant, and seed tubers from a cold and distant locality have greater 
vigour than those reared and grown on low for a number of years, 
which are much feebler in growth and more susceptible of disease. A 
change of seed from a clay to a sand is good in the same locality, and it 
is better still when the locations are distant. Seed from a northerly 
part is marked by a stronger haulm, a better crop, and enhanced in 
freedom from disease, but under any circumstances changing the seed 
is good, and better still is the origination of strong-haulmed varieties, 
which, however, are, for the most part, marked by a decline of nitre* 
genised matter and a depreciation of using quality. Medium-sized sets 
are best, except for the early varieties, and for these the sets can hardly 
be too strong, only the eyes are reduced to one or at most two, so as to 
insure strong haulm, large even-sized tubers, and as few chats as pos¬ 
sible. Cutting the sets is commendable, especially with early varieties ; 
but it tends to earliness of crop, and to a more even-sized crop from 
the cut having fewer eyes to start growths than the uncut. Dressing 
the tubers with quicklime before planting is a capital plan. It dries 
up the wounds caused by cuts, makes the Potato less palatable to slugs 
and grubs, and may have a destructive or deterring effect on fungoid 
germs.— Utilitarian. 
An International Exhibition of Industry, Science, and 
Art at Glasgow is being arranged for 1888. The prospectus has been 
issued with long lists of Committees and a diversified schedule. A 
large section will be devoted to agriculture, horticulture, and arbori¬ 
culture, the other classes being of a miscellaneous character, including 
machinery appliances, various natural and artificial products, furniture 
pottery, glass, jewellery, paper, and printing, &c. 
--- The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —A meeting of the Sub¬ 
committee that was appointed to make the necessary preparations for 
establishing the fund on a sound basis met in the Council room at 
Chiswick on Friday evening last, Mr. G. Deal presiding. Several hours 
I were spent in the preparation of rules, and the meeting was adjourned 
