September 13,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
241 
a permanent institution, no better opportunity or more convenient 
place would offer for the revival. That would at least show that 
in no sense was the proposal put forth in antagonism to the Royal 
Horticultural Society ; indeed, the promoters would look for and 
no doubt secure the kind co-operation of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, as afforded to the old show Committee, through the use of 
Chiswick Gardens for trials of new Potatoes. I venture to voice 
the suggestion as to a revival of the old shows, because now I am 
absolutely independent of all Potato interests other than such as 
attaches to a love for the tuber that knows no abating. What I 
would ask, therefore, is of all persons desirous of seeing National 
Potato shows revived that they will kindly communicate to me 
early their opinions. If the verdict is for, then I think it would 
be most fitting to invite all favourable to a meeting, which I am 
sure the Crystal Palace authorities would reaiily find room for, 
on the first day of the Great Fruit show—viz., the 29th of the 
present month ; and a duly representative Committee could then 
be formed to promote the first exhibition next year.— Alex. Dean, 
62, Richmond Road, Kingston-on-Thames. 
The Warminster Potato Experiments. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Jas. Lye of Market Lavington, 
in the first place, and Mr. Scott, florist, of Warminster, who has 
local charge of these Potato experiments, I was enabled to see 
them on Monday of last week. They are conducted on a first-rate 
piece of soil that abuts on to the Salisbury road, and on somewhat 
elevated ground. The soil had previously to last year been liberally 
cultivated, and it is easy to see that this year the growth on all 
sorts has been very robust. As to what is being done in relation 
to weight or otherwise of sets, of manures, or other diverse 
matters I have no knowledge, and made no inquiries. Both Mr. 
Lye and myself being Potato men, were most interested in seeing 
what seemed to be the effects of Bouille Bordelaise dressings that 
had been applied. Even with regard to these I did not ask for 
special information, as I had no business to seek for information 
that should properly come to publicity through the Wilts County 
Council’s report on these trials. What I saw and was told by Mr. 
Scott was that of numerous varieties of Potatoes, each having six 
long rows at some 30 inches apart, had been twice dressed with the 
copper and lime mixture. What we saw was about one-fourth of 
each block or variety, having been undressed, had in most cases lost 
every leaf; whilst the remaining three-fourths, which had been 
dressed, was in most cases still green and vigorous. It seemed 
as if the dressed portions had fully three weeks or even a month’s 
longer healthy growth than had the portions undressed. The chief 
exceptions were found in some very late coarse-growing Belgian 
sorts, but even on these the dressed and undressed portions were 
clearly marked. A Belgian variety, Tiriu.®, having round Regent¬ 
like tubers, seems to be a splendid field and market sort, if its 
quality be as good as it looks. Mr. Scott has portions of his 
main crop dressed in his nursery, and these were also very green. 
Potatoes at Sulhampstead. 
That veteran potatologist, Mr. Robert Fenn, is, I find, a strong 
believer in the efficacy of the anti-blight composition or powder, 
for he employs it liberally over Vines, Tomatoes, Potatoes, and 
everything else susceptible to moulds. It is, however, on his 
Potatoes that he employs it most freely, and as his varieties are all 
of his own raising, also of that garden section which, because of 
their high-class quality, appear to be so susceptible to the attacks of 
the fungus, seem to be the very best on which to experimentalise. 
None of the liquid or Bordeaux mixture has been tried at 
Sulhampstead, where the powder only is used. It may be employed 
by means of bellows or on Potatoes through a fine sieve, which, 
being tapped as the operator passes along, causes the powder to 
fall freely over the leafage. Dressings are applied weekly or less 
often, according to weather. This year they have had to be more 
frequent, because of the constant heavy rainfalls. Still, the 
powder is very cheap. What may be its constituents I do not know. 
However, in the presence of Mr. Jones of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Mr. W. Pope of Highclere, and myself, Mr. Fenn lifted on 
August ?0th several roots of each variety that he has kept dusted, 
and in every case not only was there no disease, but the crops were 
remarkably good. Those who have thought the Sulhampstead 
strains wanting in vigour would have been surprised had they seen 
the very fine crops they turned out. I have seen some sample 
roots of several famous disease resisters lifted in various places 
since, but in no case were Mr. Fenn’s fine results exceeded. 
The first lifted was Sutton’s Favourite, giving a very handsome, 
clean, good crop. Then came Rector of Woodstock (very good), 
and its striped sport Harlequin, also very good. 
Lady Truscott, a fiattish round white, gave a splendid crop, 
wenty-five to twenty-eight tubers to a root. Kate Fenn, a second 
early, fiattish round, was also remarkably good, and that fin© 
variety Woodstock Kidney, which has been the pollen parent to so 
many good seedlings, and yet always diseased badly, here had the 
tops quite fresh and green, and gave a beautifully clean crop. If 
any test of the value of the anti-blight composition could be 
furnished certainly it was in this instance. An odd name for a 
Potato is The Damson. Mr. Fenn is eccentric in his nomencla¬ 
ture. Still it is a beautiful pale red rough-skinned kidney that hag 
never got into commerce, but it is a thousand times better Potato 
than Mr. Bresee, and gives a very fine clean crop. Then came 
the well-known Fiftyfold, giving, too, a heavy clean crop. Reading 
Russet was wonderfully clean and good, so also was Reading Ruby, 
the well-known handsome red-skinned kidney. Alderman De 
Keyser, reminder of the old International Potato show days, a 
longish pale red variety, was first-rate, and so was the second early 
fiattish white Eliza Fenn. Early Border was also good, as also 
was Sutton’s Ringleader, that exceptionally fine first early kidney. 
The great feature of the trial was that the culture was in a 
garden, hence productive of robust growth, that there was between 
every other row a line of strong Brussels Sprouts, and yet with one of 
the dampest and most favourable seasons for the promotion of the 
Potato disease on record, and with sorts that have been regarded as 
so susceptible of its attacks, here was in most cases good leafage, 
and in all cases fine clean crops, and really no evidence whatever 
of disease in the tubers. If the powder dressings have thus saved 
the Potatoes from the fungus, then by all means let the anti-blight 
composition have all the praise. In any case, Mr. Fenn, who has 
thus employed it, has in it the fullest faith. As to his Tomatoes, 
not a speck or spot is on them, and they are in only a cool green¬ 
house, with Vines and Figs at the back, and are in full growth. 
Very interesting is it to find that Mr. Fenn is again engaged ia 
efforts to create a new race of Potatoes through the agency of 
Solanum Fendleii, a very distinct species. He had previously 
made crosses with Solanum Maglia, but it is doubtful whether, 
after all, that, species differs materially from S. tuberosum. 
Solanum Fendleri came to him some thirty-three years since from 
Mr. Pringle of the United States, the raiser of numerous well 
known sorts. Still many efforts to obtain seed apples had been 
unsuccessful till 1891, when he succeeded in getting a sort of 
half-bred variety, which he named Antagonist, to operate, and thus 
got a cross. This season he recrossed one plant from that first 
effort with pollen from Antagonist again, and has two very pro¬ 
mising seed apples. Should be succeed in getting these to grow 
next year and bloom, then he will cross with some superior 
varieties in the hope that by proceeding tentatively he may secure 
something quite distinct. Of course all is problematical, but 
matters of this sort are to our old friend labours of love. Rapidly 
approaching his eightieth year, he is still wonderfully active and 
energetic. Perhaps the anti-blight powder, in the efficacy of which 
he has such faith, may help to give to him some sort of perennial 
youth.— A. D. 
PREPARING STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING: 
Whether grown in large or small numbers the preparation of 
Strawberry plants for forcing now demands more than passing 
attention, and those responsible for the production of only a few 
dishes in the spring will need to be as attentive to detail as the 
grower who may have to provide plants in thousands. With the 
potting done—and it ought by this time to have been completed— 
the two most important items perhaps are air and water. It is the 
custom with some growers to stand their plants on the garden paths 
in single lines, protected against worms entering the pots by the 
use of planks or boards. For the well doing of the plants, parti¬ 
cularly in respect to the maturity of the crowns, there is no better 
site available, but objection is levelled against the practice by those 
having due regard for the walks and their after appearance. 
However, it is not a question as to where the plants shall stand, 
because this is best decided by those in charge, according to the 
means and convenience at hand ; what is needed is sufficient space 
between the pots, so that air can circulate freely among them and 
act directly on every leaf. When standing so closely together as the 
pots will allow, the plants grow into a confused mass, excluding air 
and sunshine, the consequence being unripened crowns and soft 
flabby leaves, results that most of us wish as far as possible to 
avoid. Watering must be governed by the state of the weather. 
Up to the time of writing the demands on the water-pot have not 
been very heavy, consequent on the frequent showers and dull sun¬ 
less days. The soil used for potting ought to have been of suck 
staple as to carry the plants on to the spring without resort to any 
feeding wha'ever, and it should also be made quite firm with 
the potting stick in order to suppress the tendency of leaf develop¬ 
ment, which dull sunless weather encourages at the expense of fibre. 
