September 23. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
vinegar, anil pepper, or dressed any other way by the 
hand of some canning in cookery.” 
In 1633, “ Thomas Johnson, citizen and apothecary,” 
published a new edition of Gerarde’s Herbal, and it is 
very apparent that the potato had then improved under 
cultivation, for the tubers there represented by him arc 
| large, and in form resembling the Julys now cultivated ; 
I whereas those portrayed by Gerarde aro small and globu¬ 
lar, like those produced by the plant in its wild state. 
Tho positive testimony of Gerardo proves that the 
potato was forwarded to him from Virginia; and how 
they reached that province of North America will be 
made to appear probable by the suggestions of Hum¬ 
boldt, which we will presently mention. Gerarde, we 
may conclude, received the tubers from some of tho 
settlers in Virginia, who emigrated thither about twelve 
years previously, in 1584, under a patent granted by 
Queen Elizabeth to Sir Walter Raleigh. And thus 
much is certain, that, in 1693, Sir Robert Southwell, 
President of the Royal Society, communicated to that 
learned body the fact that his grandfather first cultivated 
the potato in Ireland, and that he obtained it from 
Raleigh.4 Tradition states, further, that Sir Walter 
himself also had tho root planted on his estate near 
Youghall, in the south of Ireland; and that he gave 
them to his gardener as a desirable fruit from America. 
When the berries were ripe in September, the gardener 
brought them to his master, with the inquiry of disap¬ 
pointment, “Sir, are these the fine American fruit?” 
Sir Walter, either really or pretendingly ignorant of the 
potato’s habit, desired them to be dug up as weeds, and 
thrown away ; but in doing this the tubers were revealed, 
and found to be the available produce, f 
Humboldt rationally concludes that the Virginian 
colonists obtained tho potato from the Spanish settle, 
ments, for it is quite clear that it is not a native of 
Virginia, nor even of intervening Mexico, and that it 
was cultivated in Spain and Italy before it was made 
known in England from Virginia. 
Although the potato was known to English botauists 
in 1596, yet horticulture was too ignorantly practised in 
this country to permit its rapid introduction among our 
cultivated crops. In 1619, potatoes were here a desired, 
yet expensive luxury; for in that year of James the 
i First’s reign a small dish of them, provided for his 
■ queen’s table, cost one shilling per lb., when money was 
at least twice as valuable as it is now. 
We have some more most interesting information on 
this subject, but must postpone it until next week. 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shown of which we aro at present aware. We 
i shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad- 
* MS. Minutes of the Royal Soe. in loco, l)ec. 13, 1693 . 
t It has been stated, but upon no good authority, that potatoes were 
cultivated in Ireland long before the time of Sir Walter Raleigh; and 
Sir John Hawkins, in 1565, and Sir F. Drake, a few years later, have been 
named as the probable tirst importers. If they introduced any such 
tubers, they were probably those of the sweet potato ( Convolvulus but - 
tata ); but as the author who makes the suggestion intimates that a 
passage in Rede’s writings can only apply to the potato, we may very 
justly conclude that both surmises are equally worthy of attention.— 
| ( Holt's Kings of Eng., iii.) 
393 
ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se¬ 
cretaries. 
IIORTICUr.TURAL SHOWS. 
Bury St. Edmunds, Nov. 20 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. 
G. P. Clay, Esq.) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Row), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. 
Hampshire, Nov. 18 (Winchester). (Sec. Rev. F. Wick¬ 
ham, Winchester.) 
London Floricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Sept. 28, 
Oct. 12+, Nov. 0t, 23, Dec. 14+. 
North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. 
Northampton, Sept. 27, Dahlia. 
Oxfordshire (Royal), Sept. 23. (Secs., C. Tawney and 
W. Undershell, Esqrs.) 
South London (Royal), Oct. lit, Nov. 1 If, Deo.9+, 10. 
pout,try shows. 
Birmingham: and Midland Counties, 14th, 15th, 10th, 
and 17tli December. 
Bristol Agricultural, Docember 7tb, 8th, and 9tl}. 
(Sec. Janies Marniont.) 
Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Birming¬ 
ham. (Sees. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, 
and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) 
Dorchester, Nov. 18th. (Sec., Mr. G. J. Andrews, Dor¬ 
chester.) 
Manchester and Liverpool, Sept. 23. (Sec. Mr. IL, 
White, Warrington.) 
t For seedlings only. 
LATE, OR WINTER GRAPES. 
Of all other periods, this is one of the most important 
as to our present subject. Summer grapes will ripen 
by the natural course of the season, provided the root is 
in good condition ; and they will also keep, if bipeds and 
wasps he kept at a respectful distance. Not so those for 
the Christmas desert, or for running into the month of 
February. During the months of July, August, and 
some few others, we enjoy such a high degree of solar 
light, ou the average, that if a negligent cultivator omit 
dressing his vines, and they should “ wander as free as 
the wind on the mountain,” no great harm accrues; 
the grapes ripen in defiance of neglect, and of over-prim 
and spruce snubbing as well: this putting venerable 
Dame Nature into swaddling clothes, is, in many cases, 
more of a custom than a principle. We were at certain 
gardens lately—gardens of great notoriety, and, indeed, 
in some cases, deservedly so—where, among specimens of 
good gardening, mingled with some of an indifferent 
character, we stumbled on what are termed vineries. 
Stripping naked had here been practised with a 
vengeance. To use a nautical phrase, “ they were 
lying-to under their hare poles.” Now, how can any 
man in his senses imagine that a vine can beneficially 
be thus stripped of its foliage? When we advocate a 
judicious stopping, we do hope that our readers will not 
imagine that an interdict is laid upon growth. 
Thus much understood, we now point to one of tho 
first proceedings with regard to late grapes—the remov¬ 
ing all useless spray. All points which have rambled 
since the last stopping may be pinched back to any well- 
developed leaf, and, where any way crowded, totally 
removed. There exists a double reason for this: first, 
that such, as observed in a former paper, take from the 
system what they cannot repay ; and secondly, that all 
possible solar light must henceforth he permitted to fall 
freely on the principal, or first formed leaves, both in 
order to invigorate the bud for the succeeding year, and 
to perfect the fruit Let it not, however, be understood, 
tli at it is recommended to cut off a single leaf of the 
older class ; this is a most injurious procerlure, and can 
only be justified by extraordinary circumstances. It is 
generally understood by late good grape cultivators, that 
