December 1. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
Any good garden soil suits this plant, but as it is rather 
inclined to spread about at the root, particularly in light, 
rich soils ; it becomes necessary, in order to keep compact 
bunches in the iiower borders, to replant either every 
year, or every two years at farthest. This should he 
done during fine, open weather, in the spring months. At 
the samo time increase can be made of the plants to any 
extent that may be required. This plant was introduced to 
this country in the year 1803. T. W. 
POTATO MURRAIN. 
May I be allowed to add my mite of information to the 
readers of your Cottage Gardener, relative to the disease 
which has had such an effect upon that most valuable of all 
roots—the Potato. 
The first attack is acknowledged by allto be atmospheric;— 
if so, in what respect, allow me to ask your correspondents, 
can the baking or drying system afford a remedy '! 
Now, I am not about offering a cure, although I wish 
much that I were enabled to do so; but my endeavours will 
be to show the effect of such atmospheric influence after 
the first attack or blight of the stalk, so as to set the matter 
right for future investigation. 
On proceeding over a field of my Potatoes, during the 
summer, I discovered a partial blight, and on the following 
day it had increased considerably ; I then retreated to a spot 
that I considered most affected, and took up carefully one 
of the stalks, and it rather surprised me to find (although 
the ground around was perfectly dry) a wet spot, just as if 
I had taken a wine-glass of water and thrown around the 
base of the plant previous to drawing it up; and the inference, 
or conclusion, I came to was tliis—that it was the exudation 
of the stalk in a state of decomposition. I followed this up 
for several successive days, and found the Potato nearest 
the haulm was affected, and, apparently, from that very 
exudation, the poisonous matter thus impregnating, slowly, 
but surely, following the fibres or strings to the whole nest. 
Now, I have heard of medical men using the knife, or of 
veterinary surgeons dissecting a dead animal in a state of 
mortification, losing a limb, and even life itself, by a cut or 
small wound coming in contact with any portion of the 
matter in a state of putrefaction ;—and why may not this be 
the case with regal'd to the exudation from the Potato 
stalk ? If I am right in my conjectures, this, surely, must 
account for the preservation of the root by taking up the 
stalks immediately on the discovery of their being struck. 
Not having seen, in the different publications of the day, 
anything approaching to the views here taken of the Potato 
murrain, and in the hopes it may call the attention of 
scientific men more immediately to the subject, is the in¬ 
ducement for sending you those few remarks.—A n Old 
Ashburtonian. 
I have seen an observation, that by leaving Potatoes in 
the ground to self-sow themselves you avoid or mitigate the 
Potato disease. Ido not think so; neither from what I 
collect, nor from my own experience. 
My predecessor, when the Potato disease had first made 
its appearance, ploughed up a fine old turf orchard of about 
two acres, thinking to be able almost to pay for the land by 
the abundances of his anticipated Potato crop. A fine crop 
showed itself of the Potatoes which we call here “ the 
Farmer’s Glory,” but they all went rotten, and were boiled 
for the pigs. 
I believe the land lay idle all that winter, and at Lady-day 
I entered. In the summer, a quautity of self-sown Potatoes 
grew up, healthy and vigorous, and they came up so regular 
and well that I determined to hoe and weed them, and to 
gather the crop. Beautiful-looking Potatoes I got up, but 
they almost immediately became diseased, and I boiled 
them for my pigs. Since then I have found it cheaper to 
buy Potatoes as I want them than to grow them. I gave a 
small patch of the same land up to my man-servant, and 
he, at my suggestion, about the middle of the November, 
took my horse and cart, and fetched two large tubs full of 
the ammoniacal liquor from the neighbouring gas-works, 
and dug it fresh into this patch of ground. 
The ground lay the winter, and was turned once before 
planting. The next crop of Potatoes was free from disease, 
although I think it was a little over dosed; for gas liquor 
requires to lie mixed with the soil before the application to 
it of roots or seeds. I throw out this experience for useful 
discussion.—A Worcestershire Man. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
the Cottage Gardener,1, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." 
Propagating-house Site < Waterford ).—This will he useful, though 
much in the shade, provided you can move plants from it as soon as 
struck, otherwise they will get weak and drawn. We should prefer a house 
standing east and west, and power of shading when necessary. 
Plant-stove Site {Ibid]. —This has a span roof; direction of house 
north and south. Hartley’s patent glass would save shading. A wooden 
tank covered with slate, in addition to iron pipes, would not he indis¬ 
pensable, but would furnish a nice means for giving bottom-heat when 
required. There need be no extra moisture from it in winter, if the 
slates arc bedded down close witli red lead. Moveable pieces would give 
you a moist atmosphere when necessary. 
Heath Propagation (Ibid).— Articles on propagating by seed will 
be found in No. 167 , and on propagating by cuttings in Nos. 168 and 
169 . By attending to the minutiae there described, you may study, or 
not study, old authorities, as you have opportunity. We know the 
importance of catering for new subscribers ; hut if we repeat similar 
articles on the same subjects often, then our old subscribers say, “ the 
old tale over again.” It is not so easy to please the public as many of 
our good friends imagine. 
Protecting Material {L. J. We quite agree in all that you 
have said about nets, loose straw, &c.; but we could not pass an opinion 
upon the material you have invented, nor the quantity likely to he 
wanted, until we had seen it and tried it, and perhaps not even then. 
We will, however, ventilate the matter for you, which, you say, “ is a 
non-conductor of heat, waterproof, will last for years, and quite as useful 
as wooden shutters, and could he made in large quantities at 011 c penny 
per foot; could be made to fasten on lights, so that no wind should blow 
them off, at l}d. per foot; could be made to cover forcing houses, vine 
borders, walls, &c., at ljd. per foot. Who would not insure a crop of vvall- 
fruit for a cost of less than one farthing per foot per year ?” VVc know little 
about patents, but enough to deter rather than allure; hut if this mate¬ 
rial could be proved to suit so many purposes, and was demonstrated to 
be superior in price, endurance, and applicability, to anything and every¬ 
thing else, the inventor and manufacturer might laugh at patents, for 
their first and superior chance would be remunerative. Mind, all these 
requisites must he present. 
Apple for House with South-east aspect (J. S.). —No doubt 
the Hanwell Souring would suit, and what fine specimens you might 
have of the Ribston Pippin. 
Oxalis Boweii (Ibid ).—Having only a pit and greenhouse, and these 
bulbs beginning to spring, you must keep them dry and as cool as you 
can, to be free from frost until about April; then water, and let them 
grow on, and they will bloom in May and June, and onwards. If you 
grew them now you would not have sun enough to keep the blossoms 
open. 
Gladiolus Seedlings (Ibid).—' These are quite green yet. Allow them 
to decay gradually, by keeping them a little dry ; if they keep green till 
spring, grow them on, and they will most likely fade and rest early in 
autumn. From the faded state of the flower sent we could not determine 
its kind ; it seemed a variety of floribundu. 
How to cut Vines planted last season (A Young Reginner). — 
Cut within a few buds of the bottom of the rafter, as, if as strong as 
they are long (sixteen feet), you may take a bunch or two next season. 
Rubble round Hot-water Pipes (W. K. II .).—Will you enlighten 
us as to the materials, good conductors, and retainers of heat, you have 
found quite changed in their properties when placed contiguous and over 
water-pipes for bottom-heat ? Of the materials you mention, we would 
prefer brick-bats, rough gravel, washed clean, or lumpy sandstone ; but 
our experience never warranted us in supposing that one of these would 
act just antipodes to the other. We should banish all small matter like 
coal ashes. 
Fuchsia cordata (S.).— If it is fresh and growing, and has not 
flowered, keep it in the house, and curtail water a little, and you will 
probably have bloom early in 1854, if not before. If it has bloomed in 
summer, and the leaves have fallen, treat it as another Fuchsia. Plants 
to bloom in winter may be managed as mentioned the other week for 
serratifolia. 
Various (T. Town). —1. Everything you mention in your first list 
will be best in your greenhouse. 2 . Lose not a moment in moving your 
Ericas and Epacris into such house from the shady frame at the end ot 
the garden, or you will have the risk of getting mildew among them to a 
certainty. Plenty of air is the preventive, and this you can always 
command where there is fire-heat. 3. Place in that frame your Carna¬ 
tions, Auriculas, and Polyanthus , and Fuchsias , if small and dormant. 
4 . In the pit at the end of the greenhouse, into which heated air can be 
admitted, keep Cinerarias, Calceolarias, Petunias, Verbenas, Daphnes, 
Ik c. If the first are wanted early they must he set in the greenhouse. 
If you practice what is said to-day, and elsewhere, about Calceolarias, 
you will have no difficulty. 5. To grow in such a house, you must keep 
Gloxinias dry, dormant, and in a warm part of the house until the first 
of May. fi. Eschew sea-sand and lime, unless as chalk, (tomgreenhouse 
compost ; you must learn that what would suit a Fuchsia would kill au 
