398 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
inability, perhaps, of the farmer to provide as much 
manure for it as he would desire; and thus through a 
comparative poverty forced to befriend himself. 
It will, doubtless, be remembered, that some weeks 
since I pointed to the immense success that a neighbour 
of mine has had who has grown annually a score or two 
acres, and that, too, on a tract of land that everybody 
despised, as it were, previously; it being what is termed 
“ ploughed out;” that is to say, so hard-worked and ill- 
used as to require much handling to get it in temper 
again. I then stated, that as he kept no stock he was 
driven to the use of guano, and to this must be at¬ 
tributed, in the main, bis success. And I here advise 
what I certainly shall practise, that where manure must 
be used it be very old, such as is calculated to spend its 
little remaining strength in a short period; indeed, if it 
were possible, I would prevent its being of any advan¬ 
tage to the plant after the beginning of July. With this 
view of things, I shall immediately prepare a compost to 
go in drills, or to be sown over beds just before covering 
the Potatoes. This compost will be composed of old, 
dry and powdery manure, much soot, and a little good 
guano, with perhaps a pinch of salt; and this, well 
mixed, I shall sow by hand from baskets. In the event 
of the soil being in tolerable heart, without manure at 
planting time, I shall, in the case of the beds or “ butts” 
before described, add quick-lime to the same compost, 
and dress the surface of the bed or “ butt” just as the 
Potatoe is breaking ground, and immediately soil it all 
over to prevent dissipation and to destroy weeds. 
To make the young sprouts into a stout plant in a 
very short period after they break the ground, and that 
with such extra assistance as will desert them as. soon 
as they are a good plant, is my policy; and the rest I 
leave to the atmosphere and the rains. 
But mind, this by no means involves earlier planting 
than other folks; the planting question has nothing to 
do with it. Let people plant when they will, I hold it a 
maxim that Potatoes to be relied on for ordinary field 
or garden crops should not be allowed to expose their 
heads unprotected until the third week in May; but I 
would so manage them that they shall have done much 
work underground, like the mole, before they appear. 
I would here caution the inexperienced against deep 
planting, especially for crops required early; but even 
later kinds love not to be buried deep. Let those who 
would prove this just try a few rows of early Potatoes 
side by side. Let them plant one lot about seven inches 
in depth, and the other about three, and I will engage 
that the latter will be ready for use nearly a fortnight 
before the deep-planted ones. Moreover, early crops are 
best without after applications of soil, if it can be dispensed 
with. I have known a frame of Potatoes retarded a 
fortnight or more by an ill-judged application of surface¬ 
dressing when they wore six inches or more in height, 
and no wonder, either. Persons thus over officious do 
not consider, that in so doing they interpose a cool and 
fresh body, somewhat nonconducting, between the gene¬ 
rally warmed medium the roots are in and the atmos¬ 
phere, and that such interposition must lower the 
temperature where the roots are situate by perhaps five 
degrees; of this fact I am persuaded, having well 
proved it. 
In taking leave of the Potato for a little while, I would 
impress on our readers the common-sense proceeding of 
procuring as good seed as possible. It is all very well 
to say, in despair,—“ It matters little about seed; I have 
known corrupted seed produce as good a crop as the 
very best.” This, although a fact iu a few solitary cases, 
is what T call a most unphilosophical and cowardly 
conclusion. What! because anomalies exist in this case, 
| as, iudoed, they beset most matters, shall the mind of 
j man, in a fit of mere childish impatience, in the most 
February 23. j 
gross and undistiuguishing manner, rush on an impo¬ 
tent conclusion ? 
Our Sir Isaac Newtons, our Dr. Johnsons, our Paleys, j 
were not men of this metal; they were made of “ sterner 
stuff.” As well might a cattle breeder forswear all right 
of pedigree through “ blood,” because, forsooth, he 
made a first-rate “ hit ” from a most ordinary source. 
I doubt not, myself, that the Potato will one day be 
restored to us in its original strength; but bad seeding, 
bad breeding, and conceited modes of culture, based on 
no real principles, certainly do not offer the best chances 
of such a desirable consummation. 
R. Ebrington. 
TREES AND SHRUBS. 
HOLLIES. 
There are above a dozen of the Common Holly with 
green leaves, and above a score of Variegated Hollies. 
Some of the green kinds are named variously, from the 
size or shape, or from prickles or no prickles, from the 
thickness or thinness of the leaves, and also from the 
Holly-berries being yellow, black, or white—and out of 
these one might pick up six or seven very distinct sorts; 
but there is no right or regular system of names by 
which they can be asked for that I am aware of. It is 
the same with the Variegated Hollies—one must see 
them to make a selection of sorts. Silver, Golden, and 
Hedgehog Hollies give but a very faint idea of this 
class; and so do the best Nursery catalogues. Nothing 
short of seeing a good collection in the large nurseries 
can enable one to make a selection of such plants. 
When one is going to buy in earnest—even one of our 
best country gardeners—he would know more, and learn 
more, in one hour, going over a large nursery, when the 
plants are all in leaf, than he could by reading about 
new trees and shrubs for a whole week, if he had nothing 
else to do. Besides the varieties, there are several new 
Hollies, and old ones, too, that ought to be in every good 
collection. 
American Holly (Ilex opaca).— A beautiful, low tree, 
which is used all over North America as we do the 
common Holly. Laxiflora is only a variety of Opaca, 
according to Nuttal. 
Minorca Holly ( Ilex balearica). —A very distinct 
kind, which comes nearest to our common Holly, on 
which it is propagated by buds and grafts in the usual 
way. 
Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine). — There are two very 
distinct Hollies, from America, which are often con¬ 
founded under this name; one, with small leaves (Ilex 
cassine)', and the other, with large, smooth leaves with 
hardly a prickle on (Ilex dahoon), and thought to be a 
greenhouse plant; but the two are equally hard, only 
that cassine ripens scarlet berries, and dahoon never 
does witli us. 
The Narrow-leaved Holly (Ilex angustifolia, alias 
myrtifolia). —A very rare plant indeed; but a very 
beautiful and well-marked species, from North America. 
It prefers a low, damp situation, being naturally a 
swamp plant in Virginia and Georgia. It was also called 
Ilex rosemarinifolia, which gives a good idea of its 
appearance. 
The Perado Holly (Ilex Pcrado) —This is the Ilex 
Maderensis of somo of our nurseries and some French ! 
collections. This is a Holly from Madeira, and is often j 
kept in the greenhouse, but it is quite hardy. It has 
shining and nearly smooth leaves, and forms a close, 
dwarf, evergreen bush. 
The Emetic Holly (Ilex vomitaria). —A scarce plant, 
from the sca-shore from Carolina to Florida. It is some¬ 
times called the South Sea Tea and Cassiobcrry bush, 
in our gardens, also liyustnfoUa. 
