68 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 24. 
POTATOES AT NORTHAMPTON. 
I have just received the following opinion of some of the 
best sorts, kindly commuuicated by Mr. Archer. It is of 
importance, as coming from a good judge and a good grower. 
It is strange how tables differ in different neighbourhoods. 
Mr. Archer seems to have no great love for yellow Potatoes, 
and many hereabouts, to my amazement, have as little 
relish for white ones. Some, again, have as great a distaste 
for mealy ones as others have for those that are waxy. 
While on this subject, I may mention that I understand a 
capital custom for purchasers has been introduced at the 
Potato market, at the Terminus of the Great Northern 
Railway, King’s Cross, namely, the opportunity of trying 
the different Potatoes in a boiled state, so that purchasers 
may there satisfy their individual tastes. But I am keeping 
you from Mr. Archer’s communication. R. Fish. 
Northampton, Oct. 12, 1804. 
“ Sir,—In compliance with your request, I now send you 
the names of a few Potatoes cultivated in the neighbourhood, 
leaving you to make what use of the remarks you may judge 
proper. 
“Jackson’s Improved Albion. —This is one of the best, if 
not the very best Kidney Potato I have seen; being 
moderately early, very prolific, grows a good size, and is of 
very good quality. 
“Napoleon Kidney. —This differs from the improved 
Albion, in having a rougher skin. I had it from Nottingham 
four seasons ago, and find it a first-rate Potato; a good 
cropper, and of excellent qualily. 
“ Lai'stone Kidney. —This I had about the same time, 
but it got diseased so much I thought proper to discard it; 
but I have since seen it in good condition. It is a beautiful 
shaped Potato, and a good cropper. 
“Flukes. —These, from what I have seen, promise to be 
a capital variety, but not having much experience myself, I 
cannot speak so confidently of its merits as the others. 
“Engineers. —This is a remarkable variety, being differ¬ 
ent in the foliage to any others I have seen. The tubers 
grow a fine size, and of good quality, but with me it has 
been liable to disease. 
“ Flour-ball (Rylott’sj.—This I consider the best round 
Potato grown, for quality; and on good soil, it is very pro¬ 
ductive. I have grown it now for several years. No gentle¬ 
man’s gardener ought to be without it. 
“ Soden’s Early Oxford. —A good, early, round Potato, 
smoother on the skin than the last-named, and when grown 
large, in good soil, is rather long in shape. 
“ East Indiaman. —These are early and very prolific, but 
rather yellow; a disadvantage, in my opinion; but, neverthe¬ 
less, a good market Potato. 
“Irish Apples. — Another good, round, early Potato, 
although not very extensively grown. A dish shewn at 
Wellingborough was about the finest I ever saw exhibited. 
“ Regents. —These are so well known, and so extensively 
cultivated, as to require no commendation from me. 
“ American Seedling, or American. Native. —I have grown 
these for several years, and a good sort it is; but from 
having strong haulm and foliage it requires more room than 
the last-named. 
“ Farmer’s Glory. —These arc grown most abundantly in 
this neighbourhood, and, for market purposes, I know of 
nothing that will beat them. 
“ Scotch Firs, or Jemmy Brown's, or Farmer's Profits .— 
The last name I consider the most proper; is about equal to 
the last both in quality and produce, but is purple outside 
instead of white. They are more cultivated in Nottingham¬ 
shire and Derbyshire than in this neighbourhood. 
Golden Eagles. —This is a now sort here, but very 
highly spoken of. It has taken a good many prizes in 
different parts of the country. There was a nice dish 
shown at Northampton, but which I think you judyes must 
have overlooked. 
“These are some of the best kinds cultivated in this 
neighbourhood, and if there are any of them you would like, 
I shall feel much pleasure in sending you some. 
Henry Archer.” 
[We shall be very much obliged by any one naming and 
■ describing the best and least-diseased Potatoes cultivated 
I in their neighbourhood.—E d. C. G.] 
INFLUENCE OF PARENTS ON THE CHICKEN. 
In last week’s Cottage Gardener I saw a notice from 
“ W,” in which it is stated that “it is generally admitted 
that pullets partake more of the sire’s character, and cock¬ 
erels of that of the mother.” Similar results are enquired 
after. If the following are of any service, make use of 
them. 
Last year I obtained a sitting of Shanghae eggs from a 
friend; I knew that he also kept Minorca fowls running in 
the same yard, and, further, that Mr. Minorca was “ the 
head of the establishment.” AM these chicken (ten) were 
black, some of each sex, having pea combs, some single. 
The pullets, in their first moult, continued black; the cock 
erels managed to get, here, and there, a few coloured 
feathers. I think the cockerels were more feathered on the 
legs than the pullets. In my experience this year the 
chicken have been invariably black; the earlobe has gene 
rally been white. 
A grey Dorking cock and buff Shanghae hens have pro¬ 
duced two speckled grey pullets (more speckled than the 
Brahmas), two reddish pullets, and one reddish cockerel, 
sometimes the five claws wholly absent, as in this cockerel, 
and one of the grey pullets, while the two reddish pullets 
have a fifth claw on one foot only. 
I have obtained some curious results from breeding with 
a Minorca cock and one of the half-bred (Minorca and 
Shanghae) pullets spoken of above; in some cases, the 
birds have been black, with silvery white on the wing, 
coverts and silvery white hackle—very handsome looking 
birds.—Id. B. S., Monmouthshire. 
HINTS FOR THE COTTAGER. 
CUTTINGS OF SHRUBBY CALCEOLARIAS. 
As early as possible in October is, I consider, about the 
best time to get in a good batch of cuttings of the different 
varieties of shrubby Calceolarias in turf-pits. Cuttings may 
be taken about two inches long, cut to a joint, the two lower 
leaves taken off, and inserted, about two inches apart, in 
light sandy soil, which should be watered and made tolerably 
firm previous to the cuttings being planted. Let not the 
hole intended for the cutting be made deeper than an inch, 
and great care should be taken that the base of the cutting 
touches the bottom of it. I wish to impress this strongly 
upon the mind of the cottager, as I fear many lose their 
cuttings through not properly attending to this significant 
part of the business. As soon as a sufficient quantity is 
planted, they may receive a moderate watering, to settle the 
earth round the collar of the cuttings. Shading during 
bright or windy days, uncovering at night, form the chief 
attention they require until the end of the month, when 
they may be exposed to as much air as possible. I have 
forgotten to mention, that I recommend the cuttings to be 
planted about two feet from the glass. Glass? No glass 
is required ; a few boards nailed together to lay on to shoot 
off the rain (which they will stand a considerable portion 
of), and three inches to a foot of straw, according to the 
weather, is all that is required in ordinary winters. We 
have just planted upwards of four thousand, which will 
receive no more protection or attention. About the middle 
of March they may be taken up with nice little balls, and 
planted on a south border, from four to six inches apart, 
shading and sprinkling as before, and protection according ; 
to the weather. Generally, a few mats, or Spruce branches, j 
will suffice at this period until the latter end of April, when 
they may be exposed altogether; and by the middle of 
May they are nice, stocky plants, ready for the decoration of 
the flower-garden. 
I havo often thought, what a different appearance many 
cottage gardens might present if the cottager would go 
to a very little trouble and trifling expense. The kind lady 
here gives cuttings to all the cottagers in the neighbour- : 
hood who choose to try their skill at this nice branch of 
gardening, and many of them, I am pleased to say (particu- I 
larly the female sex), are quite expert hands at propagating. 
We have a woman in the gardens here that makes hundreds 
of cuttings in a day as well as I could make them myself. 
