December 12 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
203 
dry ; hence, if the hoards, when sawn up, are not used 
immediately, they should be protected from rain. 
Lastly, the small branches make excellent fuel, and a 
sweet fire; hence, they are in great request by bakers, 
to heat their large ovens, previous to putting in a batch 
of bread, and also by every body requiring a fire lighted. 
When perfectly dry, and half-decayed, I know no wood 
that burns quicker. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
RETARDED POTATOES. 
New Potatoes can hardly be said to be a greater treat 
to the poor man than to the wealthy ; for we find all 
parties agree in welcoming this favourite, so that we 
need not wonder at unusual interest being excited in 
their production. 
As is usual, in all cases where the public has expressed 
its wishes to have an article at the earliest possible date, 
whether that article be public news, or something to eat, 
there are always some persons ready to substitute a 
fictitious article for the real one; and, in the case of 
Potatoes, they have, perhaps, been more successful than 
in many things else, for they have often palmed “ a 
retarded Potato” on the public for “a forced one,” 
and with a less reprehensible object than many others 
have done a similar deed; for, be it remembered, a 
really good “ retarded Potato ” is a good article, and 
ought to be regarded as such ; but every retarded one is 
not good, so that we must not confound them. At the 
same time, let me observe, that “a new Potato” is, 
generally, agreeable to all; and by “ a new ouo,” I mean 
one not full grown, but still growing, its progress not 
having been arrested by any natural or artificial means; 
for, be it remembered, that with the first crop of 
Potatoes, either or both of these causes may have been 
at work. Now, then, as we all know the value of an 
uninterrupted progress in everything, as being the most 
likely to tend to the general welfare of all vegetation, in 
the way of securing a healthy and vigorous growth, it 
follows, that a Potato started into growth ought not to 
have that progress arrested by such means as a sudden 
nip of frost, or diminished heat, or sunshine; so, 
that whenever these evils befall the batch of early 
Potatoes in the course of their growth, it follows that 
their quality suffers likewise. They will sometimes 
recover wonderfully, but it is questionable whether ever 
they are as good as they would have been, had their 
onward progress not been stopped by such untoward 
circumstances; and, as all “ retarded Potatoes ” must 
he more or less subjected to such checks, it is un¬ 
reasonable to expect them equal to those grown under 
other circumstances more resembling what nature had 
intended for them. 
Now, in prefacing this subject, I ought, perhaps, to 
have explained what is meant by “ a retarded Potato,” 
which, probably, many of our readers may never have 
heard of. “ A retarded Potato ” is one of which the 
growth has been purposely kept back until so late in 
the autumn as to prevent its maturing itself that season; 
consequently, after it has made that hurried growth 
which it does in the warm months of autumn, it sets 
about ripening ere it has attained its full intended size ; 
but the process of ripening, or maturing, is not so easily 
accomplished in the dull, cold days of November, as in 
July or August; so that instead of the root perfecting 
itself in that way, its progress would seem to be arrested 
while it was still in a growing state, and, as it is im¬ 
possible for it to remain stationary, without deteriora¬ 
tion, it follows that Potatoes so treated can hardly ever 
be so good as those grown under other circumstances. 
Nevertheless, a prudent selection of the kind best adapted 
to the soil, and the soil itself being of the proper kind, a 
useful, good article is sometimes produced, equal, perhaps> 
to the major part of “ forced Potatoes” which have 
performed quarantine in a green-grocer’s shop. 
It would bo impossible to trace back the system of 
keeping seed Potatoes until so late in the season as to 
preclude their arriving at a proper growth that autumn ; 
most probably, the plan had its origin in some accidental 
case, wherein the planting was delayed beyond its 
proper time, and the issue found not entirely without 
interest; for, be it remembered, it is the very late plant¬ 
ing alone which causes the produce to assume that half- 
grown condition which passes for young Potatoes many 
months after their growth had ceased; the process is 
easy onough, for, take a quantity of seed Potatoes (I will 
not say that late kinds are better than early ones, for I 
have seen both tried with the same success), lay such 
seed by in some dry, airy place; but as cold as possible, 
and take care and move them often, in order that they 
may not be induced to expend themsolves in undue 
attempts to grow, which they cannot, certainly, be 
prevented from doing entirely, but which a judicious 
treatment will, in a measuro, prevent extending too far. 
Some growers lay them in the sun, but I have generally 
kept them in some cool place, not too damp, for the latter 
cause induces growth as well as warmth; however, as 
their keeping is an affair which requires no great amount 
of care, it is sufficient to say, the plumper and sounder 
they are at planting time, the better prospect they have 
to become the parents of a good crop; for a root-crop, 
qnlike one of small seeds, is nourished a long time from 
the parent tuber; hence the propriety of husbanding the 
resources of that tuber by not allowing it to expend 
itself in useless growth during the summer, or, on the 
other hand, do not let its vitals be evaporated by too 
much drying in the dry atmosphere of summer sun¬ 
shine; but supposing the happy medium to have been 
preserved, and that good tubers have been preserved up 
to the middle of August, it is then proper to see about 
a place wherein to plant them. 
Many years ago, there was a spirited discussion, in a 
gardening periodical, regarding the merits of different 
kinds of Potatoes, that wero to be treated on the retarding 
principle, and an eminent grower, near London, at¬ 
tracted some attention by the good quality of bis 
productions that way, and the matter attained a sort of j 
notoriety, which promised to do away with the expensive 
process of forcing Potatoes by heating materials; 
however, it did not appear that any one could grow them 
so well as the individual who sent out the specified kind 
that was reported excellence itself, for but little was 
heard of them afterwards, and forcing on the old 
principle was continued as before. Nevertheless, it was 
the means of reviving the old plans, and, to this day, 
many people try a few Potatoes so planted and treated, 
which is simple enough; only to do it at the precise 
time proper to ensure just so much growth, and no more, 
is not what every one can always accomplish, neither 
can those who have been successful once depend on 
being so again, even by adopting exactly the same 
plans. The reasons are obvious. A growth that is 
made so much later than its proper period is, to a 
certain extent, an unnatural growth, and its well or ill- 
being depends so much on the capriciousness of the 
season, that none but those very few who have that 
correct notion of the forthcoming weather can succeed, 
with any degree of certainty, for the crop, or rather the 
quantity of it, depends so much upon that, as to make it 
difficult for any one to depend on their doing well. 
Observe, what I mean by the weather in autumn, 
implies only to the planting of the Potatoe; for in 
a wet, cold, or early winter one, vegetation ceases 
much sooner than in one of a contrary description ; 
lienee the propriety of planting earlier if its character 
1 was known; for if they are planted too late, they do 
