314 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[August 21. 
tubers as well as in the haulm, so that, despite the 
intensely hot and dry July and early August, we have 
had the old enemy commit ravages wherever any oppor¬ 
tunity offers. The disease w r as most virulent among 
the lowest lying and latest plantations. These, however, 
with two or three other instances of which we have 
heard, are the exceptional cases; the prevailing and 
most gratifying testimony is, that in potatoes, as in 
wheat and barley, the crops are excellent and far above 
an average. 
Let us add our warning, founded now on years of 
experience, that there is no plan of preserving potatoes 
so effectual as storing them in a dry cellar or out-house, 
in alternate layers, with dry earth, sand, or coal-ashes. 
It is the most rational mode, even if it had now to be 
first suggested, for it is imitating as closely as possible 
the natural mode of preserving the tubers. 
Our rules are, 1. Let the haulms, before forking up 
the potatoes, be turned so yellow as to show that the 
tubers can derive no more nourishment from the stems. 
2. Eork them up and store them during dry weather. 
3. Let the potatoes, the storing materials, and the store- 
place be dry. 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
j By the time this reaches the reader, the Show at the 
Surrey Gardens , at which it is understood no entrances 
are to be paid for showing, will have come off, and, 
doubtless, a good one; but the schedule of prizes, the 
plan, and all belonging to it, are so identified with the 
South London Society, that it will be chiefly among 
their own members; and so little has the publicity given 
to it differed from that of their own shows, that very few, 
except their own members, will compete for the prizes. 
We see a good many exhibitors, and very few beyond 
those who usually attend, even know but that it is an 
! extra South London Show, and, until we pointed out the 
difference, some had not intended to exhibit. Had it 
: been advertised conspicuously as a show upon the same 
! plan as those at Chiswick and the Regent’s Park, instead 
\ of an exhibition under the same management as all the 
others, it would have been far more extensive. That it 
will do well we are convinced; for we know some, who, 
much to their credit, show to make a display for the 
spirited proprietor. Southby will, in his show of fire¬ 
works, do something appropriate to the occasion. 
We shall be much obliged to the Dahlia growers, if 
l they will try a little experiment to check earwigs and 
: other insects which take liberties. India-rubber, when 
lighted, drops a portion which does not congeal again 
very readily, if at all. This is very sticky, like bird¬ 
lime, or more so, perhaps, than that article. With a 
little bit of rvood touch the stem of a flower all round, 
but make a very narrow stripe, as soon as the bud begins 
to tempt the marauders. If they crawl by that little 
impediment, they will use the experimentalist worse 
than they do us. We are indebted for the hint to a 
gentleman, who shall have all the credit if it be success¬ 
ful with others; but we beg it may be tried, and the 
j result reported to us. 
Grafting the Cactus and Epiphyllum tribe. —This is so 
very simple that it is a work of supererogation to say 
anything about it, perhaps, but I found the union 
hastened greatly by a very trifling operation. After the 
graft was fitted and tied in its place, I scraped or pressed 
the juice out of a bit, and applied it all about the join. 
I was of opinion that it would, at least, close up any 
little vacancy and keep out the air; I was not disap¬ 
pointed, there was no shrivelling of the part, and the 
leaves of Truncatum, Speciosum, and several hybrids of 
similar habit, never flagged. As the union of all grafts 
depends on the exudation and mixture, as it were, of the 
two saps, it may be 'worth inquiry, whether the applica¬ 
tion of extra sap, sufficient to varnish, as it were, the 
joint, might not facilitate the union in grafting any of 
those subjects which are the most difficult. 
We have already said something about Balsams that 
were grown fine last year. The following veiy short 
lesson was given, viva voce, at a recent meeting for 
discussing such subjects. Seeds of Balsams were sown, 
half in March and half in April, in a common stove; 
as soon as they had come up, they were jrntted into 
2-inch pots, and put along the front, close to the glass. 
Here they were successively changed to larger pots, 
only one size at a time, being removed further back that 
the slope of the glass might give them room; and when 
they were in 5-inch pots, they had become nearly a 
foot high, and were placed as far back on the front 
stand as they could come. When shifted into 6-inch 
pots, they were transferred to the greenhouse, next the 
front light, which, being upright, gave them plenty of 
room, and here they began to swell their buds. Those 
of which the buds were open at first, and exhibited their 
green petals closely rolled up, were now changed to the 
largest-sized pots they were to occupy (8-inch); while 
the others, which exhibited a closed pod, were deemed 
second best, and were turned out for the open ground. 
We need hardly say that they were watered regularly, 
and that the succeeding sowing went through exactly 
the same routine; the result was a fine stocky growth, 
not exceeding two feet from the pot, well branching out 
at the bottom, and covered all over the stems with 
blooms of a large size. The soil, rich loam, with vege¬ 
table mould and turfy peat in equal portions: and 
by shading the greenhouse, the bloom was prolonged 
several months. We have repeated this as well as w r e 
could, because, although the Balsam may be grown 
several ways, it will be extensively cultivated next 
summer. E. Y. 
NEW PLANTS. 
THEIR PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES. 
Small-mouthed Sipiiocampyl (Siphocampylus micros¬ 
toma). — Paxton’s Flower Garden, ii., 33.—Another addi¬ 
tion to this popular genus of showy plants, which is 
included in the Natural Order of Loheliads (Lobeliaceae). 
All the species in the order have a white, milky juice, 
which is very acrid, if not poisonous, producing, when 
taken internally, vomiting, and even death. The Sipho- 
