THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
J July 14. 
the potato gently the following may be adopted:—They are 
put into a dry, well lighted chamber, in which no persons 
live, or animals are kept, and the temperature kept for two 
months at 80° it. (100° f.), and afterwards gradually 
lessened to 3 C r. (39° f. ). Another method proposed by 
M. Bollman (but which he has not yet tried) is to keep 
the potatoes over till the second spring, drying them gently 
that they may keep better. Some persons suppose that the 
disease is caused by cryptogamia attached to the potatoes. 
If we adopt this opinion we must conclude that the or¬ 
ganisation of these parasites is weaker than that of the 
plant nourishing them, and that they are more easily de¬ 
stroyed, and the high temperature may destroy these or¬ 
ganisms which contain the germ of the disease. If we 
adopt the opinion that the disease is analogous to gangrene 
in animals, we shall see that it is of two kinds, one dry, 
which is local and more dangerous; the.other, moist and 
spread over the whole system. Some suppose that since 
the epidemic of the potato has appeared, every harvest 
contains the germ of the moist gangrene; but this moist 
gangrene is changed, by drying, into a species which, at so 
elevated a temperature, entirely loses its contagious cha¬ 
racter. Lastly, if the disease be an epidemic putrefaction 
readily propagated in tho new harvest, then it may be 
similar to the contagious diseases of animals and man 
which are propagated by a putrid element This organic 
matter is destroyed by the degree of heat which is applied. 
He refers to the beneficial action of heat in the case of 
syphilis, as remarked by Dr. Rosenberger. Dr. Rosenberger 
thinks that all animal epidemics are destroyed by heat. 
M. Bollman mentions a person, named Kovalevsky, who 
bought some potatoes' that had been kept in a dwelling 
house; the crops which he grow from them had no disease, j 
The owner ascribed the benefit to the small size of the 
potatoes, but afterwards found it to be owing to the drying. 
M. Bollman concludes his treatise by observing that a slight I 
drying may be useful, but only in certain localities and 
under favourable circumstances, but that drying at a high 
temperature is the method always adopted for counteracting j 
the disease, everywhere and under any circumstances, j 
Directions and Experiments.—1. Take in harvest two 
bushels of potatoes, the one as they are, and the other 
picked of such as are spoiled, and dry each separately in a 
stove or bath, until the skin of the potatoes is sufficiently 
hardened: keep them separately in a dry cellar till Spring. 
2. Take two other bushels, one of sound potatoes, the other 
tainted, and expose them in a warm apartment on plates, 
the heaps to be 5 verschols (10 verschols—2.33 English 
feet) thick, and leave them till the time of planting. 3. A 
week before planting, dry in kiln (?) or bath two other 
bushels—one sound, the other diseased. 4. In Spring (the 
sooner the better) plant, in several pots, half-a-bushel of 
each class from the different processes of drying, and plant 
the rest alternately with undried potatoes. 5. Lastly, ob¬ 
serve the growth, produce, quality, and taste of each com¬ 
partment with the potatoes springing from the undried seed. 
The Chairman (J. Andrews, Esq.), stated that the micro¬ 
scopic illustrations which Dr. Hodges had afforded them, 
some time ago, of the condition of the diseased potato, had 
strengthened his conviction that the disease must be ascribed 
to a fungus. He gave a curious and exceedingly interesting 
history of a potato which had been rolled up and protected 
from the air for the last fifteen or sixteen years. When 
liberated, sound potatoes were rare, and it was cut up and 
i planted, and, for two years, produced healthy potatoes, free 
J from all taint of disease. In the third year after its dis- 
j covery he had obtained some of the seed derived from it; 
| but the produce was attacked by the disease. The cuts of 
the discovered potato were planted in a frame, and the 
! kind was found to bo a variety of the apple potato, which 
has now disappeared, known as “ Munster Maids.”— Irish 
i Farmers' GazeUc. 
j ' --- 
COVENT GARDEN. 
The supply of home-grown Fruit becomes more varied 
as the season advances. Hitherto, Strawberries have 
been most abundant; but now there are, in addition, 
Cherries, Gooseberries , Currants, and even Apples. 
Strawberries are exceedingly abundant, and very fine in 
quality. They are chiefly Keens Seedling, British Queen, 
and a few of the Elton. The prime qualities make 9d. 
to Is. per punnet, or fid. to fid. per pottle. The varieties 
of Cherries which are now in, are Blade Tartarian, a 
delicious cherry; Mayduke, and Bigarreau. There arc 
also a few foreign, of a variety called Montmorency, 
which is somewhat similar to our Kentish, and used 
only for baking. The Maydulees make fid. to is. per lb. 
There is also another sort in at this time called Adams' 
Crown, a small pale-coloured variety, belonging to the 
Bigarreau family, and rather extensively cultivated in 
the Kentish orchards for its earliness. The Apples are 
small, half-grown, and unripe Carlisle Codlins, more 
for curiosity than use, and which will, in all probability, 
be purchased by somebody who likes to “say” they 
have eaten an apple-pie, when the more plebeian part 
of tho community can only fancy what it is like. Of 
course, if such people will buy a whistle they have a 
perfect right to blow it. The Grapes are remarkably 
fine ; largo bunches, large berries, and beautifully 
coloured. Black Hambrd and White Muscat are tho 
principal; they make from 5s. to 10s. per lb. Melons, 
also, are very plentiful and fine; they make from 2s. to 
3s. each. Peaches consist of Grossc Mignonne, Royal 
George, Bellegarde, and Noblesse. The Nectarines are 
Elruge, Native, and Murray, all of which are large and 
well-grown; they make from Is. fid. to 2s. per dozen: 
there have also been a few Red Masculine Apricots, but 
only a few. Red and White Currants have made their 
appearance, and make from 3s. to 3s. fid. per half-sieve. 
Vegetables, of all kinds, are very plentiful. Cabbages 
make from fid. to Is. per dozen. Cauliflowers, 2s. to 
2s. fid. per dozen. Peas, 2s. per bushel. The peas 
which are first in the market are from the neighbour¬ 
hood of ITigham and Dartford, in Kent. They are the 
variety called Early Kents, a single-blossomed variety, 
which is valued for its earliness. Rhubarb is out, or 
nearly so. Asparagus may still be had in small 
quantities. Lettuces are remarkably fine, large, close- 
hearted, and crisp. The best sort is the Paris White 
Cos, of which, however, there are numerous different 
qualities. The finest which we have seen is that sup¬ 
plied by Messrs. Beck, Henderson, and Co., seedsmen, 
in the Adelphi, and it bears as great superiority over 
the old varieties as the old do over the lettuce in its 
wild state. These fine lettuces make from fid. to fid., 
and Is. per score. Potatoes continue as in our last 
reports. H. 
PERPETUAL ROSES. 
Among the numerous complaints made by the sons of 
the spade, how frequently do we hear of Rose failures. In 
one case, of the buds becoming “ green-eyed monsters 
in a second, of the leaf threatening premature decay in 
the blossoms, with a debilitated constitution ; in others, 
of a weak growth, which all the appliances of guano or 
other waters cannot fairly remedy. It is my purpose 
here to endeavour to show how these evils may be re- 
