428 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 1. 
six years since; the Russian were, I believe, imported from 
Eengal. 
I may mention, that in addition to the above, I have five 
other distinct breeds in my possession (besides three breeds 
of Polands, viz., the perfectly Black-bearded Roland , the 
Yellow, and the Cuckoo), as yet scarcely, if at all, known in 
this country. 
The Breda Fowl; black birds, with no combs whatever, 
but long wattles; very long in shape, and featliered-legged. 
The Brazilian; very much like the Malay, but bearded. 
The Normandy; speckled black and white, with small 
topknots, and five claws. Obtained a prize at the London 
summer show. 
The Bruges ; a very large, slaty-blue fowl. 
The Crive-caux; two varieties, one I'ather like inferior 
Silver Polands in colour; the other variety, the hens black, 
and the cocks black, with yellow backs and necks, small 
topknots, and beards, and very curious combs, like two 
horns, which is the great peculiarity of this breed.—W. G. 
Vivian, Singleton , Cornwall. 
THE RHODIAN VINE. 
The Trebiana, a little-known Grape, it will we remem¬ 
bered, was adverted to at page 477, as a most important 
white Grape for the late dessert; and I here beg to call 
attention to the “ Rhodian Vine,” which at least possesses 
merit, it would appear, sufficient to recommend it to those 
who like a little variety. 
A plant here, given to my worthy employer as a choice 
variety, last year, has grown surprisingly, and evinces a 
very strong habit. As I felt an interest in the plant, I at 
once wrote to a gentleman, scarcely second to any authority 
in the country, as to its merits; knowing, also, that he had 
seen a fair specimen. He kindly answered as follows :— 
“ Rhodian Grape. —Specimen taken from a bunch of 
about five pounds weight. On the shoulder received, the 
berries are loose, on long and rather slender pedicels. The 
berries are middle-sized, roundish-oval. Skin green, very 
thin. Pulp green, melting, juicy, tolerably sweet, but not 
equal in flavour to the Chasselas de Fontainebleau. The 
specimen, however, was scarcely ripe. Some leaves accom¬ 
panying the above were fifteen inches by thirteen inches 
across." 
Thus much as to my Mend’s opinion made in 1852, on 
which the utmost reliance may be placed. Now, I happen 
to know that the Grapes in question were slightly unripe in 
the most of that year, for what reason I cannot decisively 
say; but it is a tolerably fair inference, that this kind re¬ 
quires much heat, as most, naturally, late Grapes do; and 
now the question will arise—Is it a keeper ? If so, we 
shall add another white berry to our Tokay section, and a 
companion to the Trebiana, with this agreeable diversity, 
that the skin and pulp are green; and everyone knows that 
the green of a green grape is most delicate. 
My plant, in its present condition, might fairly be taken 
for the Assyrian Vine. The foliage, it may be added, has a 
j glaucous or downy tint beneath.—It. Errington. 
POTATOES AND OTHER CROPS. 
Last year I remember to have expressed myself strongly 
on behalf of the Potato, stating, in the face of all depre¬ 
ciatory, foreboding conclusions, that I, for one, most 
certainly intended to persevere in its cultivation ; a deter¬ 
mination I have no cause to regret, nor from which do I 
intend to cry—I have erred. I cannot further the cause 
better than by affording you ocular and gastronomic evidence 
of my success. The tubers I send are neither the largest, 
nor the smallest, but from the medium-sized portion of my 
crop, averaging 140 sacks for an acre. 
They were sufficiently ripe for lifting, on a case of emer¬ 
gency, in the fourth week of July; but the London Poultry 
Show claiming my presence, I deferred the operation to the 
first week in August. I cannot say either that the haulm was 
not affected, nor that the tubers are perfectly free from disease, 
for I have had ten so infected up to the present time. I 
am sanguine enough to think the remainder will escape it. 
In order not to encroach upon your space, I refer, for my 
system of capping and storing, to The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, vol. vi., page 406 : and vol. ix., page 48 ; also to 
Numbers 10 and 11. of The Cottage Lamp. 
The uncongenial state of the weather prevented my 
planting in the autumn of last year, in fact, from this cir¬ 
cumstance, the season had advanced to the last week in 
March before I could do so; a convincing proof that there 
is no royal rule for planting Potatoes ; and I am not quite 
sure, from what Mr. Errington said in the spring, and the 
force of circumstances working out for me the very same 
plan, whether I shall not adopt the system in future. It is 
this:—From the first, my seed are always placed in single 
layers on shallow, wooden trays, in a subdued light, where 
no frost can reach them; and on no consideration whatever 
is the first shoot allowed to become maimed or bruised. 
Agreeably to the size of the tuber I allow two shoots, but 
never more; all others are rubbed off in their infancy. 
This has always been my practice with my first early Pota¬ 
toes, though last year, from reasons stated above, early and 
second earlies underwent the same process. When I 
planted them the tubers were wrinkled, with sturdy shoots 
about three inches long attached to them as firm as the 
limpets to the rock. It is quite necessary that the trays or 
floor whereon the tubers rest should be perfectly dry, other¬ 
wise the roots which strike from the base of the shoots, 
instead of remaining strong and wiry, grow away weak, and 
become matted together, deteriorating the set. Of course 
the soil, from remaining unoccupied during the winter, 
underwent as thorough pulverizations as opportunity 
occurred, and it was in capital tilth when planted. To 
accommodate the young shoots, I adopted the Shropshire 
method of planting. The ground being entirely dug over, 
I strained a line, and cast out the soil about four inches 
deep, with the back of the spade bearing against the line 
longitudinally ; I placed the sets in this trench, the shoots 
leaning against the upright side; shifted the line for the 
second row, and the soil next removed cast over, covering 
the first row of sets, and so on. It is a very expeditious 
plan. I do not use a particle of dung, the ground being 
sufficiently hearfy after the root-crops. When the green 
tops appear above ground, which they did this year remark¬ 
ably regularly, the ground is well-forked between the rows, 
and the young shoots slightly covered with mould, to protect 
them from frost. A moulding-up is allowed them in due 
time, and nothing more is required until they are ready for 
taking-up, unless, peradventure, they incline to form seed- 
balls : these, of course, are instantly removed. 
The first early sorts I forward you, are the Walnut-leaved 
Kidney, and Mitchel's Early Albion Kidney (very like the 
Walnut-leaf—an excellent Potato). The second earlies are 
the Prince oj Wales Kidney, Red Ash-leaved Kidney, the 
Fortyfold, and Martin's Seedling. Mitchel's Albion, the 
Red Ash-leaf, and Martin’s Seedling are fresh varieties to 
me this year; there is no mistake about them, the latter, 
especially, is a poor man’s Potato. It also unites the good 
property of forming its tubers close to the stalk. The 
Forty fold and Prince of Wales I distributed some years ago, 
as something worth having, to many parts of the country, 
though I trust I have not been guilty of perpetuating a 
synonym for the latter. How I became acquainted with its 
highness was as follows :—Upon finding that my neighbour, 
Mr. John Pritchett, was cunning in Potatoes, I applied to 
him for some seed ; the result was, the Prince, and a later 
variety, which I have given up, one year’s trial convinced 
me of his highness’s worth; and I inquired of Mr. 
Pritchett, where he got it from, as the name was new to 
me? He said he could not tell; but having formerly 
observed its earliness, comparatively with his other sorts, 
the idea struck him, that as the Prince of Wales was to 
become a very forward person, he would christen it after 
him. It is a production worthy of its day and title. The 
sample I send is from Mr. P.’s crop; and he informs me, 
he never had a better one. 
Now, how is this ? It convinces me, more and more, that 
sufficient care is not allowed for the preservation of seed, 
and preparing the soil to receive it. My neighbour adopts 
the same method as myself, and we get good sound crops. 
