THE COTTAGE GAEDENER AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, October 23, 1S60. 
4i 
My neighbours 5 crops varied a3 mucli as the planters did 
from each other, but in one in particular whose crop I went 
r to see there was scarcely a marketable Potato amongst them ; 
■and he said, “ How is it that mine are like this, and yours so 
fine? ’* I did not know. His w'ere one good-sized tuber and then 
from one to four of different sizes grown flC™ It. T!± 
general complaint, and this is what most of your correspondents 
Jiaye said, “ The Fluke is a good Potato, but is liable to make a 
•second growth.” Now, this second growth spoils the Potato ; 
and if that second growth can be prevented, then we increase its 
value ; and if by discovering its natural habit, so that it can be 
planted in a situation that a crop good in quantity and quality 
can be made all but certain, why not so with others ? And I 
believe the past season has so proved it. 
I have been very particular this season to learn all I can 
respecting the Fluke ; and I shall only state what I have seen, so 
that your readers in their various localities will be able to compare 
notes with safety. In our own garden—which had six inches of 
•old soil that had been lying at rest for years turned up in the 
winter, and by the side of a wood, shaded till two o’clock—and 
making a calculation by measure, there were seven-eighths good : 
of all other sorts on the same aspect, only one-fourth good. Our 
next-door neighbour with the ground full of stable-dung had the 
finest sample I ever saw, and not one-tenth even touched. Neither 
have his nor mine made any second growth. All other sorts 
'(Early Ashleaved excepted), were as bad as other people’s. 
I have taken the opportunity of examining the samples on 
market days ; and although they are generally small, yet there is 
no second growth, and there is only one opinion as to the Fluke 
•crop being decidedly the best, and the only regret is that they did 
not plant more of them. 
I think that the past season has proved that the Fluke Potato 
will stand more cold, more wet, and more shade than any other 
variety now in cultivation; that it can be planted with success 
in situations where other varieties will not thrive; and that, if 
planted on dry thin soil, it is liable during dry weather to be 
checked in its growth, and then after rain to make a second 
growth and spoil the sample. 
I trust that some of your readers will at once favour you with 
their experience, stating the difference, if any, where they have 
planted in different aspects the while it is fresh on the memory; 
that some one of your correspondents with the requisite ability 
will take up the subject in a more systematic manner; and that 
if there is any truth in the above remarks it may be pursued 
further with other varieties.— The Doctoe’s Boy. 
COUETEEN HALL, NOETHAMPTON, 
SEAT OF SIR CHARLES WAKE, Bart. 
This massive residence of Sir Charles Wake, Bart., delight¬ 
fully situated on an elevated plateau, well sheltered by fine 
timber, is situated five miles from Northampton, three from 
Blisworth, and one from Eoade station on the North-western 
■Railway. The views from the mansion are chiefly confined to 
■the home park, owing to the timber with which it abounds ; but 
from an elevated knoll on the south side of the park, and no 
great distance from the mansion, where the parish church is also 
embowered with trees, fine views are obtained of Northampton 
and the surrounding country. Commodious stables of massive 
architecture are placed close to the west end of the mansion; and 
close to and westward of these is placed the very productive and 
extra-well-managed kitchen garden. On the same continuous 
line, between the stables and kitchen garden, is placed the pretty 
cottage of Mr. Gardener, Gardener by name and gardener by 
trade, and to some of whose plans and systems as detailed in 
these pages I and others have been greatly indebted. From the 
cottage there is easy access to the stable -yard, the kitchen garden, 
and by a narrow, almost-concealed walk to the pleasure-ground 
in front. A very desirable degree of privacy being given to the 
garden residence by a broad, massive bank of Laurels, kept cut 
to a regular height, between it and the main pleasure-ground 
walk—that height conveying to a certain extent the idea of un¬ 
approachableness, whilst it is not so high as to prevent the sun 
shining on the cottage. 
Our friend I hope will pardon this allusion to his homestead, 
leven if I make it the basis of one or two digressions. It is 
delightful to hear a servant speak so feelingly of the attention 
and kindness of his employers, so honourable alike to all con¬ 
cerned. In his case there would be no need for suggesting the 
idea of privacy. It is high time, however, it should be candidlj 
■ stated, that when living in a house constitutes part of the re- 
numeration of a servant, that house for the time ho remains ii 
■ it is as much his castle and home, as the mansion is the castle o: 
the employer ; and that the employer before he enters the casllt 
• n f hi a fn PTchiliit the same rules of eourtesv anr 
politeness as he would expect from a visitor before entering his 
■ mansion. The reasons for such courtesy lie upon the surface 
Inattention to such little matters has deprived many an em¬ 
ployer of a good servant. Some of the best gardeners have left 
otherwise-desirable places because their employers, no doubl 
without thinking of giving offence—quite the reverse, would come 
themselves and bring their friends with them, and, without knock 
or ring, open the latch and walk in, whoever might be there and 
whatever might be doing. There is hardly any mistress of a 
house possessed of a desirable delicacy and sensibility, that will 
not under such circumstances feel annoyed, though she may not 
show it. However untimely the visit, the mere knock and wait¬ 
ing until the door was opened would enable her to appear as she 
deems with more propriety. Having mentioned the word 
untimely , I will go a step further, and say that in general cases, 
and especially when the gardener’s wife does all or nearly all 
the household work herself, that untimeliness will extend until 
the clearing away after the mid-day meal. So much for the idea 
of privacy. 
There is no necessity, however, for concealing the gardener’s 
house, unless the employer has reason to be ashamed of it from 
its miserable rickety condition, or its position like a shed facing 
the north, so as to keep the sun from the windows. No one can 
pass through the grounds without seeing Mr. Gardener’s house; 
and one ot the best signs of gardening times is, the very hand¬ 
some and commodious houses that many gentlemen have lately 
built for their gardeners—thus showing alike their interest in 
gardening, and the determination that their gardeners should 
have comfortable and healthy residences to live in. 
On the east end of the mansion, but chiefly along its southern 
front, along the south front of the stables, having here a fine 
arched entrance, the south front of the bank of Laurels, and the 
south side of the kitchen garden, a long strip is devoted to 
pleasure-grounds and flower gardens, a pleasant winding walk 
leading from the west end through the woodland to the church 
referred to above. About the middle of this boundary 
kitchen-garden wall is placed a good-sized lean-to greenhouse 
communicating easily with sheds behind. The rest of that waif, 
not screened with shrubs and fine massive groups of Hollyhocks 
and Dahlias, is covered with Boses and other trailers, and 
fronted with a fine show of mixed-border and bedding plants ; 
so that the mere idea of utility as to eatables never breaks in 
upon the contemplating of what is only pleasing to the eye 
This is often so much lost sight of in small places, that vege¬ 
tables, fruit, and flowers, are presented to view at once; thus 
lessening the gratification of contemplating each separately, as 
most of us are so constituted as to be best able to fix our attention 
thoroughly and pleasantly on one series of objects at one and 
the same time. Much might also easily be done, as at Courteen 
Hall, to make a small pleasure-ground look large, by the dis¬ 
position of the walks, and the blocking out by evergreens, so 
that only a comparatively small space can be seen at once. This, 
of course, would not suit those who would prefer the whole 
floral display being brought under the eye simultaneously, and w* 
would wish every one to gratify his individual taste. Looking at 
beautiful objects in succession seems, however, more agreeable 
to the generality of minds, and that is the idea carried out 
here. 
Thus, for instance, in front of the greenhouse we have a small 
flower garden bounded by a circular bed, as far as I recollect, 
some six or eight feet in width. This was planted with rows of 
colour not across, but transversely or diagonally across, so that 
the lines were about double the length of the width, and had a 
very good effect; though, no doubt, another plan will be 
adopted next season. Then, out of sight of this we have regular 
striped-lined ribbon-borders, in front of masses of Laurels. 
Then, again, we have small groups, and single clumps of a good 
size. These separate clumps not planted of one colour, nor of a 
colour with a broad or narrow edging, nor of bands of colour 
throughout, but planted in good-sized patches of colour, with 
contrasting colour between them ; the Perilla coming in nicely 
between yellow and scarlet. Often have we admired the taste 
displayed in straight-lined borders laid out as parterres in Box 
and gravel, the Box looking nice in winter especially; but 
