90 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 13, 1860. 
once, and generally in ten or fourteen days it will be heated, 
and fit to take to the place where you want it. Everything 
seems to like the smell that comes from it. Used alone when 
thus fermenting, a less height than of good sweet dung will do. 
When mixed the same proportion may be taken. When used 
together, however, I should prefer the tan to be on the top by 
itself. It is thus very often used in combination with tree 
leaves, and especially when the plants are grown in pots, and set 
upon or plunged in the tan. Except when hot water is used for 
bottom heat, no better plan could be adopted than three or four 
feet of good Oak leaves, and a foot or eighteen inches of tan 
above them. When tan is used by itself, and when without 
linings, it is necessary to renew the heat. Instead of mixing the 
old and new tan together, it is best to put the new by itself, 
either at top or bottom as may be deemed best under the circum¬ 
stances. When mixed, the heat is apt to be too violent and to 
be prematurely exhausted. When thoroughly decayed and 
sweetened by exposure to air, I have used it mixed with soil for 
early Potatoes, Beans, Peas, &c., in pots; but for such purposes 
I do not consider it at all equal to the mould from decayed leaves. 
Mixed with quicklime to remove its astringency, it becomes a 
fair dressing for grass land. R. Fish. 
(To be continued.') 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
ELORA1 COMMITTEE. 
At the Meeting held on November 8th the following subjects 
received special awards :—Celosia aurea, exhibited by Mr. Turner, 
of Slough. This was a large, well-grown, bushy plant of an old 
annual of great beauty, but little known. The numerous branches 
were terminated by pyramidal heads of golden-yellow plumes, 
which have a very rich and pleasing appearance. The plant 
received a Special Certificate as a well-grown specimen. Statice 
profusa, from Messrs. Parke & Williams. This is a hybrid raised 
between S. Holfordi and S. puberula, and is of suffrutescent 
habit. It is remarkable for its property of abundant and con¬ 
tinuous flowering. The plant exhibited, it was stated, had not 
-been out of flower for fifteen months, and was still loaded with 
panicles. This -was Commended. 
Chrysanthemum Lady Harding, a large, incurved, pale rose- 
coloured seedling, exhibited by Mr. Salter, was awarded a First- 
class Certificate. Chrysanthemum Little Harry, from the same 
raiser, was Commended on account of its free-flowering dwarf 
habit. It is one of the large-flowered section, the flowers rather 
flat, shaded orange-yellow. 
Mr. Rivers exhibited a plant of Taxus baccata erecta—the 
variety which is grown on the Continent, and which appeared to 
be the same as the Yew exhibited at a previous Meeting by 
Mr. Crowder. It was determined to invite the two kinds for 
comparison, the opinion of the Committee being deferred till 
this had been done. Some very protty hybrid Gesneras raised 
between cinnabarina and picta were shown by Mr. Bousie, gardener 
to Lord Taunton ; but, though handsome plants, they were not 
considered an acquisition by the side of their parents. Mr. i 
Yeiteh showed a branched Celosia-like plant under the name of 
Amaranthus. This had been raised from imported seeds, and 
resembled a tall branching-habited Cockscomb, with a tendency to 
spicate and feathery inflorescence. A fine group of the handsome 
Skimmia japonica came from Mr. Noble, of Bagshot; and a very 
ornamental species of Cotoneaster, called Symondsii, of upright 
shrubby habit, with Box-like oval leaves, and bright orange- : 
scarlet berries—a plant very little known, but deserving of ex¬ 
tensive cultivation, was brought for inspection by Mr. Standish, 
of Bagshot. Several New Zealand Ferns were contributed by 
Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith. 
CULTURE OF THE FLUKE AND OTHER 
POTATOES. 
I eind “The Doctor’s Boy” has some remarks on the 
Fluke Potato. I have grown this for some years, and from 
practical experience can testify that it will not do in light, sandy 
soil, for the same reasons as set forth by that correspondent. In 
deep, rich soil it is the best variety, taking all points into con¬ 
sideration, that I have ever grown; but when grown in this soil 
there are generally many bad tubers. I have found, however, 
that this may in a great measure be averted by lifting the tubers 
before they are ripe, and spreading them thinly on a floor care¬ 
fully to dry before storing away. 
The cultivation of the Potato requires very minute calculation, 
as almost every sort requires different management; and if 
attention is not paid to the habit of the sort success is not so 
certain. 
Some few sorts crop best in light, sandy land ; while others 
like deep, rich soil on a dry bottom ; but, as respects the quality 
of the Potato, I think all are the best on light land if they do 
not grow again. This year has been a most remarkable year in 
Potato culture. This plant has felt the want of sun, and the 
cheering influence of a warm bed to grow in as much as any 
other plant I know. I will give you one instance of this. 
I have had about an acre this year, laid out in plots about fifty 
yards in length and fourteen wide, east and west. They were 
planted crosswise, and, consequently, the rows ranged north 
and south. We planted them three feet apart between the 
rows, and ten inches from set to set; and though this was not 
a niggardly width, yet it was quite astonishing to see the dif¬ 
ference even in roots adjoining each other, for the end roots at 
the south end of the rows yielded a produce double that of the 
others. This I attribute to the influence of the sun’s rays at 
that end of the rows. 
I also think that change of seed not only from one sort of soil 
to another, but from one country to another, has much to do 
with success in Potato culture ; for this year I have planted many 
sorts, but all sorts are blighted more or less, with the exception 
of two sorts which I had out of Scotland ; and, strange as it 
may appear, I have not one blighted tuber in them. This I 
attribute to change of atmospheric air and change of soil. They 
yielded also a good crop. 
Our land lies on the top of a hill east of the river Derwent, 
very exposed and in various aspects. The two sorts named 
above were planted in a western aspect, bounded on the north by 
Farmers’ Profit, a moderate lot; and on the east by Bluchers, 
which were very bad; and on the south by Hamburghs or 
Rough Reds, a very good lot. 
Our Flukes were planted on a northern aspect in deep, rich 
soil—in fact, it was a piece of grass which had not been under 
tillage for forty years. The crop was abundant. In conclusion, 
I would acid, all those who would grow Fluke Potatoes must 
set them neither early nor late, plant in deep, rich soil, on a dry 
bottom, and from the moment they are above ground must keep 
on a vigorous growth of the plants till the tubers have attained 
their full size and a little matured; then up with them and 
follow the directions given above. I will vouch for a good 
result.—S. B., Helper. 
FALL OF RAIN NEAR DARLINGTON. 
The following comparison of rainfall for the past ten months 
of 1860, and the same months of the preceding year, 1859, may 
be of interest to you. 
1860. 100th part of inch. 
1859. 100th part of inch. 
January. 
February . 
0.66 
January. 
. 2.55 
0.99 
February . 
. 1.99 
March . 
2.40 
March . 
. 2.39 
April. 
1.98 
April. 
. 0.77 
May .. 
0.30 
May . 
. 4.25 
June . 
2.81 
June . 
. 2.82 
July . 
4.44 
July . 
. 3.76 
August. 
1.91 
August. 
. 3.61 
September . 
2.25 
September . 
. 1.19 
October. 
2.50 
October. 
. 2.00 
Greatest fall on any 
July 19th, 1859—3.42. 
1859. 
one 
day, 
Greatest fall on any one day, May 
28 th, 1860—2.07. 
1860. 
J uly, rain fell on. 
Julv, rain fell on . 
August „ . 
... 4 
August ,, . 
.... 19 „ 
September ,, . 
... 8 
September,, . 
.... 11 „ 
October ,. 
... 5 
October ,, . 
.... 15 „ 
—John Richardson, Southend Gardens , near Darlington. 
VACCINATING THE VINE. 
WAt the request of a “Dorset Subscriber” we insert the 
following extract from the Times, and, in answer to the inquiry 
which he appends, have no hesitation in saying that wo think it 
is a fallacy. 
5 --“ Colonel de Golberg, of the 38th Regiment of Infantry, has 
addressed the following letter to the Prefect of the Gironde, 
