357 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 9, 1858 
I adopted this yard-apart plan two years ago, as I did not j 
want many Potatoes; but, the result proved, that I had a 
larger crop than if I had planted in the customary way. My 
garden soil is good. The yield last season was over 100 sacks 
the acre; but, I believe, it would have been considerably more 
if it had not been for the very hot dry weather in June, which 
I thought was against the wide planting. 
Last year, I planted on the 25th April (the ground being in 
excellent state), and took up the crop on the 25th August. 
The disease amongst them was moderate, say about four per 
cent. The Potatoes of my neighbours, right and left, were 
much more diseased than mine. This might arise from their 
ground being kept too wet with the thick covering of the tops 
of Potatoes, as a natural consequence from the close planting 
system. Two or three Potatoes, which had remained in the 
ground all the winter, when taken up at the getting up time 
(25th August), had the haulms looking remarkably healthy, 
but the Potatoes were mostly affected by the disease. 
From tills circumstance I am led to believe, the disease 
commences with the Potato, and not with the top, as is generally 
considered. 
There are several advantages attending this wide planting, 
as much less seed is required.—an important consideration when 
good seed is scarce and dear. The labour of planting and 
getting up is much diminished, less injury is done to the 
ground, and less management is required. I mark the ground 
so as to plant, the coming season, between the rows of last 
year’s growth. If trials of both plans of planting w r ere made 
on the same quantity of ground, a right knowledge might be 
gained which plans proves the most profitable.—W. S. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Flower-garden Plan ( Constance ).—Again we must repeat, that we 
cannot plant gardens we have never seen. All that we can do is, if 
you send us a plan, with a statement how you intend to plant it, to 
point out any striking defects in the arrangement. 
Storing Potatoes in Sand {H. R. D.). —Potatoes thus stored, if the 
sand outside is four inches thick, and a little straw sprinkled over it, 
and under a shed, will not suffer from frost. The sand need not he 
perfectly dry, but the drier the better. About as much sand as Po¬ 
tatoes will be required, as they must he in alternate layers. The 
Potatoes only one deep. We have had the heap six feet high. 
Espalier Fruit Trees ( Tyro ).—We never before heard of a tree on 
each side espalier rails ! They must keep the sun and air from each 
other. Those from one side should be removed. Dig a trench two 
feet deep between the Asparagus-bed and the stems of the trees, at 
about three feet from the latter, cut away all the roots growing in 
that direction, and at that distance. Then fill the trench with flints. 
This will probably check the over-luxuriance of your trees, and in¬ 
duce more bloom next year. Much, however, depends upon the proper 
pruning and training. You will see our list of “ Manuals ” among 
the advertisements last week. 
Golden Stonecrop. —“ Seeing you mention the Golden Stoneerop in 
this week’s Cottage Gardener, and having a supply left, should any 
of the readers of The Cottage Gardener wish to possess it, I wifi 
send it on receipt of a properly addressed pre-paid envelope, to It. S., 
Staincliffe, Dewsbury, Yorkshire ; and if any of the numerous appli¬ 
cants to whom I have sent it did not get it safe, they may apply again.” 
Errata. —At page 340, “ subtracting ” is spelt subtracting. In last 
line hut one of the same page, “ a ring of copper, or iron tube,” 
should be “ a cone, of copper, or iron tube.” I should have mentioned 
that the course of the air in the chambers is as follows “ In the hot-air 
apparatus, the gas burner j is supplied with air, entering between the 
foundation bricks. When fouled, it passes off through the flue, im¬ 
parting caloric to the hot-air cylinder, and the atmosphere surrounding 
the egress pipe. The cylinder c is, in its turn, supplied from spaces 
at o. The incoming air being charged with warmth from the heat re¬ 
ceptacle r, leaves the iron chamber; and is given off to the atmosphere 
of the house through the perforated cover; pure, and of an equable 
tempei’ature.”— Edward A. Copland. 
Dahlias (A Subscriber ).-—To obtain Dahlias true to their name, you 
should apply to a florist who is a grower as well as a dealer. He proves 
the kinds himself. We cannot mention the name of any particular 
dealer, it would be, as you say, invidious. The boxes for shading and 
exhibiting may be made by any country joiner. We do not know of 
any that are made, purposely waiting for customers. Some Dahlias 
produce more branches than others, hence such require thinning, and 
the side shoots should have separate stakes, especially in exposed 
situations. If your situation is sheltered, your plan of reducing the 
branches to two or three, and tying them to the central stalks by long 
strands of garden mat, is a good one, and you may do so without subsi¬ 
diary stakes. Dahlia seed should be sown immediately in shallow pans 
in a gentle heat, and as soon as the plants are large enough to handle, 
transplant them singly into small pots. In June plant them out in the 
open border, and they will flower this year. Mr. Appleby will give, 
very shortly, a list of the best new varieties for this year, and also a 
selected list of older varieties, such as have proved worthy of cul¬ 
tivation. 
Names of Plants (L . B . L .).— Your plant is the oldest of all the 
Correas, Correa alba , an evergreen greenhouse shrub from Australia. 
The choicest kinds are generally grafted upon this species. ( J. R .).— 
The specimens of Ferns are so dry and imperfect, that we can make 
out nothing concerning them. They should be fertile specimens, and 
have some damped moss in the box with them, (f?.).—The enclosed 
nuts are the seeds from the fertile catkins of your Cedars, namely, the 
Cuprcssus sempervirens, on which we have no doubt you would find 
many very pretty hard stobiles, or catkins, or cones, whichever you 
like to call them; and what you observed last summer were the sterile 
catkins, which are deciduous. This tree belongs to the Monsecia class 
of Linmeus, bearing two kinds of flowers on the same plant. And 
these male blossoms, or catkins, are often blown to a considerable dis¬ 
tance at the time of their maturity. 
THE P©aiTR¥ CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Bath and West of England. Sec,, Mr, 
John Kingsbury, Hammet Street, Taunton. 
June 28th, 29th, and 30th, and July 1. Sheffield. Sec., Wm. Henry 
Dawson, Sheffield. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
POULTRY AND THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL 
SOCIETY OE ENGLAND. \ 
The rumour has spread in the poultry world, that these j 
indispensible occupants of the farm yard are not to form 
part of the Royal Agricultural Society’s Annual Exhibition, 
after this year. We have heard, and we believe, that routine 
is powerful among the Council, and their decrees are intended 
to be of the Mede-and-Persian school, that they change not. 
Feeling that we are the mouth-piece of the many interested 
in the pursuit, we approach the subject in the hope that, if 
it be possible, some change may yet be made. 
The Royal Agricultural was dragged into giving Poultry 
Prizes, because it was a want of the times, and was im- j 
peratively demanded; but it always coquetted with them. 
It loved the profit, but appeared to be ashamed of the source. 
The entry for a cock and two hens was clogged with as many 
difficulties and forms, as if they were three “ Master Butter¬ 
fly’s,’’ and any little explanation, or remonstrance, was met i 
with the formidable “ we.” To suggest an alteration, was to 
attempt to dictate—all were prepared to admit it was profit¬ 
able, but, with few exceptions, none in authority entered into 
it. All seemed to consider it derogatory ! 
Ask any one who was at Salisbury, whiclTpart of the Show 
was most crowded, and they must tell you it was the poultry. 
The same has been observed at every Meeting. 
It was openly stated at the dinner at Salisbury, that the 
Annual Meetings were a heavy loss, and that every friend of 
the Royal Agricultural Society should exert himself in its 
support; and yet, in the teeth of this, a part of the Meeting 
that has never been otherwise than profitable is to be given ' 
up ! What is the reason assigned? 
The addition of poultry, to the yearly Show, has brought 
many subscribers to the Society, and has always greatly 
increased the number of visitors. It gave an interest in the 
Society to many, who had nothing in common with it, so 
long as visitors were confined to quadrupeds and agricultural 
machines. It extended its usefulness by gaining additional 
subscribers, and increasing its means. Those who have ; 
watched these Shows from the first, ask themselves, what 
can be the reason assigned for such a resolution ? 
One only can be imagined. That the entries were not 
sufficiently numerous ; but the cause of that is easily ascer- ! 
tained. The papers to fill, and the forms to go through, 
have been so complicated as to frighten and deter many a 
good exhibitor; and at the last Birmingham Show, a paper 
was drawn up for presentation to the Council, and signed by 
many influential exhibitors, pointing out the alterations which 
would make the Poultry Show of the Royal Agricultural one 
of the largest in the kingdom. These rules involved no 
responsibility whatever, and would have greatly increased the 
profit to the Society. The only answer is, “ This will be the 
last Show.” 
The poultry world will not suffer. Wherever the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England holds its Meeting, there will, 
at the same time, be an exhibition of poultry. We promise 
the Society that, and we believe the Society will be a loser, 
in admission money and in subscribers, by the course they 
