215 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 4, 1859. 
to be derived from botany, an old clogger who attended the meet¬ 
ings said, lie had followed botany for fifty years, but did not re¬ 
member that lie ever received a penny on account of the science, 
yet money could never buy the happiness he had had during his 
life from botany. A powerloom weaver, who had a good know¬ 
ledge of mathematics, taught me arithmetic, and I taught him 
something of my favourite science. 
When I was younger I was like most young converts to any- 
tiling: I thought it almost criminal for anybody not to be a 
botanist. I have not lost my enthusiasm yet; but I do not 
now even dream of making all gardeners botanists. 
I have found by experience, that adults are but grown children. 
They must have something to do, when not at their ordinary 
employment, or they generally run into mischief. What numbers 
of our fellow creatures might be rendered happy, if they had 
but been taught something of science in any branch. 
I am taught by gardening to always have something laid in 
store to do when I cannot follow my everyday work. I study 
perspective in the propagating-liouse, and even along the streets 
of the town. It has become habitual for me to lay up something 
to do in the future,—so that time is never a burden. The beer¬ 
house would have little trade, if men could be taught to make a 
rational use of their leisure hours. 
I have digressed from my subject a little, to show' young gar¬ 
deners who read your paper the importance of always setting 
themselves something to learn—something to do. The maxim 
of the great American philosopher, “ Shun pleasure and it will 
fly after you,” would be well to follow in regard to those 
pleasures that teach us nothing. 
I have seen young gardeners waste as much time in twelve 
months as would be required to teach them botany. Some 
gardeners I have seen sneer at the science, and have heard them 
say it was no good to them. 
Happening one day to pay a visit to one of these worthies, he 
showed me a Fern that should have been Pteris reptens, for so 
it was labelled : I found he was wrong, for the one lie showed me 
was not a trailer at all. I tol 1 him that the term reptens meant 
trailing. So he owned his mistake. If botany did no other 
thing for gardeners, it would teach them the meaning of most of 
the literary words and scientific terms used in gardening, besides 
expanding the mind, and giving them a real love for the pro¬ 
fession. 
If the matter I have penned is unsuited to your pages, cast it 
into the waste-paper heap. I am like a child, I must do some¬ 
thing, even if I do w’rong. I am yet young, and seldom despair, 
so will abide by the decision of the Editors of The Cottage 
Gardener.— John Hague, 22, Victoria Street, Ashton-under- 
Lyne . 
A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF POTATOES. 
(Continued from page 151.) 
Fox’s Seedling. —This is a very old, yet useful, round variety* 
Tubers yellow, good size, early ; tolerable eye ; moderate haulm* 
A good cropper. Not so liable as some varieties to the disease* 
A good keeper. 
Early Radical, alias Liverpool Radical and Cambridge 
Radical. —A very excellent Potato. Tubers full size. Boils very 
white and floury. Tolerable eye, moderate haulm, and good 
cropper. I believe this to be identical with the Regent. 
La Roiianaise is a fine large variety. Moderate haulm, 
tolerable good eye, and good cropper. 
Early Oxford (Soden’s). — A well-known, and highly- 
esteemed variety, similar in appearance to the Regent. Boils 
very white and mealy. Full size, with a good eye for a large 
Potato. First quality, moderate haulm, good cropper, and keeps 
well. This is a good Potato. 
Tussey’s Seedling. —This is a round, White Potato. Nice 
even eye. Full size, strong haulm, and good cropper. 
Chalmore Kidney. —This variety was introduced by Messrs. 
Tyso and Co., of Wallingford. This is a full-sized second early 
variety, with even eye, moderate haulm, and good cropper. 
Conqueror (Thurston’s). —Introduced by Mr. Thurston, of 
Stowmarket, in 1818. This is a Kidney variety. Full size, boils 
floury ; nice eye, good quality, and productive. Rather a strong 
grower. 
Midsummer Kidney, alias Miller's Kidney. —This is a very 
large Potato, the shape of the Alslone Kidney, but quite distinct 
from that variety. Tubers very largo ; even eye, early, and pro¬ 
ductive, but not a strong grower. A fine variety for exhibition, 
but liable to the disease. 
Early Prolific. —Introduced, I believe, by Mr. Grigor, of 
Norwich. This is a round White variety. Middle size, good eye, 
early, and productive. Not a strong grower. 
Manchester Blue. —This is an old variety, but not so much 
1 grown as it was a few years since, in consequence of its being 
liable to the disease. It is, however, a very excellent Potato. 
Nice even eye, and a good cropper and keeper. Rather a strong 
grower. A distinct variety. 
Boston Kidney. — This is a large-sized Potato. Tolerable 
eye. Strong grower, and good cropper. 
Lancashire White, or White Roughs. — This is another 
old favourite variety, not so often met with as formerly. Six 
years ago, my principal crop was of this variety. It is a large 
Potato, with rather deep eyes. Strong grower, good quality, and 
productive. 
j Protestants. —This variety is grown extensively by my 
neighbour, Mr. Perk’s, for the market. It does exceedingly well 
with him, and is a great favourite. Tubers fair size ; tolerable 
eye; strong habit; moderate cropper; but a good keeping va¬ 
riety.— Edward Bennett. 
{To be continued.) 
SELECT FRUITS ADAPTED TO THE VARIOUS 
LOCALITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
{Continued' from page 200.) 
CHERRIES. 
Bouquet Amarelle. See Cluster. 
Bowyer’s Early Heart. —Rather below medium size, 
obtuse heart-shaped. Skin amber coloured, mottled with 
red. Flesh white, very tender, juicy, and sweet. A good 
bearer, and an excellent early cherry. End of June. 
Brune de Bruxelles. See Ratafia. 
Bullock’s Heart. See Ore-Heart. 
Bi ttner’s Black Heart. —Larger than the common 
Black Heart; heart-shaped, and flattened on one side. 
Skin glossy, deep-blackish purple. Stalk an inch and a 
half long. Flesh half tender, juicy, dark red, and with 
a particularly pleasant flavour. A superior variety to 
the common Black Heart. Ripe in the middle of July. 
Buttner’s October Moreelo. -—Large, round, and 
somewhat oblate, and indented at the apex. Skin thin, 
and of a reddish-brown colour. Stalk slender, two inches 
long. Flesh light red, reticulated with whitish veins, 
juicy, and with a pleasant sub-acid flavour. This is au 
excellent culinary cherry, and ripens in October. 
Buttner’s Yellow. —About medium size, roundish- 
ovate. Skin entirely yellow-, becoming a pale-aiqber 
colour when highly ripened. Stalk an inch and a half 
long. Flesh firm, yellow, sweet, and very nicely flavoured. 
The best yellow cherry there is. The birds do not touch 
it. Middle of July, and hangs till the end of August. 
Carnation {JKouvelle . d'Angleterre; De T illeune ; 
Rouge pale ; Wax Cherry). —Large, round, and flattened, 
inclining to oblate. Skin thin, light red at first, but 
i changing to a deeper colour as it hangs; pale yellow, or 
amber, where shaded. Stalk an inch and a half long, and 
stout. Flesh pale yellow, rather firmer than in Dukes 
generally, juicy, and with a flue, brisk, sub-acid flavour,^ 
becoming richer the longer it hangs. Ripe in the end of 
July and beginning of August. 
Cerise a Bouquet. See Cluster. 
Cherry Duke of Duhamel. See Jeffreys Dale. 
Cleveland Bigarreau {Cleveland). — Large, obtuse 
heart-shaped, sometimes with a swelling on one side near 
the stalk. Skin pale yellow, with bright red next the 
sun, and mottled with crimson. Stalk two inches long. 
Flesh yellowish white, half tender, juicy, sweet, and 
richly flavoured. Ripe the third or last week in June 
and early in July. 
