THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Febedahy 15, 1859. 
311 
attached to pieces of old wood as thick as a man’s wrist, planted j 
inside the house on a border, chiefly of very light soil and decayed 
leaves. During the season, there was a gentle glow of heat in the j 
border, and the spurs rooted most freely, and sent up vigorous 
shoots, as thick as a man’s thumb. These produced a large crop 
the next season, but, from mismanagement, the Grapes did not 
come to proper maturity; in fact, they were, as it too often 
happens, of a foxy colour; and, by further bad treatment, the 
Vines thus prematurely raised soon went to decay. 
Again, I knew of an instance of Vines bearing a crop of Grapes 
the lirst season they we»e planted. But that was rather an ex¬ 
pensive affair, which few can command. The Vines belonged to 
one of our best Vine-growers, and were pruned on the spurring 
plan, having stems as thick as a man’s wrist. They were taken 
up under his most watchful eye, with the greater portion of their 
roots, carefully packed, conveyed upwards of a hundred miles, 
replanted, and bore a crop the same season. Although the berries 
were small, still they came to proper maturity, and the succeeding 
crops were the most splendid I ever saw, at that time or since. 
I am not aware of any other instance of that great feat of trans¬ 
planting old Vines being recorded, and, in confirmation of what 
I have said, I may state that the Vines were planted, some years 
back, at Honingham Hall, Norfolk, by R. Crawshay, Esq., now 
of Ottershaw Park, Surrey, perhaps the most successful cultivator 
of the Vine in the United Kingdom. I may note, that I was 
rather a young gardener when I first observed his plants with 
Vines, and perhaps had as much knowledge of them as that of 
others of my age. But then I found that I had much to learn, 
and, what was more difficult, to unlearn.—J. Wighton. 
TESTING POTATOES. 
The past summer, as we all know, was highly favourable to 
the growth and ripening of Potatoes, and, as a proof, we can 
get them at from six to eight shillings the twelve score. This 
is something like the old figuro previous to the disease. Still 
the disease exists, and next year, or any number of years to come, 
it may be as bad as ever; and, although scientific experiments 
have been made, and commissions of inquiry have met to in¬ 
vestigate the cause, yet the country at large is very little indebted 
to either of the above. Nevertheless, progress has been made ; 
and I do believe that further progress can be made, if the same 
course be pursued hi a more systematic manner. 
On looking over the various lists given by Mr. Bennett, we 
find some very old favourite sorts gone quite out of cultivation ; 
and a variety of new sorts have been produced, and most of them 
have some point to recommend them, at least in some local 
district. But, suppose a person about to commence Potato 
growing. He examines those lists, to select the varieties best 
adapted for profit, and he finds from fifty to a hundred sorts, 
all recommended as good croppers, good shape, good boilers, 
or good keepers : and all this may be quite correct. But, from 
my own experience, there is not ten per cent, of the varieties now 
in cultivation, that can be grown successfully in the same garden, 
or field, unless there is an unusually dry subsoil. 
I think, therefore, it would be a great advantage to the growers 
of Potatoes generally, if the different sorts now in cultivation, 
also any other kinds that may from time to time be raised, were 
tested by a number of individuals in different parts of the 
country, and their merits, or demerits, placed in the hands of 
such a person as Mr. Bennett, for him to make a list of the 
sorts so proved, for general cultivation. 
But how can it be done, some may say, better than they 
are already proved ? Well, there are differences of opinion on 
the very best kinds. Eor instance, the Fluke. On some soils, 
with the same treatment, the Fluke is not grown to advantage. 
Very well, then ; suppose Mr. Bennett were to say, through the 
medium of The Cottage Gaedenek, that he would undertake 
to be the centre, chairman, or president, of any number of in¬ 
dividuals that were willing to assist him in carrying out any plan he 
may desire ; and that he would send them a certain number of the 
best known kinds in cultivation, to be planted as he would advise ; 
aud that he would expect from them a correct account of tempera¬ 
ture, by a self-registering thermometer, from the day they are 
planted, till they are lifted. Also, the gross weight of each sort, 
and the quantity of diseased of each sort, and any other par¬ 
ticulars that the individual might think worthy of note; and, 
above all, the depth of rain that has fallen during the above 
time, or, better, from the beginning of the year. 
This is only a rough sketch of my meaning. I have, no doubt, 
there are a dozen, or a score, of individuals that are quite pre¬ 
pared to take upon themselves the duty, with the expense attached. 
If Mr. Bennett, or any other gentleman, think it worth attempt¬ 
ing, they will be able to place it in a much clearer light than I 
have done; and anyone desirous of making one of the number 
could do so, by intimating the same to the Editors of The 
Cottage Gaedenek. I should have said above, that it would 
be necessary to state full particulars of the character of the soil, 
Of course, the plan can be extended to fields in each neigh¬ 
bourhood, so that each individual may give a more general trial 
to his undertaking.— The Doctoe’s Boy, 
METEOROLOGICAL NOTES — LINTON PARK, 
KENT. 
1858. 
Wind.— 
Number of days in each direction. 
No. of 
days 
rain fell. 
No. days 
frost 
ltain in 
inches & 
parts. 
E. 
S.E. S. 
S.W 
W. 
N.W 
N. 
NE. g 
January... 
2 
6 
4 
7 
2 
6 
3 
1 
6 
20 
0.79 
February 
3 
7 
1 
4 
13 o« 
6 
19 
.77 
March. 
2 
2 
5 
4 
9 
5 
4 a 
9 
15 
.80 
April . 
6 
2 
2 
5 
1 
i 
13 g 
11 
4 
1.93 
May . 
8 
... 
6 
3 
8 
5 l rt 
13 
2 
2.16 
June . 
1 
11 
3 
7 
6 ... 
3 
tti 
.67 
July . 
1 
i 
12 
2 
8 
7 ... 
16 
2.69 
August ... 
6 
7 
3 
3 
4 
8 ... 
9 
1.20 
September 
9 
i 
13 
1 
2 
i 
3 ... 
10 
1.19 
October ... 
i 
3 
4 
5 
4 
G 
3 ... 
9 
4 
1.45 
November 
7 
1 
2 
i 
i 
18 ... 
10 
22 
.77 
December 
i 
4 
2 
13 
3 
5 
2 
1 ... 
14 
7 
1.91 
16 
71 
16 
73 
24 
58 
19 
87 1 
116 
93 
16.33 
The greatest amount of rain that fell in anyone day was on July 10— 
0.83 inch. The longest period without rain was from June 7 to July 2. 
The highest range of the barometer was January 17—30.28. The lowest 
range of the barometer was November 27—28.55. 
The hottest days were June 15 and 16—thermometer 97°. The coldest 
night was that preceding November 23—thermometer 18°. 
The past year has been an unusually dry one, more especially 
the winter mouths,—December, 1857, only giving us 0.49 inch., 
which, with the little fall of the following three months, did not 
replenish the wells and small streams from which most of tho 
water for domestic purposes is drawn. Consequently, there has 
been a deficiency in places never known to have been without that 
useful article before, while many places have been very badly off 
indeed, water being obliged to be carted a mile or more, for 
cattle and other purposes, as late as the end of November. For¬ 
tunately, however, for the most important crops, the rain which 
did fall was mostly in the growing months of summer. The 
most trying one for gardening, was June, which was both dry and 
hot; and on dry soils, where artificial watering was impracticable 
to any extent, Strawberries were a complete failure, as was the 
case here : although the plants bloomed and set as well as could 
be wished, they afterwards withered under the scorching sun 
and continued dry weather. Celery remained stationary for 
months. Hardy bush and tree fruits, of course, did not suffer 
to the like extent; aud the hay crop, being benefited by the rains 
of May, was quite an average one. And in the flower garden, 
the genial rains of May gave the bedding things a start, which 
enabled them to withstand the heat, in a great measure, where 
they had depth of soil to work in. Annuals were, however, 
hurried quicker to seed; and some things,—as the Calceolaria, 
referred to before,—being checked in then- growth, flowered out at 
every point; and before rains set into creato another growth, and 
furnish more flowering shoots, the season was gone. Never¬ 
theless, the season must, on the whole, be regarded as a fine one : 
the dry winter favoured out-door operations; while April was 
more free from frosts than usual, as, likewise, was December. The 
whole, however, may be summed up somewhat thus :— 
January, February, and March, all remarkably dry and fine, 
with less frost than usual, and also less fog. 
April, mild, but dull and showery. No heavy rain. 
May, early part cold, middle showery, end dry and warm. 
June, hot and dry throughout. The 15th and 16th were the 
hottest days I have any registry of, and I have kept one for many 
years. 
July, not remarkable, the latter part being dull rather than hot. 
August, exceedingly fine harvest month. The raiu was mostly 
at intervals of a week or more apart, 
