1379. ] 
NEW rOTATOS IN WINTER.-MACKAYA BELLA. 
119 
(lolicato flower of very fluo quality. OnJunc 21 tli, 
I'irst-class Certificates were also awarded to 
•loe (Matthews), of excellent form, with violet-pink 
lower petals, dark maroon upper petals, and white 
throat—a fine decorative variety, and as such certi¬ 
ficated ; Emperor William (Foster), a painted flower, 
the lower petals rich rosy-pink, top petals deep 
maroon, throat pure white, large, and of grand form 
and excellent habit; Invincible (Foster), a very 
showy flower, 'with salmon lower petals, and the 
upper ones of dark maroon. A fine gi’oup of a new 
variety. Illuminator (Foster), which is certain to 
become a great favourite with gardeners, so excel- 
Icut is its habit, and so striking the colour of the 
flowers, was also set up; tho flowers are scarlet, 
■with a white throat, and a dark blotch on each ujijier 
petal. 
Of Fancy Pelargoniums, there were Certificated; 
— Electric Light (Turner), ])alo violet-rose, largo 
white throat, and white margin to tho petals, very 
pretty ; Sarah Bernhardt, already described. 
Of Decorative Pelargoniums, awards of First- 
class Certificates were made to Princess of Wales 
(Bull), Black Prince (Hayes), and Mdlle. Andre 
(Jackson), already described. 
Zonal Pelargoniums were numerous, and the fol¬ 
lowing were selected for Certificates :—Fanny 
Thorpe (Catlin), pale salmon, with fiery orange 
centre, large, well-formed pips, and grandly sot 
close truss; Edgar Catlin (Catlin), very bright 
scarlet, fine perfect pip, and bold truss, free bloomer ; 
Lizzie Smith (Catlin), deep rosy-pink, very fine and 
showy, the truss bold; Commander-in-Chief (Denny), 
bright scarlet, very free and effective, promising to 
make a good bedder ; Dudu (Denny), very large, 
bright scarlet, with fine pips cro'svded in tho noble 
truss; Uoratius (Denny), very dark cerise, the pips 
fine in form, produced in huge trusses; Leander 
(Denny), bright cerise-scarlet, of fine quality, with 
stout petal, and excellent in form; Allegro (Denny), 
deep ijink, a fine hue of colour, immense trusses ; 
Romeo (Denny), rich bright scarlet, large, ■«mll- 
flowered pip, and enormous truss; Dauntless (Denny), 
double-flowered, deep bright scarlet, of a good shade 
of colour, tho flower full and of fine shape ; Pioneer 
(Denny), cerise-scarlet, very bright, the flowers 
large and the habit gootl. 
—M. 
NEW POTATOS IN WINTER 
GppN your magazine for March this year, I 
& saw a remark or two on growing New 
Potatos for the winter, which has sug¬ 
gested my sending you, from the Alphabetical 
Receipt-Book^ by B. Huish, Esq. (1837), an 
account of another method, which in part I 
tried, and had some dear little Potatos, but had 
not patience to go through with :— 
“Foi' Frodticing New Potatos throughout the 
F'inier Months .—Prepare a proper quantity of red 
sand, rather of a loamy nature, and mix it up with a 
jiortion of lime in powder—viz., about one-third— 
about 11 days before using it. This soil is to be 
spread about 3 in. thick at the bottom of any old 
wooden box, or on a very dry brick collar-floor; tho 
cellar ought not to bo exposed to the frost, nor yet 
too much confined from the air. Procure a measure 
or two of largo potatos of a prior year’s growth ; tho 
sorts preferred are the Red Apple Potatos and the 
Pink-eyed Purple Potatos. Set these on the soil 
whole about 3 in. apart, with the crown, or the 
principal eye, to the soil, in preference; but put no 
soil over them. Plant about September 20th, which 
allows from 10 to 12 weeks for their growth. Tho 
old Potatos w’ill throw out numerous sprouts or 
stalks, with many Potatos growing on them. 
“ The original Potatos for planting wdiole for sots 
in September should bo such as were of perfect 
growtli in the October of tho preceding year, and 
well preserved during tho winter. The sprouts w’hich 
shoot from them should be removed by the end of 
April ; and these sprouts, which will be from Gin. to 
26 in. long, may bo planted with all their fibres in a 
garden for a first crop about Juno 15th. Tho Potato 
sets may bo sprit again, and tho sprouts planted for 
a second crop, and in September the Potato sets may 
be sprit a third time, tho sprouts of the last produce 
being thrown away as useless. At the end of 
September tho original or seed Potato is to bo gently 
placed on the soil, as before mentioned, for a Christ¬ 
mas crop. 
“ At tho end of three months, at furthest, the old 
Potatos should be carefully twisted from tho uewoues, 
and the sprouts taken off the old Potato ; tho old 
Potato is then to he placed on its bottom or side on 
a fresh bed of soil, prepared as before, and left to 
produce .another crop, from fi’esh eyes placed next 
the soil, as you arc to observe that the old Potato 
should not be set or placed twice on tho same side ; 
and 3 - 0 U must take care at that time to remove tho 
sprouts, to prevent the moisture from rotting the old 
Potato. 
“By the above method, four crops of new Potatos 
may be had from one Potato, exclusive of those pro¬ 
duced from the sprouts planted in the garden in 
April and June, from which may be obtained two 
crops of ■\vell grown Potatos, in September and 
October, weighing from ten to twelve ounces each. 
The Potatos arc remarkably well flavoured, and may 
be kept longer without prejudice after gathering 
before dressed, than Potatos gro'\vu in the natural 
ground.” 
I consider Mr. Gilbert’s a far preferable plan, 
but tbe above will show w'bat pains the “old 
folks ” took, without the appliances of the pre¬ 
sent dajL— Elizabeth Stephens, Frogmore. 
MACKAYA BELLA. 
BEAUTIFUL woodcut illustration of 
this rarely seen and charming South 
African Acanthad, was published 
recently in our contemporary, the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle (May 17, 1879), the figure having 
been prepared from specimens flowered by Mr. 
Green, gardener to Sir George Macleay, of 
Pendell Court, Bletchingley. It was showm by 
Mr. Green at the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
meeting on April 8, and received a cultural 
commendation from the Floral Committee. 
This species has tho character of being 
difficult to flower, and it is seen so rarely, that 
this is probably true ; hence it may be useful 
to record Mr. Green’s mode of treatment. The 
specimen at Pendell Court is an upright-grow¬ 
ing, soft-wooded, bushy plant, over (! ft. high 
and about 4 ft. through. It is planted out in 
