FEBRUARY. 
25 
a high moist temperature the whole year. Early in spring I removed the old 
soil, which was in a very sour state, put a large quantity of broken pots at the 
bottom of the boxes for thorough drainage, and replaced the soil with lumps of 
very fibrous peat, charcoal, silver sand, and live sphagnum chopped into about 
one-inch lengths. I gave the plants a good watering, and sponged them twice 
a-day, keeping the floor continually watered, and the evaporating-troughs full 
of water, maintaining at the same time a temperature of from 70° to 75° at 
night, and from 85° to 90° by day, with shade from bright sunshine. 
The plants soon commenced to root and grow. Young shoots started from 
all the old hard wood, and had a pitcher at each leaf. The boxes were soon full 
of roots, and from the loose nature of the potting material and the continual 
watering required, the soil sank below the top of the box an inch or more. 
A top-dressing of baked cowdung, chopped into about half-inch pieces, and 
mixed with silver sand, was therefore given ; also a covering of chopped live 
sphagnum to make the surface look neat, and to encourage the roots to that 
part. The plants made a wonderful growth, so much so that there is not space 
to train the shoots, but the house being enlarged will give more training space. 
I give these few hints to show the benefit arising from the use of live 
sphagnum for plants in general requiring moss, for there is no comparison 
between the vigorous growth of Orchids, Sarracenias, &c., in the live, and 
that made by them in the dead and partially decayed material; also, that some 
plants generally grown in poor light soil when in good health and vigorous 
growth, will flourish in a rich soil if the drainage is good and watering is carefully 
attended to. " t t 1 
POTATOES. 
A small collection of Potatoes, exhibited at the recent International Show 
at South Kensington by the Rev. G. W. St. John, Woodstock Rectory, deserves 
a special notice both for the interest attaching to the collection, as well as for 
the really admirable way in which they were staged. The sorts were Daintree’s 
Seedling, second early, a wonderful cropper and very good-looking, and Hogg’s 
Coldstream, first early, a very fine-looking sort, said to be very good indeed for 
small gardens where only one sort is depended on. Both these are round white 
Potatoes, and were awarded first-class certificates. Daintree’s Seedling was 
also shown as two kidney-shaped kinds, the one an improved Lapstone-shaped 
root, and the other a longer and thinner kidney-shaped tuber. These had been 
selected from the parent round variety, and were both awarded first-class cer¬ 
tificates. A good-looking early half-round variety was named Beehive, and 
was said to be a seedling from the Fluke. A very handsome and good-sized 
round variety was named Fenn’s Onwards; it is a new seedling second early 
Potato, the result of a cross between Jackson’s Seedling and the Fluke; it was 
awarded a first-class certificate. The raiser is the author of those instructive 
papers in recent Numbers of the “Journal of Horticulture,” signed “ Upwards 
and Onwards,” an admirable motto for a practical horticulturist. Of other 
white kidney-shaped roots there were some excellent tubers of the old Cobbler’s 
Lapstone, a good second early; some fine specimens of the original Fluke 
Kidney; British Queen, a first-rate sort, but which produces coarse foliage, 
and should therefore be groWn on a poor soil; and Shutford Seedling, a medium¬ 
sized root, Lapstone-shaped, and a good forcer. To each of these four kinds first- 
class certificates were awarded. Two other white kidney-shaped roots were 
Huntingdonshire Kidney, supposed to be a synonyme merely, a medium sized, 
but very handsome bulb, and Mitchell’s Early Albion, a good forcing kind. 
Some admirable specimens of the old Forty fold were also produced ; it is said 
c 2 
