434 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 7 , 1896. 
seasons. Even where it is desirable to use farmyard 
manure, it should be applied in the autumn to land 
intended to be cropped with Potatos the followiog 
spring. 
All these difficulties and disadvantages may be 
avoided by the judicious use of artificial manures. 
Nitrogen, potash and phosphorus are the elements 
usually deficient in soils and which the cultivator 
must supply. Lime may be added in the case of 
heavy clay soils and those containing much humus, 
such as the rich and long-cultivated soils of gardens 
The above may be applied in the form of nitrate of 
soda, kainit (potash salts) and superphosphate of 
lime. They may be mixed in equal proportions and 
applied in mixture at the rate of 8 cwt. to 12 cwt. per 
acre at the time of planting, working it into the 
surface soil after being sown broadcast. It is both 
economical and advantageous, however, to withhold 
half of the niirateof soda and apply it broadcast before 
the Potatos are finally earthed up. In gardens it is 
often possible to get wood ashes to supply the potash 
in place of kainit. For late varieties sulphate of 
ammonia at the rate of i| cwt. to ij cwt. per acre is 
preferred by some growers to the nitrate. 
are well looked after by those who grow them for exhi¬ 
bition purposes, sometimes attain a weight of ijlbs 
each, and the effect produced is handsome. Those 
represented in the illustration are, of course, very 
much reduced below the natural size. 
EARLY POTATOS OUTSIDE. 
It is an undoubted fact that in most gardens ore of 
the chief aims of the season is to produce the first 
crop of Potatos outside as early as possible ; and 
there is no denying the fact that much rivalry exists 
between the gardeners to achieve that end. It is, 
perhaps, well that this rivalry exists, otherwise the 
same energy might not be thrown into the matter. 
Where there is plenty of frame space devoted to the 
forcing of Potatos, it is not so essential to strive to 
get them so early out of doors ; and where this is the 
case one benefit arises from the fact of the first crop 
getting more time to swell out, so that a greater 
return is obtained. On the other hand, there is 
usually much waste, as many small tubers are 
sacrificed to secure a good dish of decent size. 
The warmest position should be selected, and this 
is usually a border facing south or south-west, and 
in January and without the seed having any prepara¬ 
tion at all. 
The ro vs may be drawn 2 ft. apart with the draw- 
hoe, and about 4 in. deep ; it is quite needless to go 
deeper, bearing in mind that it is earliness that is the 
first consideration. The sets should be planted 
about 1 ft. apart, as the early varieties are usually 
not so robust in the growth as the later ones. They 
should be earthed up in ridge form, and this will give 
them the advantage of the sun over a greater surface 
and will enable the soil to be kept drier and warmer. 
A strict watch must be kept on the growth making 
its first appearance, and more soil added should 
there be a likelihood of frost. 
But other means must be taken into consideration, 
and the best that I know is a wholesale covering 
of light tiffany. The cost of supplying sufficient 
material for protecting the earliest batch would be 
very moderate compared with the safety of the 
crop. By this means the covering can readily be 
put on and taken off. A few stakes and twine is all 
that is necessary to carry the tiffany clear of the 
growth. It is astonishing at this season what effect 
even a very slight covering has in saving the growth. 
Webbs' Progress. 
Other means may be found in straw, boards, &c., 
but none are so effectual, nor easier of accomplish¬ 
ment than the tiffany. 
Where a wall is convenient, a line may be planted 
on the south side close in, and the sets covered with 
leaf mould and wood ashes ; and most likely the first 
few dishes may be produced here, though these do 
not last long. Respecting varieties it is somewhat 
of a puzzle to select the earliest and heaviest cropper 
combined with the highest quality ; but after 
repeated trials I have come to the conclusion in 
favour of Sutton’s Ringleader—not that it is the 
earliest alone, but that it combines all the qualities 
that go to form an ideal earliest Potato. Others I 
have tried that are also good are Early Puritan and 
Sharp’s Victor .—James Gibson, Devonhurst, Chiswick. 
-- 
DEEP CULTIVATION. 
The more closely one studies the nature of plants, 
their relation to the soil, and its condition, the more 
complicated, yet the more interesting, the subject be¬ 
comes. Potatos are shallow-rooting plants, but not 
all to the same extent, as experiment will prove. 
Each variety has its own peculiar characteristics 
with regard to the weight of produce it will yield, 
WEBBS’ PROGRESS. 
Even amongst Kidney Potatos there is a consider¬ 
able amount of variation in the conformation of the 
tuber and the character of the skin, independently 
of colour. The tubers of Webbs’ new variety, 
Progress, attain a large size, and being nicely pro¬ 
portioned, with a smooth, white skin, they have an 
attractive appearance especially when they have 
been selected of even size, cleaned, and got ready 
for exhibition purposes. The eyes are also very 
shallow, as may be seen by reference to the accom¬ 
panying illustration, with which we were supplied by 
Messrs. Webb & Sons, Wordsley, Stourbridge. 
Though a beautiful Potato for exhibition purposes 
its qualities also recommend it for table use on 
account of its mealy, white flesh and excellent 
flavour when cooked. It adds another to the many 
fine Kidney varieties that now recommend themselves 
for field cultivation. The production of tubers is 
heavy, ard that added to its long-keeping qualities, 
and the strong growth of the haulm, makes it a main- 
crop Potato of a high order of merit. Several 
cultivators who have had it under trial speak highly 
of its fertility, flavour, and disease resisting 
capabilities. The tubers in those cases where they 
having sufficient shelter from the north winds. The soil 
should be light for preference, but it is not every garden 
that has such facilities for all early vegetables, and it is 
no easy matter to get soil and situation exactly to one's 
liking. However, the best test of the abilities of the 
gardener is in his power to overcome these difficulties. 
The ground should not be cropped with any winter 
vegetable immediately before being selected for early 
Potatos, but should be trenched in the autumn and 
enriched with old hotbed manure and plenty of 
wood ashes. Avoid the use of raw manure, especially 
from the cow shed, as this will render the soil of a 
more holding nature; consequently, it will keep 
longer wet in the spring, and will hinder the prepara¬ 
tion of the border for the crop. 
The first week in March is early enough to think 
of planting and even then it should only be done 
with the knowledge of tome protection being required 
later on. The ground should be forked over a few 
days before planting, to allow it to become dry, and 
broken up very finely ; then all will be in readiness 
for this operation. The seed, of course, will have 
been prepared by exposure and sprouted to the 
extent of 2 in. or even 3 in. It is far better to for¬ 
ward the sets in this manner than plant, as many do 
