March 7,1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
437 
seasons throughout the greater part of Great Britain 
the growing period of the earlier varieties is 
practically over before the advent of long dewy 
nights and a sufficiency of rain to sustain vigorous 
growth. Under those conditions it is impossible to 
obtain a heavy or even a satisfactory crop o 
marketable tubers. This is of importance not only 
to the grower for market but for all concerned in the 
production of a food supply for home consumption. 
Here then comes in the value of late varieties, which 
are usually of vigorous growth and continue to 
improve with the altered conditions of the latter or 
final half of our season. Without a vigorous growth 
of the haulm it is, with few exceptions, impossible to 
secure a heavy crop off any given piece of land. 
This fact is cow being recognised by many wide¬ 
awake cultivators.— Outlook. 
--*>- 
DANIELS’ DUKE OF YORK. 
Every New Potato which makes its appearance now- 
a-days must have something special to recommend 
it before it can expect to make headway amongst 
the many fine varieties now in cultivation. Messrs. 
Daniels Bros., Norwich, have had an extensive and 
lengthy experience of Potato culture, so that they 
fully understand what the qualifications of a new 
variety should be. The accompanying illustration, 
kindly furnished by them, will show at a g'ance the 
general features of Daniels’ Duke of York, which.it is 
hardly necessary for us to say, is on a greatly reduced 
scale. The variety is notable for its dwarf habit and 
earliness. The tubers are oval-shaped and more 
or less flattened, varying to cylindrical or nearly so, 
with a smooth white skin. The eyes are fairly 
numerous, but they are small and very shallow, a 
matter of importance to the exhibitor as well as for 
table use. In the latter case, no more important 
qualities could be urged in its favour than the ex¬ 
cellent cooking qualities of the tubers, and the prolific 
character of the plant. The tubers are both distinct 
and handsome, and are certain to find admirers 
amongst cultivators both for field and garden 
Daniels’ Duke ok York. 
Prizetaker. 
PRIZETAKER. 
Those who have a preference or a liking for coloured 
Potatos will find much to admire in Prizetaker, a 
handsome Kidney-shaped variety with a smooth and 
light pink skin, all of which render it highly suitable 
for exhibition purposes. The plant is also of free 
growth and crops heavily, while the tubers are of 
excellent quality, so that it may be grown for 
general purposes. It is a second early. A First-class 
Certificate was accorded it by the Royal Horticultural 
Society on August 19th, 1881. When dressed up 
for exhibition by those who are initiated in such 
matters, it has a fine appearance, and furnishes 
variety in the matter of colouring, while its cooking 
quality is superior to that of the earlier varieties in 
this class. Messrs. Camjell supplied the illustration 
it depends upon the individual constitution of a 
variety, the nature and texture of the epidermis of 
stems, leaves, and tubers, as well as the firmness of 
the interior cell walls of those parts. It is difficult 
to recognise disease-resisting qualities on any other 
line of reasoning ; for, after all, it reduces itself to a 
battle of the stronger over the weaker, and more 
vulnerable organism, as is the case in various other 
departments of nature. Potatos that are very subject 
to disease must have less resisting power than others 
which retain better health under the same adverse 
conditions. Occasionally the hope is held out that 
the disease will become less virulent as time goes on, 
and that would be the case if nature had her own 
way entirely ; but that can never be the case with 
the Potato, which is not a native of this country 
purposes. Those who have already tried it speak of 
its general all-round utility and fertility. In one case 
a dish of nine tubers which took the first prize at a 
flower show, weighed 8 lbs. 15 ozs.—that is, close 
upon a pound each. This should be sufficient to 
satisfy the most fastidious as to size. 
DISEASE-RESISTING POTATOS. 
The above epithet is relatively rather than absolutely 
true, for in very moist, warm seasons when the 
murrain is very prevalent there are very few if any 
varieties of Potatos that would be absolutely disease- 
proof under all circumstances. In the first place 
Man, not Nature, must determine the ultimate result, 
and upon his skill and foresight, the selection of those 
varieties that are most capable of surviving in the 
struggle for existence will depend. 
The varieties mentioned in these notes are merely 
intended as examples^of my contention, and are not 
