Sept. 13th, 1884 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
23 
censors at our shows, and for whom these remarks 
are especially intended.— G. T. Miles, Wycombe 
Abbey. 
EXHIBITION POTATOS. 
The near approach of the International Potato 
Show at the Crystal Palace, which promises this 
year to eclipse all former efforts of its promoters, 
leads one inevitably to the conclusion that in 
spite of all the preachings and denunciations 
that have been from time to time flung against the 
practice of exhibiting Potatos for prizes, the fashion 
still holds throughout the country almost universal 
sway ; and it is perhaps true that jibes and flouts 
have rather helped to popularise the tuber as an 
exhibitors’ subject than to promote a contrary 
result. The fact is, that having once tasted the ex¬ 
citing sweets of show competitions, Britons are not 
easily induced to forego them; so far from that 
being the case, it is now the rule to offer every 
possible encouragement to exhibiting, and we do 
not find that the Potato croakers are very much 
distressed when roses, fruits, ordinary kinds of 
vegetables, and plants generally are shown. It is 
the Potato chiefly, almost only, in fact, that comes 
in for animadversion, and then almost only from 
those who are not growers themselves. Perhaps, 
if readers of these pessimist growls were to recall 
the old fable of the fox and the grapes, they would 
find a product that was not far wide of the mark. 
Why, indeed, may not Potatos be as fittingly 
exhibited as anything else, for they are varied in 
form and in colour, and maDy are hardly less than 
beautiful. Their cultivation is always full of 
interest, nearly always full of profit, and there is 
this peculiar merit attached to the production of 
show samples, that when of no farther service on 
the exhibition table they may be eaten. That is 
more than can be said of roses and many other 
exhibits. The common carping against show 
Potatos, as of very inferior quality, is made to veil 
a somewhat prejudiced view of Potato exhibiting in 
the abstract. The point is a valueless one, and 
has little or no force. Really there is little hope 
that we shall ever produce kinds that will satisfy 
the critics. When it is with them a dogma of faith 
that only rough-skinned and anything but hand¬ 
some kinds can be good eaters, those who are of 
that faith will have no improvements but what are 
of their making. Hal Potatos waited for their 
help, we might, just now have hardly a decent kind 
for our use. 
After all it is, as Mr. Toots would remark, not of 
the slightest consequence what these critics may 
say. The Potato has become one of the most 
popular of exhibition subjects, and its popularity 
is fast increasing, indeed, there is perchance hardly 
an exhibition of any representative character in 
the kingdom where the popular esculent may not 
be seen in great force upon its tables. At all 
cottager’s shows, the Potato is the premier product, 
the one to which most interest attaches, and at such 
shows, assuming always that the judges know their 
business, form, evenness, and beauty, always win. 
Why, indeed, should not the handsomest of Potatos 
win, as with other things, for the old notion that 
mere size is the chief element in Potato merits, is 
nearly a thing of the past. It is not necessary to 
urge here the marvellous popularity to which the 
Potato has attained, whether as an article of trade 
and commerce, or of diet. When the British people 
give up their beef and mutton, and that is a far 
distant time, potatos will still be as widely con¬ 
sumed as now, perhaps more so. At all events we 
may rest assured that as long as good Potatos are 
grown so long will the public consume them. Now 
last winter saw not a few new kinds of Potatos put 
into commerce for the first time, and of these many 
growers know little or nothing. There are indeed 
so many that we cannot describe all, as even our own 
knowledge of them is limited. 
Below is given a selection of 48 sorts, in sections 
of one dozen of each. That is a larger number 
than, perhaps, anyone would care to grow; but any 
wishing to show in a class for 24 sorts can hardly 
grow less than from 36 to 40, so as to ensure 
enough of variety when the moment of trial comes. 
The best, or assumed best, kinds in each section 
are placed on the top of the list, and smaller selec¬ 
tions may be made by simply taking them in the 
order placed. We have done our best to eliminate 
from the list all kinds of inferior table quality, and 
have only taken in any such, where otherwise it 
would not be possible to complete the list. 
White Kidneys take first place, and are always 
the most numerous class. Of these, Cosmopolitan, 
now becoming widely known as a second-early, 
heavy cropping kind, producing large, handsome 
samples of excellent quality. Woodstock Kidney, 
now so well known as to need no description, but 
remarkably handsome, and of first-rate quality. 
Recorder, is a fine flattish, true kidney-shaped kind, 
distinct and handsome, second-early, a great cropper, 
and of capital quality. Beauty of Eydon, a roundish 
kidney, handsome in form, fine in quality, a great 
cropper, and altogether good. Chancellor, a robust, 
late kind, heavy cropper, tubers not unlike those of 
King of Potatos, one of its parents, but are whiter 
and far superior in quality; a capital main crop 
variety. Edgcote Seedling, a Lapstone tuber with a 
dark-leaved top, quite distinct, produces flattish and 
very handsome samples; it is of capital quality. 
Snowdrop gives longish flat tubers, smooth and 
handsome, they nearly resemble those of Snow¬ 
flake; a great cropper and of excellent quality. 
Welford Park, is a very handsome, flattish, long 
kidney, Smooth, and very prepossessing; this is 
a capital cropper, and of good quality. San- 
day’s Seedling, hails as a recently new kind, but 
comes very near to Lapstone, so much so that 
we hesitate to put both into the list. It deserves 
all that can be said in favour of the Lapstone. 
Midsummer Kidney is one of the most recent 
novelties, and will prove a great acquisition for first 
early showing, as the kind is as early as the Ash-leaf, 
and is much larger and handsomer. It is of capital 
quality. The tubers are long and roundish, and 
after a few days’ exposure will purple like those of 
the Lapstone. Snowflake is the only American kind 
put into this section, but it is one of the best, and 
always makes a good dish. Lastly comes the popular 
Magnum Bonum, not as a rule handsome, but very 
often none the less giving a capital sample for a back 
row dish. 
W hite Rounds are hardly so numerous a section 
wheh the inferior kinds are excluded. It is, how¬ 
ever, a fast increasing' section, and in a year or two 
we shall be able to name first-class sorts only. Here 
the first place must be given to the old School¬ 
master, one of our heaviest cropping and hand¬ 
somest of Potatos. First and Best is an improved 
Porter’s Excelsior, though the tubers exactly 
resemble those of that kind in appearance. It 
gives some of the handsomest samples we have. 
Prime Minister i3 new, and a very robust grower 
and heavy cropper. The tubers are large and 
flattish, and for the size very handsome. The 
quality is first-rate. White Emperor, is an old kind 
that is fairly early, and gives singularly beautiful 
smooth tubers that are rarely too large ; its quality 
is excellent. Bedfont Prolific, has smooth, hand¬ 
some, Regent-shaped tubers, very white and good in 
quality. The round form of this sort makes it distinct 
and valuable. Fifty-fold, produces long flattish 
tubers in great abundance, and generally very 
handsome ; the quality is capital. The same may 
be said of Early Regent, as the tubers of this kind 
are also flattish, rather than round. Rather too 
many of our so-called round kinds are of that inter¬ 
mediate shape. Clyffe Hall produces very smooth, 
handsome, round tubers, that have just a touch of 
carmine in the eyes, but not enough to take the 
kind out of this section ; it is of capital quality, 
so also is Lord Mayor, another new sort; the tubers 
large, flattish, and produced early, and generally 
handsome. Early Border produces handsome, 
longish tubers, so also does Sunrise, both early and 
very prolific. Premier is the last selection, and, 
though of home designation, seems to be of the 
Climax breed ; it is early, prolific, and generally 
good. 
Coloured Kidneys leave room yet for consider¬ 
able improvement, but several exceedingly good 
new kinds have lately been added, best amongst 
which come Edgcote Purple, which bring remarkably 
smooth handsome tubers, of an even rich purple 
colour, and capital quality. Cardinal, also new, 
has tubers of a deep red hue, and are large, flattish, 
and handsome. It is a fairly early kind, and very 
proliflic; quality, first-rate. Lifeguard is very 
distinct — the tubers are long, flattish, slightly 
curved, and of a pale red hue, with deep red 
blotches about the larger ends of the tubers. It 
is very prolific and good for table. Prizetaker 
is of a dullish red hue, but is of handsome 
form and first-class quality. American Purple 
has hitherto been the best purple-hued kidney we 
have had. It has a tendency to rust in some soils, 
but otherwise it is excellent, and a first-rate cropper. 
Wiltshire Giant, also new, produces large, hand¬ 
some even-shaped tubers of a deep red colour. It 
is a great cropper, and quality excellent. Beauty 
of Hebron is at all points one of the best of the 
Americans, and its handsome form and delicate 
pink skiu renders it a favourite. Progress re¬ 
sembles Prizetaker, though having a distinct top'; 
its quality is capital. Mr. Bresee still remains the 
finest and handsomest-coloured kidney we have, but 
its quality might be better; it cannot be well dis¬ 
pensed with just yet. Defiance has purplish 
mottled tubers that are often very handsome ; and 
Early Rose and Trophy are both well known. The 
latter brings fine red tubers, but the quality is 
open to grave objection, and therefore it is little 
grown. 
Coloured Rounds, also a fast-improving class, 
give us not a few kinds of great excellence and 
beauty. First may well come that popular kind, 
Reading Russet, with its rich red skin and smooth, 
pebble-shaped form. Its quality is of the best, and 
it is a large cropper. Certainly next must come 
that also popular kind, the Vicar of Laleham, one of 
the best known Potatos of the day. That kind, 
however, will find in its seedling, The Dean, a for¬ 
midable competitor for popular favour, as not only 
does it excel the Vicar in quality, but also in colour, 
which is of a violet hue. Radstock Beauty, too, 
with its smooth skin, handsome form, and carmine 
blotches, is one of the best; and good, also, is 
Grampian, a fine red blotched kind of capital 
quality. The American Matchless, or Holborn 
Favourite, with its pale-coloured skin, is of ex¬ 
cellent quality and a good cropper; it is very 
handsome. Scotch Blue is an old and generally 
handsome kind. Lady Truscott has a tan-coloured 
skin, and seems more at home in this section than 
amongst the whites. It is handsome, and of first- 
rate quality. Adirondack and Queen of the Valley 
rank amongst the handsomest of American pale- 
red rounds. Both are great croppers. Purple 
King is of pale purple hue, very prolific, and good 
quality, flattish round, and fairly handsome; and 
Harlequin, a purple flaked sport from the Rector 
of Woodstock, deserves recognition for its distinct¬ 
ness in the list. 
The Studley Carrot. —This is a very fine selec¬ 
tion from the Long Red Surrey—a long, handsome, 
deep orange red carrot, that comes very fine 
indeed in a good light sandy soil. It originated in 
the village of Studley, in Wiltshire, which lies 
between Caine and Chippenham; and if any one 
passes through the village, they will see large 
patches of carrots in nearly every cottage garden, 
where they are grown for seed. Just as some parts 
of Bedfordshire are famous for growing onions—at 
Biggleswade and Sandy, for instance—so carrots are 
grown at Studley and round about. If it was ever 
quite distinct from the Long Red Surrey Carrot, it 
has ceased to be so ; but in all probability an extra 
good stock of the Surrey would be sent by the 
wholesale seedsmen for the Studley when it is 
asked for. The Studley or Surrey Carrot should 
always be sown in a deep soil, into which the long 
roots can run deeply. 
Ixora macrothyrsa. —This species, which is per¬ 
haps unsurpassed in the genus for the size of the 
panicle, is now flowering finely in the Victoria 
House at Kew. The leaves are oblong in shape, 
dull green, and 10 to 12 inches long. The panicle 
is 8 to 10 inches in diameter, depressed-globose, and 
the flowers, which are very numerous, of a most in¬ 
tense fiery scarlet. It is a native of Sumatra, and 
is sometimes known as I. Duffii, though the above 
is the original, and consequently correct, name. I t 
will doubtless prove a valuable acquisition, espe¬ 
cially for large stoves* 
