THE GARDENING WORLD, 
Oct. 11th, 1884. 
94 
growers coming fourth, fifth, and sixth. In this class 
were found some, indeed, perhaps all the best, kinds 
in commerce ; for it is an admirable rule that only 
kinds in commerce may compete for prizes. 
A splendid selection of the best kinds taken from 
the collections run as follows: — White Kidneys, 
Cosmopolitan, Recorder, Snowdrop, Edgeote Seedling, 
Woodstock Kidney, Chancellor, Sanday’s Seedling, 
and International. Coloured Kidneys, Cardinal, Mr. 
Brezee, Prizetaker, red; Beauty of Hebron and Queen 
of the Valley, pink; Edgeote Purple and American 
Purple; and Lifeguard, mottled red and white. Of 
white rounds, Prime Minister, Primrose, Excelsior, 
Eilbasket, Schoolmaster, Bedfont Prolific, Early Bor¬ 
der, and Harvester. Of coloured rounds: The Dean 
and Vicar of Laleham, purple; Reading Russet and 
Adirondack, red ; Blanchard, purple mottled; Rad- 
stock Beauty, carmine mottled; Beauty of Kent and 
Matchless, pink. There were twelve competing col¬ 
lections. A wondrously clean, bright lot, which was 
placed fourth and came from a new exhibitor, Mr. G. 
Allen, gardener to Sir F. Burdett, Hungerford, was, 
perhaps, one of the freshest and brightest lots staged, 
and was only, in the judge’s esteem, lacking size to 
have secured the first place. We hope Mr. Allen will be 
encouraged to try again, for in this his first effort he 
has won high praise. Turning now to the Messrs. 
Sutton’s special prize class of eighteen kinds for 
gardeners and amateurs only, we find Mr. Hughes 
again to the fore, whilst in the persons of Mr. C. Holt, 
Wakefield Park, Mortimer, who was second with a 
handsome lot of tubers, Mr. Wiles, Edgeote Park, 
Banbury, and Mr. Jas. Lye, Market Lavington, growers 
of good reputation, whose success out of the fourteen 
competitors in the class deserves special mention. It 
is interesting to find how well as exhibitors of Potatos 
gentlemen gardeners can hold their own. A class for 
twelve kinds and another for nine kinds still found 
Mr. Hughes leading, with most of the growers pre¬ 
viously named in close company, and the kinds rarely 
varying from those named. But in the class for six 
varieties, Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, broke the spell with 
some beautiful tubers, and Mr. Hughes had to take 
second place. 
Classes for three dishes of kinds in sections were 
not so well filled as in previous years, for the reason 
that to encourage other growers, some similar classes 
were this year made for all who had not previously 
taken first prizes. In these there was good competition, 
the selections being always known good Show sorts, 
such as we have named above. Vicar of Laleham, 
and Reading Russet, showing prominently in coloured 
rounds, Schoolmaster and Excelsior, in white rounds; 
International and Snowdrop amongst white kidneys, 
and Mr. Brezee and Edgeote Purple amongst 
coloured ones. The Messrs. Sutton & Sons offered 
prizes for single dishes of twelve tubers each of white 
and coloured rounds, and white and coloured kidneys, 
in four classes, and it was interesting to find that in 
the white kidney class, International took the first 
place, and Edgeote Seedling the second; in the class 
for white rounds, Schoolmaster was first, and Porter’s 
Excelsior, second; of coloured kidneys, Prizetaker 
was first, and Defiance, second; and of coloured rounds 
Vicar of Laleham was placed first and second also. 
Classes for the best white kind and the best coloured 
kind put into commerce last winter were well con¬ 
tested. Chancellor, a grand new white kidney raised 
by Mr. Dean of Bedfont, was first and third, Welford 
Park, a kind much like Woodstock Kidney, coming 
second, and Fidler’s Prolific, fourth; and of coloured 
kinds, The Dean, a handsome purple round kind, also 
raised by Mr. Dean, was first, second, and third, and 
Edgeote Purple was fourth. 
We cannot farther particularize the various classes, 
but must be content to refer to the seedlings certifi¬ 
cated, of which there were several promising ones, 
all having during the summer been grown, tested, and 
cooked at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, 
Chiswick, so that the bond fide novelty of each kind 
might be assured. The following kinds were awarded 
the highest number of marks for cropping and table 
quality, and received first-class certificates : London 
Hero, handsome white flat round; Harvester, white 
round, very prolific; Chancellor, fine white kidney, 
all raised by Mr. Dean; M.P., a fine white round, 
raised by Mr. Ross, Welford Park, Newbury; Pride 
of Croydon, handsome white kidney, raised by Mr. 
Hughes; and Miss Fowler, also raised by Mr. Ross, a 
flattish large round kind. Mr. Robert Fenn had a 
first-class certificate for James Abbis, a handsome 
long red kidney; and Mr. Ellington for his mottled 
red and purple kidney Ellingtonia, and Mr. Holmes 
received a like award for a flat long white kind 
named Suketra. All these certificated kinds will 
doubtless appear in commerce next winter. Amongst 
kinds of great promise were Rufus, flat red ; Rosebud, 
flattish rose; and Bedfont Rose, pale red, raised by 
Mr. Dean, and all handsome kinds. 
This report of the Show would be incomplete 
without a brief notice of the trade collections, which 
though not of the same interest to many as the 
competitive collections, yet always have an interest 
peculiar to themselves in the eyes of those looking 
out for something new. Messrs. Sutton & Sons had 
a fine display of clean, well-shaped, tubers in many 
varieties, including some thirty-five seedlings, which 
are still under probation. The same film had also with 
their Potatos a fine sample of the new Chiswick Red 
Tomato, grown in the open-air, and which still 
further illustrated the wonderful prolificacy of this 
variety. Mr. C. Fidler, Friar Street, Reading, had a 
large and very meritorious assortment of Potatos; 
and Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Leicester, had a large 
collection, remarkable for the great size of all the 
varieties shown. A smaller lot came from Messrs. 
James Carter & Co.; and from the Royal Horticultural 
Horticultural Society’s Garden at Chiswick were 
contributed samples of all the varieties grown there 
this season for the Committee. 
The Luncheon. 
The Lobd Mayor presided at the luncheon, and 
after the usual loyal toasts had been given, his 
lordship in proposing the toast of the International 
Potato Exhibition dwelt upon the importance of 
exhibitions which he said had now become a great 
feature in our national life. He was glad to see 
such a large company present and he hoped that 
the popularity and importance of the exhibition would 
increase, as nothing could be of greater value than an 
institution which developed food resources for the 
popple. 
Mr. Alderman de Keyser, who replied to the toast, 
said he was no doubt selected by Mr. McKinlay for the 
reason that knowing but little of the subject he must 
necessarily be brief. He was delighted with what 
must be called a fine show, and he wished to propose 
the Executive Committee and Judges, coupled with 
the names of Mr. Richard Dean and Mr. Wm. Early. 
Mr. Dean in response said that the exhibitors had 
had exceptional difficulties to contend with, but the 
exhibits were not near so rough or scabby as from the 
season might have been anticipated. He had seen 
what had been done in the North of England, in 
Scotland, and in the West of England, and he felt 
proud that at this Exhibition such a fine selection of 
tubers had been staged. He was not himself a leading 
exhibitor, and would suggest that Mr. Hughes should 
offer a few words. Mr. Hughes, who had won the proud 
distinction of taking the first prizes in classes A, B, C 
and D, had really staged sixty-three dishes of Potatos, 
all of excellent quality. That one man should be able 
to do this was a splendid proof of that man’s care and 
forethought, and whilst such men were to be found, 
there need be no fear for the future of the Potato. 
Mr. Hughes, who said he was a better Potato-grower 
than a speaker, in a few well chosen words responded. 
Mr. Early, in responding for the judges, paid a 
tribute to the Lady Mayoress for the practical and 
intelligent interest she had displayed in the Exhi¬ 
bition. 
Mr. Shirley Hibbeed next proposed “ The Lord 
Mayor and Corporation.” He said if they were merely 
a body of “fanciers” interesting themselves in 
studying the varieties of the Potato, he should not 
have expected his lordship to be present, but they 
were more than that—they were a body of men seeking 
the best means of developing important food resources, 
and so conferring a benefit on the whole community. 
Some forty years ago the Potato famine had caused 
much suffering, and endangered the lives of many of 
Her Majesty’s subjects. Since then much interest 
had been manifested in the best systems of Potato¬ 
growing, and there had been a thorough study of the 
composition, nature, properties, and anatomy of the 
Potato. They had combined scientific study with 
methods tending to make the study popular. Prizes 
had been offered for new varieties. That was good. 
Prizes had also been given which extended a know¬ 
ledge of the best means of resisting the Potato disease, 
and that was good also. Knowledge on this subject, 
as on many other subjects, was accumulated slowly. 
They had to build up bit by bit, and not infrequently 
they had to pull down what they had built. During 
forty years’ study of the Potato they had to unlearn a 
good many things, but they had benefited on the 
whole, and by patient industry they would continue to 
benefit. Those who had made the Potato a study had 
found out that it was a very delicately organized and 
sensitive being. It might be said to have a vertebral 
column, joints, muscles, and sinews—they all knew it 
had eyes. From its heel, where it imbibed moisture, 
to its crown, where appeared most of its buds, it 
was built up wonderfully of a system of starch cells. 
It had, in fact, a perfect anatomy. The cook knew 
this, for when Potatos were boiled to a pulp, its ana¬ 
tomical structure could be drawn out in a thread. 
Gentlemen who wished to properly study the Potato 
must not disdain to go into the kitchen. The Potato 
was like Achilles in this respect, that its most vulnerable 
point seemed to be its head. Then it was attacked 
by a subtle enemy, the Potato fungus Feronospora infes- 
tans, and which were the varieties best able to resist 
this enemy, which were the best conditions, the best 
soils and the best seasons, were the questions they had 
to study. There were Potatos which had great vitality, 
and could survive attacks under which others suc¬ 
cumbed. The thick-skinned Potatos like the thick- 
skinned politician, seemed the most impervious to 
outside attacks. If the ladies could only see the 
solemn conclave of Potato-tasters, they would have 
a very good lesson in cookery. They had them 
Potatos cooked in them jackets, and there was quite 
a scramble to get them hot, because Potatos spoiled 
by keeping, loosing their native aroma and most 
characteristic properties when cold. He held in his 
hand a “Queen of the Valley,” a variety which 
a distiller would quickly turn into “ Cream of 
the Valley,” as it was rich in starch. This, with 
sugar and gum, was what Potatos were grown 
for, and financial reformers had only to properly 
cultivate certain varieties of Potatos to settle the 
vexed question of the Sugar Bounties. In concluding 
an interesting and excellent speech, Mr. Hibberd 
reiterated his opinion that the cultivation of the 
Potato was of growing importance, and he thanked 
the Lord Mayor for his presence, which certainly gave 
iclat to their Exhibition. 
The Lord Mayor responded on behalf of himself 
and the Corporation, and said that doubtless future 
Lord Mayors would attend the opening of the 
Exhibition, which would become quite a national 
institution. Other toasts followed, and Mr. Sheriff 
Phillips, in the course of a very neat speech, said that 
his health was very dear to him, very dear, perhaps, to 
those immediately connected with him, but the com¬ 
munity at large would feel naturally far more interest 
in the health of the Potato. He was him self very fond 
of Potatos—cooked ones. His physician had once 
asked him, “ Do you know that the Potato is composed 
of merely starch, glutin, and water ?” He replied that 
if Dame Nature had combined starch, glutin, and water 
in such a palatable form he would like those ingredients 
served up to him at least twice a day, and he was not 
particular how the “ harmless, necessary Potato” was 
cooked so that it was cooked well. 
-— 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Euphorbia.— W. B. G — Appearances strongly favour the 
supposition that the plant had been dosed with urine, but 
without actually analyzing the soil we cannot say what was 
the cause of the mischief. 
Names of Plants.— E. Bishop—Tom plant is the beauti¬ 
ful Lychnis coronaria, native of South Europe,West Asia, and 
North India. The Rose blooms were too much withered 
when received to identify positively, but we think there is little 
doubt but what it is Caroline Kuster. 
Bulbs, kc.—D. Cartwright— All the plants you name like 
a good sandy loam, for choice, but do well as a rule in any 
good garden soil. The Crocuses, Hyacinths, Leueojiun, 
Scillas and Jonquils, should be planted soon where you desire 
them to flower. You may either plant them in small groups 
or clumps, or in rows, just as you please. The Crocuses would 
make a good line along the front of your flower border, but 
we should ourselves prefer to plant the others in patches. 
Plant them all 3 to 4 in. deep, and if you can put a little sand 
about them, so much the better. The Irises like a light sandy 
.soil, and a warm sunny position, and should be planted in 
masses, as soon as possible, and not so deep as the others. 
Communications have been received, with thanks, from 
P. M.—E. D.—G. Brown—W.Wilson—T. W.—E. C.—IV. E. G. 
-H. B—C. B. 
