366 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
Feb. 7th, 1885. 
Dahlia, Juarezi, and the white one, Constance, have 
found their way there, and are much prized, while 
the opening of any newcomer is looked forward to 
with as much interest as any gentleman anticipates 
the flowering of a new and rare Orchid. In spring, 
when they are planted out they are carefully watched, 
and every flower-pot, old tin, &e., available is brought 
into requisition to keep John Frost at bay. The 
cottage is a thatched one, and during part of the 
year the front is gay with Everlasting Peas. It was 
at one time covered with the old monthly Eose, but 
this disappeared several years since. At the southern 
end is a Grape vine, but in some respects fate seems 
to be against it ; however, it makes a bold struggle 
for existence, and yields a few bunches of black 
Grapes in return for the attention bestowed on it. 
Although the cottager in question is not (like the 
gun-finisher) a teetotaller, he is strictly a temperate 
man, and his garden has for him a decided counter- 
attraction to the public-house. A cottage with such 
surroundings must be to the working-man indeed a 
home, and it would be well if more of the working- 
class could be persuaded to spend their spare time 
in their garden, instead of wasting their time on 
objects which conduce only to their social and moral 
injury. I regret to say many of the cottage gardeners 
in the district where the subject of my sketch is 
located seem less enthusiastic in gardening than 
formerly. In my opinion the cause is not far to seek. 
There was, until some six or seven years ago, a 
Labourers’ Friend Society, which held yearly meetings 
and offered a number of prizes for cottage-garden 
produce, as well as a prize for the best kept cottage 
and garden ; but for some reason—I never knew why 
—the society ceased to exist, and since then the 
labouring class of the district seems less interested in 
their gardens. It is my opinion that such societies 
tend very much to encourage good gardening, and on 
that account deserves every encouragement.— F. S. B. 
- *$+ - 
THE NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 
I have read your leading article, at p. 339, on 
“Prizes and Awards,” in -which you referred to the 
proposed alteration of the champion class for forty- 
eight cut blooms in the schedule for our next 
November Exhibition, and without referring to the 
somewhat startling, and certainly novel, proposition 
of offering a lump sum for each class, the judges to 
apportion the amount according to their views of the 
respective merits of the exhibits, permit me just to 
remark that, in my opinion, competitors very much 
prefer generally to know the actual amount of the 
respective prizes before entering into the competi¬ 
tion. 
Judges will doubtless express their own views on the 
proposed “new departure,” and will also, no doubt, 
fully recognize the additional responsibility they 
would incur if your suggestions were carried into 
effect. [It is not a question for the judges so much 
as the exhibitors who make the Show.— Ed.~\ 
However, my object in addressing you is to call 
attention to a slight inaccuracy in your reference to 
our champion cut bloom class. 
Hitherto we have had a class for forty-eight blooms, 
consisting of twenty-four Japanese and twenty-four 
incurved. This year we offer prizes value £10, £7, 
and £4 for forty-eight (not twenty-four, as you state) 
Japanese blooms, and a similar class for forty-eight 
(not twenty-four) incurved blooms, thus creating a 
champion class for each section, instead of combining 
the two in one class, a practice that judges and 
competitors alike have long since characterized as 
unsatisfactory for obvious reasons. 
I venture to predict that these prizes will bring 
together such a table of blooms as has rarely, if 
ever, been hitherto seen .—William Holmes, Hon. 
Secretary, Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
APRICOTS UNDER GLASS. 
Apricots are very impatient of confinement, and 
therefore, if “ Constant Reader” (p. 350) puts up glass 
over the trees on his south wall, he should be particular 
to have the house so constructed that air can be admitted 
freely both top and bottom, and to secure plenty of 
light by using no more wood than is necessary, and if 
he works on the lines here indicated, there is no 
reason why he should not succeed just as well with 
Apricots as with Peaches, as the only difference in 
treatment of the two is that referred to.— Alpha. 
POTATOS FOR AN AMATEUR. 
As a Potato grower both for table and exhibition, 
I have been deeply interested in the replies given to a 
“ Sussex Amateur,” who inquired in The Gardening 
World for a dozen sorts alike good for cropping, table, 
and exhibition. On January 17th three replies were 
given, and “ Sussex Amateur” reviewing these answers 
on January 24th, seeing the difference in the selections 
given, is perplexed as to which sorts out of the lot to 
select; and last week “ An Ex-Sussex Amateur ” 
attempts to solve the difficulty by having a dig at the 
recommendations given by “ D.,” and commending the 
selections of Mr. Kerr, Dumfries, and Mr. Knight, of 
Bilston, but does little beyond this towards cutting 
the Gordian Knot. Taking the lists of the first three 
correspondents, I do not detect a single variety recom¬ 
mended which has not got its merits ; but I think the 
lists may be narrowed down into twelve sorts of 
superior merit, that may perhaps be of advantage to 
“ Sussex Amateur” and other readers of The Gardening 
World. 
Taking the four lists I find, to begin with, that 
Beauty of Hebron, early coloured kidney, is recom¬ 
mended in three instances ; and I place this first, as a 
better early Potato does not exist for general purposes. 
Reading Russet, light red round, is given in two of 
the lists ; I place this second, as it is a perfect gem 
for exhibition, the tubers being so well formed and the 
quality and cropping excellent. Besides being a second 
early variety, the ground can be cleared in time for 
planting autumn crops. In white rounds, Sutton’s 
Early Border occurs in two of the lists ; this makes a 
first-class third in every respect. Vicar of Laleham, 
purple round, comes out in three of the sets recom¬ 
mended and The Dean in two; either will prove a 
grand fourth. In white kidneys, Cosmopolitan finds 
favour in two sets, and it cannot be dispensed with in 
a collection of twelve sorts. It has also been shown 
prominently in collections of three and six at the great 
Shows last year. In this we have our number five. 
Woodstock Kidney has two recommendations, and I 
place it sixth. For seventh and eighth I find School¬ 
master and Radstock Beauty also with two recommen¬ 
dations, and I esteem them both. The former needs 
special soil and cultivation, but when well grown is 
the finest of all white rounds for exhibition. Four 
sorts are now wanted to make up the dozen, and if I 
had the casting vote I should give it to Grampian, 
Prizetaker, International, and Mr. Breesee, the two 
latter being indispensable for exhibition, although of 
only second quality. 
If “ Sussex Amateur ” grows the above twelve sorts 
and adopts the culture recommended by Mr. Kerr, he 
can afford to dispense with the other sorts recom¬ 
mended by your four correspondents, candidly 
believing, as I do, that out of the seventy or eighty 
sorts grown by me I could not, keeping three points 
in view—viz., cropping, quality, and exhibition use, 
pick out a better twelve Potatos. Probably “D.,” as 
well as myself and others who know something about 
Potatos, may afford to smile at the attacks of 
“Ex-Sussex” for recommending deep trenching and 
new sorts. Experience proves these to be two 
essential points in successful Potato culture. V T ith 
the exception of probably two in the above list all are 
new introductions within the last eight years, and I 
would like to ask “Ex-Sussex” if he can produce 
twelve dishes from twelve older sorts at all approaching 
them ? It would, however, be folly for a young 
beginner in Potato culture to depend upon new sorts 
alone. I have new sorts of last year and shall probably 
buy others this season that I shall not consider after 
a fair trial worth keeping; but when modern 
introductions pass the test of experience and years of 
successful trial, it is equally absurb to discard them 
altogether.— T. Willoughby, Bilston. 
Can “ Ex-Sussex ” be a professional gardener ? If 
so his knowledge seems to be of a very queer kind. I 
am at this moment having a large breadth of ground 
trenched 2 ft. in depth, expressly for Potatos, and the 
subsoil is of a stiff retentive clay. Yet I shall not 
bring any of it to the surface. The whole of the well 
pulverized top soil remains on the top still, and the 
subsoil is broken up a spit in depth with a fork, and 
thus the ground is well prepared for the reception of 
Potatos presently. Then, with the aid of some manure 
and ashes of burnt refuse, I shall, no doubt, in a few 
months, raise some grand crops of tubers. 
I think a “ Sussex Amateur ” can hardly do wrong 
if he adopts the same course in preparing his soil, for 
the advantages of deep tilth for summer crops cannot be 
over estimated. Whatsoever may be others’ estimate 
of the width at which early kinds of Potatos should 
be planted, I can tell my critic that of the kinds I 
named, in well trenched and nianured soil, rows 3 ft. 
apart are none too wide, whilst of strong growing kinds 
4 ft. leaves no waste space. As to my selection, I hope 
I know what I recommend, and as the selection was to 
include at once good garden kinds and also those 
suitable for show, I should not mind backing my 
selection, if well grown, to beat any other selection 
made, and is second to none in table quality. Some, 
of course, are too new to be known to “Ex-Sussex,” 
I do know them as well as the other sorts named, and 
can assure him that the nonsense written about new 
kinds of Potatos is not to be found on my side.— D. 
— _ _ _ — 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Books.— 11. N . T. — Fruit Farming for Profit (F. Bimyard, 
29, "Week Street, Maidstone), and Shaw’s London Market 
Gardens (37, Southampton Street, Covent Garden) will perhaps 
suit you. Both are cheap. We do not know of one book 
which treats on both subjects. 
Cauliflower, Celery, kc.—B. N. T .—Your question is 
not clearly put—please repeat it in a more explicit form. 
Lady Downe’s Grape.— A. F. W — Mr. Barron, in his 
Tines and Vine Culture , states that this valuable late Grape 
was raised by Mr. Foster, gardener to Viscount Downe, Ben- 
ningborough Hall, York, about the year 1S35. It was first 
exhibited before the Horticultural Society ten years later, 
and sent out by Messrs. Backhouse, of York. Its parents were 
the Black Morocco and the Sweetwater, the latter being the 
pollen parent, and from the same cross came the equally 
valuable Foster’s Seedling. 
Names of Plants— C. W. A'.—l. Coelogne cristata. 
2. Azalea amama. 3. A poor variety of Sophronites grandi- 
fiora.— Jason. —A good form of Odontoglossum Rossii majus, 
but certainly not the variety rubeseens.— Ixio. —Azalea, 
Fielder’s white.— Ireland.— 1. Pteris hastata. 2. Asplenium 
Adiantum-nigrum. 3. Peteris cretica albo-lineata. 4. Pteris 
serrulata. 6. Euphorbia Jacquiniseflora. 6. Adiantum gTaeil- 
limum. 
Scarlet Runner Beans.— F. 31 IF.—You must not sow 
the seeds until the end of April or the beginning of May, as 
the plant is very tender and easily cut down by late spring 
frosts. 
Tomato for Outdoor Culture.— B. N. T .—The old 
common Red Tomato is the sort most largely grown by the 
market growers round London. 
V itality of Seeds. — B. N. T. asks how many years the 
seeds of the following vegetables retain their vitality:—Beet, 
Cabbage (including Cauliflowers), Carrots, Turnips, Parsnips, 
Onions, Leeks, Radishes, Lettuce, and Parsley. Can any of 
our readers refer him to any information on the subject ? 
Bucharis.— J. A. K., Croydon.— It is not Eueliaris 
Candida, Sanderi, or amazonica, but appears to he an inter¬ 
mediate form, coming nearest to Candida. It is probably an 
imported species. How long have you had the bulbs ? 
Communications Received.— J. H.—J. C.—\V. C.—Ch. 
Joly—Em. Rodigas—J. S. T.—H. W. V.— W. H.—C. W.— 
F. S. & Co.— W. P. R.—Scribo—D. Simcoe—T.—Authentes. 
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Trade Catalogues Received. 
H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent.—Illustrated Floral 
Guide for 18S5. 
George White, Carriage-hill House, Paisley.—Florists’ 
Flowers, Bedding Plants, &c. 
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NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
The Editor begs to inform his readers that 
special attention will be paid in the columns of 
The Gardening World, to the answering of questions 
on all subjects connected with practical horticulture, in 
which department lie will have the assistance of several 
gardeners of great experience and known ability. To 
save time, however, as far as possible, correspondents 
are specially requested to write only on one side of the 
paper; to write their questions in as few words as 
possible consistent with clearness; and where two or 
more questions are asked on widely different subjects, to be 
good enough to put them on separate pieces of paper. 
It is also particularly requested that correspondents 
will favour us with their communications as early in 
the week as possible, and that they address them only to 
“ The Editor.” 
Correspondents who may require their communica¬ 
tions, if not accepted, to be returned, must in all cases 
enclose stamps for the return postage. The name and 
address of every writer must be given, not necessarily 
for publication, if that is not desired, but simply as a 
guarantee of the writer’s bona fides. No notice what¬ 
ever will be taken of anonymous letters. 
