324 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 22, 1898. 
of April and the beginning of May pro¬ 
duced a crop not worth the trouble of lifting. 
Old customs die hard, but surely a crop 
that is so valuable in Ireland deserves better 
attention than the system of culture known 
as lazy beds. Mr. Hosford says there are 
three requisites in order to insure a profit¬ 
able crop, (i) a good variety of seed; (2) 
proper cultivation, including manuring ; (3) 
the right season of planting. 
Independently of his results with the 
different varieties of Potatos, his experi¬ 
ments with manures are interesting, if only 
to confirm the results obtained by good 
authorities in this country. Mr. Hosford 
says that until recently it was the belief 
that profitable crops of Potatos could not 
be grown without farmyard manure; but 
he now affirms that the idea is not a correct 
one, though he asserts that good farmyard 
manure contains most of the ingredients 
necessary for the growth of the Potato. In 
our opinion it is largely a question of the 
state of the soil as to the humic matter it 
contains, and the nature of the season as to 
dryness or moisture. A good tilth of the 
soil would also tend to compensate for any 
lack of humus and a dry season. Farm¬ 
yard manure, if really well made and not 
subjected to wasteful loss, acts mechanically 
as well as chemically by greatly assisting 
the retention of soil moisture, without which 
the Potatos would be unable to utilise the 
nutritive elements in the soil. Granted 
sufficient decayed animal and vegetable 
matter in the soil, and a moderate rainfall, 
farmyard manure could easily be dispensed 
with in the cultivation of Potatos. Ireland 
is better supplied with moisture during the 
growing season than this country,and could, 
therefore, the more readily dispense with 
farmyard manure for this particular crop. 
We understand that the planting of Potatos 
in low lying and bog land is the cause of 
more than half of the trouble with Potato 
culture in Ireland. Farmyard manure in 
such land is generally a greater evil than all 
the good derived from it under those condi¬ 
tions, for the simple reason that it favours 
the rapid growth and spread of the Potato 
disease, fostering it in any season, but more 
particularly when wet. 
The experimenter speaks very highly of 
artificial manures, and we can quite believe 
they would give even more satisfactory- 
results in Ireland than in this country, 
because they do not retain the moisture so 
favourable to the growth of the Potato 
fungus. Potash is required by the Potato 
plant in considerable quantity, and can be 
supplied most cheaply by the use of the salt 
know as kainit. He mixed this with an 
equal quantity of the best superphosphate 
(35 P er cen t- soluble), and used it at plant¬ 
ing time. A small dressing of nitrate of 
soda was given when the Potatos were being 
earthed up ; but in some of the lines sulp¬ 
hate of ammonia was employed instead of 
the nitrate. The sulphate is usually the 
stronger of the two nitrogenous manures, 
but the only perceptible difference was that 
the Potato haulm kept green for a week 
longer in the case of the sulphate. The 
results of using these three manures in the 
manner indicated were obviously good. 
Where the nitrogenous manures were both 
omitted the growth of the plants was weak. 
This is what we should have suspected, for 
nitrogen favours vegetative growth, and is 
of primary importance to Potatos. In other 
plots kainit and superphosphate were each 
used separately along with farmyard manure 
at planting time. Kainit gave the better re¬ 
sult, thus showing that for Potatos the order 
of importance for all these artificial manures 
is (1) nitrogen (2) potash (3) phosphates. 
The first applied as a dressing, when earth¬ 
ing up the Potatos, and the two latter given 
in mixture with farmyard manure at plant¬ 
ing time gave the best results of all. The 
net result again proves that an over-supply 
of one particular element of plant food, 
without an adequate proportion of all the 
other necessary elements is useless and 
wasteful. 
The skill of the cultivator is put to the 
test when he determines by experiment 
what particular elements of plant food are 
most deficient in any given soil; for by 
supplying this deficiency, and that only, he 
gets the best possible crop with the smallest 
necessary outlay upon manure. Mr. Hos¬ 
ford also pitted farmyard manure against the 
artificial fertilisers in separate pots, and 
was greatly surprised at the much better 
results given by the latter alone. The 
plants supplied with the artificial manures 
led the way from the first and maintained 
it to the last. They also gave the greater 
weight of tubers, which were of equally 
good quality when cooked. The question 
arises whether or not the benefit obtained 
by the use of artificial manures will only be 
temporary. This is only what might be 
expected, because being more readily soluble 
than farmyard manure, they would to a 
great extent get used up the first season. 
This need not trouble the cultivator, who 
practises a judicious rotation of crops, for 
if the land requires more humus for the re¬ 
tention of moisture, it can be applied for the 
sustenance and benefit of the succeeding 
crop which may not suffer from the Potato 
disease. In the case of land containing 
sufficient humic matters its fertility can be 
renewed by a fresh application of the arti¬ 
ficial manures removed by the Potatos. 
—-- 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—We have to 
announce that C. E. Keyser, Aldermaston Court, 
Reading (formerly of Stanmore) will preside at the 
annual festival dinner of the Royal Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, which will be held on April 20th, at 
the Hotel Metropole. 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Meetings and Shows, 
1898 .—The following are the dates fixed:— 
February 8; March S; 22 : April 12; 26 : May 
10 ; 25, 26, 27, Temple Show : June 14 ; 28 : July 12 ; 
26 : August 9 : 23 : September 6; 20; 29, 30 : October 
1, Fruit Show: October 11:25: November 8 ; 22 : 
December 13. 
Liverpool Horticultural Association—On last Satur¬ 
day evening the members of this society held their 
annual reunion at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, Mr. 
W. Fletcher Rogers, hon. treasurer, occupying the 
chair. The gathering proved a most successful one, 
120 members and friends being present. After 
the dinner anentertaining smoker was carried out with 
unanimous appreciation, Messrs. R. P. Ker & Sons 
adding in no small degree to this gratifying position. 
Public Gardens of Exeter.—The capital of Devon 
has recently become conscious of her responsibilities 
in the matter of making the public gardens more 
attractive, and operations with that object in view 
will shortly be commenced. Several of the watering 
places on the south coast of Devon, with the exception 
perhaps of Torquay, are no better supplied in this 
respect. Brighton, the queen of watering places on 
the south coast, is as bald, or more so than most 
other maritime resorts. Notwithstanding these facts 
it is asserted that meteorological observations have 
proved that Devon and Cornwall enjoy a climate in 
some respects superior to that of the Riviera. Why 
then do the inhabitants not put their gardens in 
order to attract the visitors who annually seek 
enjoyment at the maritime resorts of the Continent 
on the shores of the Mediterranean. Should Exeter 
succeed in beautifying the gardens of the already 
interesting and quaint old city, other resorts, par¬ 
ticularly those on the sea board, might well follow 
the example. The paper by Mr. Richard Gill, of 
Penryn, read at the last meeting of the Devon and 
Exeter Gardeners' Association, showing the capa¬ 
bilities of the south western counties to support a 
rich and varied vegetation, some of which flower in 
the open air from mid-winter onwards, should nerve 
the people to plant freely, and judiciously. 
The old way is the best. — First lady gardener: 
" So you have given up gardening of which you pre¬ 
tended to be so fond.” Second lady gardener : “No 
fear ; I wanted a job, so I just said * yes ’ when the 
gardener asked if I would take sole charge of his 
nursery.” 
Rose Kaiserin Augusta Victoria .—The Florists' 
Exchange announces that a pure yellow sport from 
this hybrid Tea Rose is reported from Waynesboro, 
Pennsylvania. It opened on Christmas morning. 
If that had opened in London we fear the air was 
too impure for anyone to have discovered it. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—'The Council having 
been consulted as to a proper mode of the use of the 
Victoria Medal by members of the trade have 
decided that the only permissible method is by the 
letters V.M.H. following the name of the holder of a 
medal. No other mention of the medal can be 
properly made in any application pertaining to 
horticultural trade or relating thereto. — IF. Wilks, 
Secretary. By order of Council. 
“ Garden and Forest.”—With the completion of 
the tenth volume of this excellent American paper, 
devoted to gardening and forestry, on the 1st inst., 
its publication was discontinued, after ten years' 
useful service. The publishers announce that they 
have made an experiment extending over ten years 
with the view of establishing a weekly journal 
devoted to gardening and forestry, but absolutely free 
from all trade influences. The ten years' trial has 
shown conclusively that there is not a sufficient 
number of people in the United States, interested in 
the subjects at issue, to make a paper of this class 
self-supporting. This, we consider, is matter for 
regret; but surely the time cannot be far off when 
gardening in private establishments in the United 
States should represent a big and important interest. 
The florist there is simply a trader and entirely 
different from the cultivator and lover of flowers for 
their own sakes in this country. 
Loughborough Gardeners' Association.—Mr. A. 
Hamshere presided at a meeting of this society on 
the 4th inst. Mr. J. Lansdell, of Barkby Hall 
Gardens, gave a lecture on “ Soils.” In his opening 
remarks the lecturer dealt with the formation of soil 
from the rocks through the action of the atmosphere, 
rain, etc. The disintegrating influences of the 
lichens on the rocks upon which they grew also 
received mention. Specimens of various soils were 
submitted for inspection, a few remarks being given 
on each. The fertilising of soils by the admission of 
nitrogen was next explained at length, and the great 
advantage of proper draining touched upon. From 
experiments made at Rothamsted in the month of 
June it had been found that the temperature of well- 
drained land was 67° Fahr., whilst on undrained land 
it was as low as 47 0 . On the approach of winter 
vacant land should be broken up to a good depth 
and left to the influences of rain, frost, etc. 
Torquay Gardeners’ Dinner —The Torquay District 
Gardeners' Associa ion held its sixth annual dinner 
at the Union Hotel, Torquay, on the evening of 
January 4th. Dr. Hamilton Ramsay filled the 
chair. Apologies from several gentlemen who were 
prevented by stress of business from being present 
were read. Upwards of seventy sat down to dinner, 
including Mr. W. B. Smale, J.P., Dr. Horton, and 
Messrs. A. Shelly, W. A. Masterman, J. Dendle, A. 
Chandler, G..J. Bulgin, G. Goodman, and Fred. C. 
Smale. The usual loyal toasts having been duly 
honoured, Mr. J. Dendle submitted “ Success to the 
Association.” He alluded to the services rendered 
by the president and secretary. Mr. F. C. Smale, in 
responding, appealed to gardeners not members to 
j fin the association. They had received £6 more in 
subscriptions than ever before during the past year, 
and they had now a list of members 130 strong. 
Mr. A. Shelly proposed the “Readers of Papers.” 
The health of the president was heartily drunk at 
the invitatioQ of Mr. W. B. Smale, who eulo¬ 
gised the services Dr. Ramsay had rendered 
both to their association and to horticulture 
generally. Dr. Ramsay’s garden, continued Mr. W. 
B. Smale, was a splendid advertisement both of 
Torquay’s climate, and of the achievements of hor¬ 
ticulture. Dr. Ramsay briefly replied. Music con¬ 
tributed by Messrs. A. J. Blacker, J. C. Lockyer. 
G. H. Brierley, Damerel), and Prowse enlivened the 
proceedings. 
