376 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February, 12, 1898. 
IjflNTS FOR ||mATEURS. 
THE SEED ORDER 
Potatos.—Nobody will deny the important position 
that the Potato holds amongst the list of vegetables. 
In the garden of the cottager it occupies an almost 
pre-eminent position, and this by reason of its 
economic value as a cheap and wholesome food,or at 
least as an important addition to the foods, available 
for the cottager. In the smaller gardens, however, 
the Potato is looked upon as a rather coarse vege¬ 
table, and the space devoted to it is accordingly but 
comparatively small. People are inclined to think that 
it is cheaper to buy Potatos from the greengrocer 
than to grow them, and they take action accordingly. 
Of course, there is something in the argument, but 
not so much as these people imagine. Potatos of a 
kind can be easily purchased cheaply enough it is 
true, but the quality is usually very inferior, and 
although there is nothing nicer than a really good 
Potato, there is nothing nastier than a bad one. If 
only for the sake of procuring an article of good 
quality, some Potatos should be grown, but a 
selection should be made of good varieties, and the 
stock should be occasionally changed. Most 
cottagers make the mistake of keeping the same 
stock year after year without a change until it gets, 
to use a technical phrase, thoroughly "soil-sick,” 
and the result is to be seen in decreasing crops, and 
deterioration in the quality of the tubers. It is 
absolute folly, then, to attempt to grow on old 
varieties year after year without a change. On the 
other hand, it is remarkable what excellent results 
follow a change of " seed,” and therefore an effort 
should be made to effect a change every second or 
third year. 
With regard to varieties, it is evident that not 
many are required, for two or three good ones will 
keep an ordinary establishment going, although 
where the time and money can be spared, a little 
experimenting is always of value. For an early 
crop there is nothing to beat Sutton’s A i. The 
tubers are round in shape, of medium size, and the 
flesh is firm and good—not mashy, as the old style 
of early Potato used to be. The haulm is dwarf and 
sturdy, and the variety is thus as suitable for cultiva¬ 
tion in frames as in the open ground. Sutton’s 
Ringleader is in all respects first-class as an early 
kidney shaped variety, and is much to be preferred 
to the Ashleaf sorts. The various stocks of Ashleaf 
have been and still are largely grown in gardens. 
The best of them, as far as our experience goes, is 
Myatt’s Ashleaf, when it can be got true to name ; 
still we would give preference to both A i and 
Ringleader. 
Sutton's Windsor Castle is a splendid second- 
early variety, although, as the tubers keep well, 
it may be regarded as a suitable main cropper. 
The tubers are of an elongated pebble shape, with 
very shallow eyes, and of capital cooking quality. 
They are, moreover, produced in great abundance 
in almost any soil. 
The Sutton Flourball, which was first sent out by 
the Reading firm in 1895, and may therefore be 
regarded as a comparatively new variety, has won 
golden opinions from all parts of the country as a 
fine Potato of good cooking quality, and a grand 
cropper. It resists the disease wonderfully well, and 
is especially worthy of notice on that account. Being 
a strong grower it is suitable for field culture. 
Satisfaction is remarkable for the uaiform size of 
its tubers which are of a thick pebble shape. The 
skin is rough, and the eyes shallow. This is a 
capital exhibition Potato, and a free and certain 
cropper. 
The Bruce is a heavy cropping late variety of 
great merit, that is grown very largely in the north 
of England and Scotland. It is, however, most suit¬ 
able for field culture, the richer soil of the more 
highly cultivated garden plot not being so much to 
its liking. It has been in cultivation since 1885, so 
that it is a fairly old variety. 
White Elephant is a favourite in some gardens, 
more particularly in the south of England, but 
chiefly on account of its heavy cropping qualities. 
The tubers often grow to a tremendous size, but 
although they cook fairly well, the quality is rather 
-oarse. Where mere size is more desired than 
quality, White Elephant generally gives satisfaction. 
Beet.—Year by year Beetroot seems to become a 
more popular vegetable if we may judge from the 
large quantities of cooked roots exposed for sale on 
the costers’ barrows in our towns and cities. There 
seems very little, or at best only a half-hearted 
attempt made, however, to induce the cottager to 
take up its cultivation. It is a tasty vegetable, and 
its food value must^at least be greater than that of 
the Carrot, which finds a place in most cottage 
gardens. 
In no vegetable is good, reliable seed of more 
vital importance than it is with Beetroot. Where 
the seedsman has been careless in growing his stock, 
the seed produces a weedy lot of plants that 
yield roots big enough, it is true, but coarse and 
stringy, no matter how much or how well they are 
cooked. Big roots are not required, but medium¬ 
sized ones, free, as far as possible from side roots. 
We have found Pragnell’s Exhibition one of the very 
best for general purposes. The roots are of medium 
size, and almost perfect shape, while the colour and 
flavour is all that could be desired. Those who like 
a very dark variety will find what they want in Dell's 
Crimson, which is everything that could be desired. 
Carrots. —For a main crop there is nothing to 
beat a good strain of the Intermediate type. James’ 
Intermediate is a well known variety that has been 
much cultivated, and which can generally be relied 
on to turn out a lot of clean shapely roots. Sutton's 
New Red Intermediate illustrates a still further 
advance, for the roots are brighter in colour, cleaner, 
and more weighty. Long Red Surrey is also much 
grown in gardens, but the roots grow to an enormous 
length, and are not so suitable for shallow soils. 
Besides a late or main crop it is necessary to have a 
bed from which early Carrots can be pulled. For 
this early work, one of the stump-rooted varieties 
should be chosen. Early Nantes is one of the very 
best of these. The roots have but very small core, 
and if the seed be sown on a warm south border, 
they will be ready for pulling at an early date. 
When full-grown, the roots are of medium size, and 
the flavour is good from* the earliest stages, i.e., as 
soon as they are big enough to pull. 
Parsnips. —In most cottage gardens, Parsnips are 
one of the chosen vegetables, and some very credit¬ 
able produce may be seen turned out of these 
gardens. The old Hollow Crown is the variety 
chiefly to be met with, and it generally gives satis¬ 
faction. Veitch's Improved Hollow Crown is, how¬ 
ever, a distinct improvement on the older variety. 
Student may be sown as a second variety, if one is 
required. It produces medium-sized roots of first- 
class quality, and capital shape. 
Onions. —These are almost as indispensable as 
Potatos, and a most profitable vegetable to boot. 
The varieties required will depend upon the purpose 
for which they are to be employed. If for exhibition 
Ailsa Craig, Cranston's Excelsior, and Rousham 
Park Hero are the stamp of stuff that is required. 
They all grow to large size, and great weight, and 
are thus suitable for the exhibition table. For 
general purposes, ho.vever, there is a prejudice 
against these big Onions, medium-sized bulbs being 
in greater favour. Of these, Veitch's Main Crop is 
almost an ideal Onion. The bulbs exhibit a striking 
uniformity in size, and the flavour is good. They 
also keep well to a fairly advanced season. For a 
late variety, there is nothing to surpass James’ 
Keeping, an old and approved variety which can 
scarcely be too highly praised for its long keeping 
qualities. It has, moreover, great weight and depth 
of bulb, well developed specimens being so filled up 
at both top and bottom as to be nearly round. 
For autumn sowing, some of the Tripoli varieties, 
such as Early White Naples, and Giant Rocca are 
the best. It is always advisable to have a bed, if 
only a small one, of autumn-sown Onions, for they 
fill up a gap between the time when the last of the 
old crop has been used, and the date at which it is 
possible to pull from the spring-sown bed of the cur¬ 
rent year. Besides this, they afford a supply of 
green Onions for salading all through the autumn 
and winter, and this in itself is worth consideration. 
Celery. —As a winter vegetable, the value of 
Celery is well known to every gardener, and thus it 
is a common sight to find large plots of land set 
aside for its accommodation. Two or three varieties 
should be grown. Early Rose is valuable on account 
of its earliness, but the heads remain for some time 
in condition. The main-crop red variety, Major 
Clarke’s Fine Solid Red will form a good succession 
to it. It is of exceedingly sweet flavour, and of hardy 
and vigorous constitution. Sandringham Dwarf 
White is one of the best of the white sorts. It is 
dwarf and sturdy, and although the heads are not so 
large as those of the two red varieties mentioned, 
they will be found of a very useful size. 
The Turnip-rooted Celery, or Celeriac, is a great 
favourite upon the Continent for flavouring soups, 
stews, &c., but it is not so much in demand on this 
side of the Channel, chiefly because no serious 
attempt has been made to push it. As an adjunct 
to, but not a substitute for, the ordinary Celery, it is 
well worth growing, and it will be advisable, there¬ 
fore, to include a packet of seed in the order.— Rex. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page " on the top oj their letters. 
Protecting Hyacinths. — Owing to the very mild 
winter some Hyacinths that I planted in a bed out 
of doors are through the ground already, and have 
made quite long growths. How can I best protect 
them in case of cold weather ? I see that a neighbour 
of mine has been covering his with a layer of cccoa- 
nut fibre. Will this answer the purpose.— Era. 
The cocoanut fibre will answer the purpose of 
protection well enough as long as it is dry, but 
should it become wet, which is not at all unlikely, it 
would be of very little good. A better plan will be 
to cover the plants with branches of evergreens, 
should it turn cold, or insert several wooden hoops 
in the bed by bending down the two ends of straight 
sticks and pushing them in the soil, afterwards 
covering these hoops, should occasion arise, with 
mats or other protective material. 
Ixias .—Oswald S.: It is certainly rather late for 
planting Ixias, but the past January has been so 
uncommonly mild that they were probably better 
out of the ground than in it. Had they been planted 
in autumn they would have started to grow, and a 
frost or two n ow would have sadly crippled them. 
In planting, choose a warm, sunny corner of the 
border, as the plants do not do well in a cold, sunless 
position. The soil should be rather sandy, and.if it is 
not so naturally a little sand or road scrapings should 
be mixed with the soil. Ixias are well worth taking 
a little trouble over. 
Araucaria excelsa.— P.: This pretty plant is 
usually propagated from cuttings obtained in the 
followiag way ; Plants that have grown too tall are 
headed back, their tops being put in as cuttings. 
After a while the headed back plants commence to 
push young shoots or leaders, and these, as fast as 
they become large enough are also taken off and put 
in for cuttings. Use sandy soil, and give a warm 
greenhouse temperature, and roots will soon be made. 
Plants may certainly be raised from seed, but the 
seedlings are leggy, ragged-looking things that never 
make well-clothed, neat pot plants like the cuttings. 
Iris stylosa. — C. Johns : This is the pretty Iris 
that you refer to. It is generally in flower by the 
end of January or the beginning of February, but 
this season it commenced to bloom early in January. 
It should be given a sheltered position if possible so 
that its flowers may not have to put up with the full 
effect of cold biting winds. There is a white form, 
L s. alba, and a deep blue one, I. s. speciosa, that 
are both equally as beautiful as the type, and well 
worth growing. 
Forcing French Beans. — T., Horsham : You may 
either sow the Beans straight away in the pots in 
which they are to fruit or sow in small pots (thumbs) 
and repot the young plants. Both methods have their 
advantages. If you adopt the former it saves a 
certain amount of trouble, but not so much as 
appears at first sight, and the large seed pots should 
only be filled about half full of soil, a top dressing 
beiDg subsequently given when the plants are a few 
inches in height. For soil, use three parts of good 
loam to one of leaf soil, with a little sand added just 
to keep the soil from getting pasty. You will need a 
temperature of not less than 6o° Fahr. to insure 
speedy germination, and a good rise in temperature 
may be given during the day. Keep the syringe 
briskly at work upon the plants twice a day to keep 
