536 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 20, 1903. 
quality in. Potatos, the author advises the grower to select good 
varieties to begin, with, and also to plant on ground that is 
neither over-rich nor over-fed. He considers that prizes are 
often awarded to Potatos at shows that are not fit. for human 
food. We think that that is not only too true, but of frequent 
occurrence 1 . Prizes are often, given for the mere sake of appear¬ 
ance, and in other ways encouragement seems to be given to 
tubers of the largest size, which certainly cannot be of the best 
quality. We have long known that Potatos grown in poor 
soil were of excellent quality. If the soil is very poor, how¬ 
ever, the crop 1 will also be scanty, so that a medium course 
should be pursued. The author would do well, however, to 
discourage the modern attempt to produce such huge tubers 
as is often the case with the more recent varieties of Potato'. 
He deals also* with the great waste of vitality to which early 
Potatoes* are often, subjected by having the first sprouts re¬ 
moved while they are waiting for a suitable time to be planted. 
He suggests the construction of arched stores in some cool 
situation, where the arches might be built of bricks and the 
floor of concrete, while the door should open towards the north. 
We think this a very useful suggestion in districts where it 
would be risky to plant Potatos very early. If the tubers are 
stored in places that stimulate growth at an unsuitable period, 
the vitality and vigour of the Potatos cannot be other than, 
wasted to the extent of the sprouts removed and the waste 
of material necessary to furnish this' growth. 
More interesting is his advice for the production of two 
crops of Potatos from the same piece* of ground. Whether or 
not this could be turned to profitable account in actual prac¬ 
tice remains to be satisfactorily demonstrated. It may be 
possible to grow two crops on the same piece of ground, but 
as a rule we know that some other crop is planted to follow 
the crop of Potatos. Nevertheless, his. advice is well worth 
listening to, for he sugg ests some good advantages as the 
result of the method. He suggests that the earliest varieties 
be employed for the production of two crops in one* season. 
The earlier crop should be planted on the first of April and 
the Potatos. harvested before* the advent of disease.. For the 
second crop he advises the use of tubers that have been retarded 
in the cool store lie* just mentioned. If this were done imme¬ 
diately after the first crop has been harvested, the second one 
should be in full growth about the middle of September, and 
again escape disease, owing to the vigour of the plants at a 
time when the sinking temperature is in favour of the Potatos 
and against disease. 
This* chapter he has brought up to date by inserting informa¬ 
tion relative to* the establishment of cold stores, by Count} 
Councils or some limited liability company, so that, cultivators 
might take advantage of the same to. retard their seed Potatos 
until such times as they could be placed in the ground for the 
second crop. This idea, is certainly up to date, and might be 
turned to profitable* account by practical experiments by some 
public body, school of horticulture, or even by the Royal 
Horticultural Society. The author even goes so far as to 
advise the planting of second and late varieties about a time 
that will ensure the plants being in full vigour of growth about 
the 20th of September, as they usually escape disease when 
such is the case. 
In speaking of the longevity of cut. flowers, he says that 
they may be preserved much longer in a fresh condition in 
the cut state than if left upon the plant. He instances the 
fact that cut flowers of African Marigolds, Dahlias, Roses, 
etc., for exhibition purpose's keep as well in close tin boxes for 
a. week as they would in water. He also thinks that flowers 
taken from the plants* last longer because they are not so 
likely to set exhausted by the process of developing seeds. Of 
course, that may be another wav of describing the fact that 
flowers in most cases fade ouicklv a.fte- thev have been fer¬ 
tilised either by insects or otherwise. The hint about shade 
is certainly worthy of attention, as blooms last much tono-er 
when shaded from the direct influence of sunshine, and we 
imow that Chrysanthemums* have been kept for many weeks 
in the dark previous to being- exhibited. The blooms were 
left on the plants, and though they remained fresh and clean 
the foliage entirely withered up. 
He mentions a. fact that is not generally well known to gar¬ 
deners—namely, that annuals will survive for an indefinite 
number of years if prevented from blooming. Something 
akin to this may be cited in those cases where gardeners grow 
what they term tree Mignonette. The plants can be grown 
to large size and kept over more than one year simply It 
preventing them from blooming. We have also seen a gar¬ 
dener cut down all bis annuals* with a scythe when they were 
commencing to bloom. This was done with the object of get¬ 
ting a second production of bloom about the middle or end 
of September, when the. owners of the estate would be at home 
to see the beauty of their gardens. He mentions Cabbages 
grown under certain: conditions and prevented from blooming 
simply by the* process of starvation. This occurs naturally, 
however, in the case of the wild Cabbage, and is greatly 
encouraged in the Channel Islands owing to the mild character 
of the climate, and the practice of feeding the plants to get 
them of large size. We also 1 remember that the Woburn Kale 
was a variety that could be kept for eight years or so before 
it bloomed. 
We cannot overlook this florist’s last bint in the book with 
regard to exercise in the garden. A year or two ago lie had 
a severe, attack of lumbago, and remembered that fifty years 
ago he bad a similar attack, and was cured by a compulsory 
w ilk of eight miles. Remembering this, he thought that 
several hours’ digging in the garden would answer the same 
purpose, and, disregarding the* acute pain it caused him, the 
digging again completely cured him. 
Zenobia speciosa. 
{See Supplement.) 
The above name represents a very handsome* plant which 
is less often seen in gardens than it ought to be. Only one* 
species* is known to* science, with two* or three varieties, but 
something like a dozen of names have been given to them in 
tb.fi aggregate. The plant, we may say, is closely allied .to 
Andromeda, and lias* indeed been named A. cassinefolia in the 
"Botanical Magazine,” t. 970. This is no doubt the reason 
that we find it in cultivation under the name of Zenobia cas¬ 
sinefolia sometimes used as its specific name and sometimes 
as. the varietal name. Whatever names have been given to 
it, the ordinary form has simply green leaves*, while the variety 
named Z. s. pulverulenta lias its* leaves covered with a glaucous 
bloom so thick as to make the leaves appear covered with a 
white meal or farina. 
Both forms have flowers that are precisely similar, and much 
resemble those of the Lily of the Valley greatly magnified. 
For this reason alone a well-grown bush is a very handsome 
ornament in the garden during the summer when in bloom. 
Like its near relatives, it lias evergreen foliage, so that it is 
well worthy of room in the garden at any season, but becomes 
particularly attractive when in flower. The variety above 
named having so distinctly glaucous foliage makes a beautiful 
contrast with the* type, and should be procured by those who; 
desire to have a, representative collection of beautiful shrubs 
belonging to the* Heath family. 
The* cultivation of these* shrubs is by no means difficult, pro¬ 
vided the simple requirements ar e given it which are necessary 
for all plants of the Heath family, and which used to be 
classed together as subjects* for the American garden. In their 
native homes they are accustomed to growing in soil that con¬ 
tains a great quantity of humus, which accumulates until the 
ground assumes quite a peaty character. Those who attempt 
its cultivation in this country should therefore make sure that 
the ground contains a large quantity of decayed vegetable 
matter. Should the soil be at all of a heavy nature inclined 
to c-lay r , or should it, be sandy or gravelly, the* best, plan is to 
use a large quantity of peat, or soil that consists entirely ot 
peat. 
