December 2, 1905. 
were very dark after being cooked. Tubers 
that naturally have a rough or netted skin 
are preferred to those which are quite smooth. 
These characteristics may be peculiar to the 
variety or to maturity on the other hand. 
The professors take up the standpoint of 
mealiness in cooking, colour, and flavour in 
estimating the quality of a Potato. 
For the purpose of study the professors 
divided the Potato into four parts : ( 1 ) the 
surface and texture of skin ; ( 2 ) the cortical 
layer lying immediately beneath it; (3) the 
external medullary area ; and (4) the internal 
medullary area, they also like the tuber to 
be crisp, brittle, and snappy when cutting it 
with the knife, as this indicates maturity of 
starch grains and uniform cellular structure 
with thin walls. On the other hand, they 
regard it as leathery when the cut is soft, 
smooth, and thin, as it indicates greater 
thickness in the cell walls and a lack of 
starch. According to the French experi¬ 
menters the cortical layer is richest in nitro¬ 
genous matters, but it contains more fibrous 
tissue. The outer portion or medullary area 
is the part where the starch is chiefly stored. 
The very centre of the Potato, or the internal 
medullary area contains very little starch. 
From tins point of view it would seem that 
those who prefer the nitrogenous portion of 
the tubers could have their wishes satisfied 
by paring off a thin layer immediately under¬ 
neath the skin. In the meantime, the less 
of the Potato removed with the skin itself 
the more nitrogenous matter will remain. 
On the other hand, those who prefer the 
starchy portion could make use of a ring or 
zone surrounding the centre. 
They have also proved what is the cause of 
mealiness in a Potato. Tubers that contain 
a large amount of starch are the most likely, 
to break in the process of boiling. The burst¬ 
ing of the skin is due to the fact that the 
starch grains swell under the influence of heat 
and moisture, and uniting in a mass burst 
the outer covering or skin. 
A number of experiments have also been 
made to determine at what depth in the soil 
the best quality tubers are found. One im¬ 
portant point was that when Potatos are 
planted too near the surface there is not suffi¬ 
cient depth of soil to cover the young tubers, 
and very often they arise on portions of the 
stem above ground. If planted deeper than 
bin. the temperature and moisture conditions 
were unsuitable for the development of 
tubers. This experiment, we may say, has 
been tried in this country many years ago, 
and found the most suitable depth for plant¬ 
ing. If planted less than 3 in. deep the varia¬ 
tion in temperature and moisture was too 
great for proper development. 
A series of experiments is to be continued 
over a number of years with the object of 
finding out what effect, if any, heat and mois¬ 
ture have upon the quality of Potatos. They 
think that a uniform temperature of 65 deg. 
to 75 deg. is the most suitable for good quality 
tubers. Below 6 in. the quality is likely to 
degenerate owing to the .lowness of the tem¬ 
perature. It is suspected also that the tex¬ 
ture of the soil will have an influence on 
favourable and adverse conditions. 
It is our experience that Potatos in light 
soils are of better quality than those in rich 
and rather wet soils. There is still another 
factor which determines quality in Potatos, 
and that is the proper methods of boiling or 
■otherwise cooking them, as against careless 
practice with the tubers. Many are under 
the impression that a Potato is cooked when 
it lias been boiled, but that may or may not 
be so, according to the conditions. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Potato (Kerr’s) 
Duchess or Cornwall. 
-o- 
In 1902 a Potato was put into commerce 
under the name of Duchess of Cornwall. It 
was raised by the late Mr. William Kerr, of 
Dumfries, the father of Mr. James Kerr, of 
Dumfries, who obliges us with a photograph 
of tills remarkable variety of Potato. It is 
a round, white Potato, with rather deep eyes 
at the apical end, but the most important 
feature in connection with it is its remarkable 
productiveness. It was tried against fifty-two 
of the leading new varieties in 1903, a pound 
of each being cut up into twelve sets and 
planted. Duchess of Cornwall headed the 
list for productiveness, the pound cf seed 
yielding 441bs. of new Potatos. It was again 
tried last year, and headed the list amongst 
fifty-five varieties on trial. This year the lead 
is again taken by it against fifty-two old and 
new varieties. For three years in succession, 
therefore, Duchess of Cornwall has un¬ 
doubtedly proved its title to productiveness. 
It also took the lead for weight of produce 
at the exhibition of the National Potato 
Society in October, 1904, at the Crystal 
Palace. A cup w’as offered by the Crystal 
Palace Company for the heaviest total yield 
of any variety from twelve consecutive roots, 
to be lifted under the supervision of the com¬ 
mittee or a nominee and sealed. The lead on 
that occasion was taken by Mr. H. A. House, 
cf Horncastle, who had a heap of tubers of 
Duchess of Cornwall weighing 762 -lbs. The 
tubers, however, were still immature, and 
might have weighed more had the exhibition 
been later so as to give them time to ripen. 
The variety has, therefore, come to the front 
as a heavy cropping Potato on its own merits. 
Potato Culture ix Guernsey. —The aver¬ 
age yield of Potatos in Guernsey is fifteen 
tons per acre, as compared with six tons per 
acre in England. The early Potatos are all 
exported ; the late sorts are kept for island 
consumption. 
919 
How To Keep Up a 
Succession or Parsley. 
-o-- 
To have plenty of Parsley throughout the 
year often taxes the best gardeners, when in 
private establishments it is one of those herbs 
one must never be without. There is nothing 
elaborate in my method of culture, although I 
have but little difficulty to find some in the 
severest winters. My stock of Parsley for a 
year’s supply in a fairly large garden, as well as 
family, is obtained from 2 oz. of seed. This is 
sown at two different dates, the first ounce 
about the middle of March, and the second 
sometime the first week in May. I usually 
sow part of the first ounce in a bed, in drills 
one foot apart, and the remainder by the side 
of the kitchen garden paths, as this serves the 
purpose of an edging where there are tiles. It 
is thinned out to six inches apart when large 
enough to handle, water is given when neces¬ 
sary, and running the hoe over the bed once a 
week to keep in condition. One or two light 
sprinklings of soot I have found very beneficial 
during the summer. From this first sowing I 
can"pick till the end of the year, and much later 
if the weather is open. 
The second sowing is the most important, as 
this will have to furnish a supply in the worst 
weather. This bed is made to fit spare lights, 
and by putting 9 in. boards at the sides and 
ends there is a temporary frame enclosing 
my Parsley for the winter and spring._ This 
saves transplanting, which method is not 
always satisfactory. The lights are thrown off 
when the weather is favourable, as fresh air is 
most important, avoiding colcl, euttiug winds. 
Mats are thrown over in severe frosts, and have 
at times had to be kept over the light several 
days together, but there is the knowledge that 
a supply can be found inside. If those who 
have failed in this culture should be induced te 
try by the method described, they should havo 
no cause for complaint in future. 
G. Waller. 
Liuustkoi ovalifolium is known as the 
Californian Privet, but it is a native of Japan. 
