THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 2, 1905. 
922 
Notes on .. . 
Our Illustrations 
ON CENTRE 
Potato Northern Star. 
The market value of the above variety is 
now so well known that we make no attempt 
to boom it here. Most people who are in any 
way enthusiastic about Potatos now grow it 
in greater or less quantity. The round, 
more or less flattened tubers are white, and 
cook well, so that in the course of a year or 
two it is likely to be put on the market very 
extensively. The photo shows the produce 
of a stool or hill which weighed 14glbs. We 
are under obligation to Mr. T. Kime for 
placing the photo of this variety at our dis¬ 
posal. 
Four Stools of Northern Star. 
For the last- few years specialists have been 
giving great attention to. high-class: or intense 
cultivation of the Potato, particularly new 
forms, which have supplied the incentive. 
Gardeners have not been slow in following 
suit, as may be seen by reference to the 
photos of four stools or shaws of Northern 
Star, the photos of which have been sent us 
by Mr. Robert J. Clark, The Gardens, 
Kinaldy, Fifeshire. The stools were lifted 
with a spade so as to leave the tubers in 
situ as they grew. Each shaw had from 
twenty-five to thirty tubers, not including 
any of the small second growths. Mr. Clark 
informs us that there were many as good as 
those illustrated. 
New Potatos in Winter 
The system by which new Potatos may be 
had from retarded tubers during the autumn 
and winter months is very simple indeed, 
although the preparation of the old tubers 
must be thorough in every respect, if results 
are to be satisfactory and returns what we 
expect. 
Did all gardeners know such good quality 
young Potatos can be had by this easy method 
in so short a time, the system would scon 
become general, and, if seen as growing in 
these gardens, they would at once understand 
the value of such supply at this dull season of 
the year. 
It has taken eight years, to find the best 
way to produce the fine samples we are new 
using, and present experiments prove how 
much more there is to find out. 
At first, Windsor Castle was thought the 
only variety suitable. Last year Maincrop 
was by far the best. This year’s tests have 
not only given us much better results in fresh 
varieties, but a greater number suitable for 
the werk, easily extending the supply from 
September to February. In all twenty 
different sorts have been tried, including 
early kidneys, mid-season varieties, and late 
main crops. The Factor is by' far the best. 
Scotch Triumph, Windsor Castle, Up-to- 
Date—in fact, it appears as far as this pre¬ 
sent trial goes, any variety properly treated 
—will answer the purpose. I can truthfully 
say, if properly studied and worked out, this 
means of obtaining good new Potatos is a. 
real boon to any private garden. 
The tubers intended for next autumn’s use 
may be laid together during the process 
of looking over this winter’s store, selecting 
the best matured. Keep in a cool not over¬ 
moist place where a temperature from 40 deg. 
SHEET (pages 920 and 92D. 
to 50 deg., is regularly maintained. All signs 
of growth must be kept thoroughly rubbed off 
till the following July or August (according 
to the variety), when no more shoots will show. 
Let the old tubers remain in a heap, and the 
small Potatos will soon begin to form close 
on the old ones. The first week in Septem¬ 
ber look them over, picking out the forward 
ones, as all will not show at the same time. 
Make these the first batch, repeating for suc¬ 
cession a,s wanted. 
Should early dishes be required lay out 
these tubers in a warm frame, covering with 
leaf mould or finely-sifted moist soil, suffi¬ 
cient to hide the old Potatos, and if kept 
close and dark, plenty large enough for table 
can be had in a. month. This autumn, from 
tubers of Scotch Triumph, we have supplied 
dishes for the dining-room in three weeks 
from time of putting in frames, and in six 
weeks treated in the open ground on a south 
border. Equally good results may be had 
from the Mushroom house, in boxes, under 
stages, etc. The more we experiment the 
greater our success, and I here appeal to all 
interested who. have not given this a tidal to 
make a start at once. T. J. Powell. 
Park Place Gardens, Henley-on-Thames. 
[Our illustration was prepared from a tuber 
in Mr. Powell’s cultures, and shows: the old 
tuber with the young ones which have grown 
out of it. No other growth whatever is pro¬ 
duced by the Potatos in question besides the 
young tubers represented by the camera.— 
Ed.] 
Fotato the Leader. 
The Leader is yet another first early 
variety of Potato which has been raised by 
Messrs. George Massey and Sons, seed Potato 
growers, Spalding. As will be seen by the 
accompanying illustration placed at our dis¬ 
posal by them, the tuber is kidney-shaped, 
rather elongated, very neat, white-skinned, 
and white-fleshed. The skin is also 1 finely- 
netted and the eyes are very! shallow, so that 
it. wilL prove useful for exhibition at early 
summer shows. The haulm is very vigorous, 
of rich green colour, and produces white 
flowers in fair quantity. When mature, and 
even earlier than that, the tubers prove of 
excellent quality when put to the test by cock¬ 
ing, proving clear white, dry, and mealy in 
character. The crop may be lifted months 
after planting. Under good conditions of 
cultivation it gives a return of sixteen tons 
per acre, which is certainly high for a first 
early Potato. Hitherto, it has also, proved 
disease-resisting, and has been making head¬ 
way at various exhibitions during file past 
year and this. 
Potato Webb’s Majestic, 
The illustration of this variety gives a good 
indication that the raisers have given it.suffi¬ 
cient trial before putting it into commerce. 
The extensive trial grounds at Kinver of 
Messrs. Webb and Sons, Wordsley, Stour¬ 
bridge, give every facility for trying both 
flowers and vegetables before teeing placed 
upon the market. They have always a large 
number of seedlings of the more important 
fruits and vegetables on trial, and quite re¬ 
cently they had as many as fifty unnamed 
seedling Potatos.. If these do not give some¬ 
thing of good promise in a year or two they 
are promptly discarded, while those things 
that are promising are kept for further trial. 
That under notice had been promising well 
for some seasons past, and after growing it 
extensively Messrs. Webb and Sons are not 
only putting it into commerce, but have a 
good idea that they have something useful 
to offer. 
It is a round white variety, more or less 
flattened, with shallow eyes, so that we are 
likely to hear more of it for exhibition and 
other purposes. The flesh is white and the 
quality excellent when cooked. It has a 
robust constitution, and has been proved to 
be disease-resisting. It has also, been proved 
at various other places, and has come through 
the ordeal with every satisfaction to the 
grower. The illustration was placed at our 
service by Messrs. Webb and Sons, and our 
readers will be able to. judge of the appear¬ 
ance of the variety on the field. 
Potato John Eidd. 2 "' J 
No doubt there are cultivators and raisers 
of Potatos who may make objections to the 
new Potato John Ridd, which is just being 
put into commerce. The tubers are round, 
pale lemon colour, not only on the skin but 
internally. This is one of the points to which 
objection will be taken, but we have a distinct 
recollection of various old-fashioned Potatos 
which were as yellow as a. duck’s foot, both 
when fresh and when cooked. Nevertheless, 
they were of excellent flavour, and continued 
to be cultivated by private growers long after 
they remained an unremunerative crop on 
account of disease. Both kidneys and round 
Potatos amongst the old-fashioned kinds were 
likely to show this yellow flesh, but people 
.who knew them would still continue to cul¬ 
tivate them if it was possible to secure any¬ 
thing like a crop. 
The other jjoint about these Potatos is the 
deep eyes, which recall the tubers of the 
Scotch Champion. It is not, therefore, an 
exhibition variety, as judges would take ex¬ 
ception to. it. On the other hand, it has 
quality to recommend it, and it is likely to 
be grown both for home consumption and for 
market purposes. Whether boiled or baked 
the tubers are of excellent quality, so that 
those who remember the old varieties are not 
likely to raise objection to it on the points 
mentioned. Last season it produced about 
fifteen tons to the acre, all free 1 from disease, 
so that on the score of cropping and disease- 
resisting properties, it is likely to meet with 
approbation. The accompanying photograph 
shows the product of a. single stool weighing 
12jlbs. It was placed at our disposal by 
Mr. T. Kime, Mareham-le-Fen, Boston, 
Lines., who is putting it out as one of his 
new varieties for 1905-1906. 
Potato King Edward VII. 
The photo representing King Edward VII. 
shows the produce of one Potato set in 1904. 
Our picture of it gives an indication of 
the fertility of the variety by the great num¬ 
ber of tubers of good average size. They 
filled two sacks containing about 10 st. each. 
King Edward VII. is a variety of variable 
form, the best or most ideal being a. kidney- 
cf handsome size, but other forms are pro¬ 
duced. The skin is white, with clear red 
blotches covering the eyes, while other 
splashes of variable size may occur over 
greater areas. The tubers also take various 
other forms. This crop was grown by Mr. 
Robert J. Clark, The Gardens, Kinaldy, 
Stravithie, Fifeshire, who sent us the photo 
representing the same. 
