December 2. 1905. 
936 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
lOOlbs. 8ozs. ; The Abbott, 751bs. ; and Dis¬ 
covery, 61-glbs. 
The Challenge Cup, value £50 (offered by 
Messrs. J. Carter and Co. and A. Findlay), 
for the best twelve distinct varieties, brought 
two entries, and each, evidently intended to 
carry off the prize, for every dish was in 
splendid form. The leading award was 
secured by Mr. Ben Ashton, who showed 
Ambrose, Advancer, Goodfello-w, Klondyke, 
Empire, Royal Kidney, Ruby Queen, 
Empress Queen, Evergood, Monarch, Snow¬ 
ball, and Northern Star. The cup has to 
be won three years in succession to become 
the property of the winner. Mr. J. H. Ridge- 
well, The Gardens, Histon, Carnbs, took the 
second prize with a very fine exhibit, though 
lacking the polished appearance of the first- 
prize lot. 
Prizes were offered for eight varieties of 
disease-resisting Potatos, the varieties being 
named in the schedule, and ten entries were 
forthcoming. Mr. J. H. Ridgewell took the 
lead with tine tubers of Cigarette, Duchess 
of Cornwall, Evergood, Royal Kidney, Factor, 
Duke of York, Sir John Llewellyn, and 
Webb’s Empire. Only four varieties out of 
eight named in the schedule were obligatory, 
the rest being left to the exhibitors. Hon. 
E. Hubbard (gardener, Air. E. S. Wiles), 
Douene, Kent, was second. Mr. John 
Gemmell was third with a tine-looking lot. 
Prizes were also offered for six varieties of 
Potatos for flavour, and there were eight 
entries. The lead was taken by Air. J. H. 
Ridgewell, who staged Duchess of Cornwall, 
Evergood, Snowdrop, Webb’s Chieftain, 
Factor, and Royal Kidney. Four had to be 
selected from ’those named in the schedule. 
Mr. A. Tanner, Grove Ground Cottage, 
Shanklin, I.W., was second, and Mr. R. W. 
Green came in third. Other varieties shown 
for flavour in the above two classes were 
Hurst’s Favourite, Sir John Llewellyn, 
Sharpe’s Victor, Langworthy, Radium, and 
a seedling. 
Non-Competitive Exhibits. 
Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Reading, had a 
Very interesting stand of promising new seed¬ 
ling Potatos, and several species, including 
Solanum Commersoni, S. Maglia, S. stoloni- 
ferum, S. tuberosum, and a hybrid between 
S. tuberosum and S. Alaglia. They also had 
the Fir Potatos in several colours, the white 
being the most curious. They are sometimes 
used for decorative or garnishing purposes. 
Some old Potatos with new ones attached for 
winter use were also shown. 
Gold Medals.—Several of the non-com- 
•pejitive exhibits took a prominent position, 
both on account of their extent, the number of 
varieties shown, and the clean and present¬ 
able condition of the tubers, as well as the 
taste displayed in their arrangement. The 
leading place was certainly taken by Messrs. 
Do-bbie and Co., Rothesay, with ninety baskets 
of Potatos set up in admirable form. Those 
grown upon their Essex farm were notable for 
the darker colour of their skin and more 
netted appearance, and no doubt this is due 
to the greater maturity attained Under the 
sunny skies of the south. Their Scotch-grown 
Samples were notable for the clearer and more 
attractive appearance of their skin, but 
Whether this would have any advantage for 
table purposes is doubtful. The appearance 
is good, but the quality, as reckoned by their 
Starch contents, cannot be so great. For 
seed purposes, Scotch-grown samples un¬ 
doubtedly take the precedence. Space for¬ 
bids us from recording a tithe of these fine- 
looking tubers, but the value of such as The 
Factor, Windsor Castle, The Dean, Snowdrop, 
Sir John Llewellyn, Scottish Triumph, 
Northern Star, King Edward VII., Duchess 
of Cornwall, and many others cannot be over¬ 
looked. 
Messrs. Webb and Sons, Wordsley, Stour¬ 
bridge, were also in splendid form, showing 
Colonist, Guardian, Chieftain, Gold Finder, 
Alajestic, and others of their own raising, be¬ 
sides all the other popular varieties. 
Messrs. George Massey and Sons, Spalding, 
also put up an extensive exhibit, including 
The Leader, Eldorado, Highlander, Discovery, 
and other new and old varieties. 
Alessrs. Daniels Bros., Ltd., Norwich, also 
had an extensive exhibit of Potatos of 
moderate size, and presenting good quality in 
preference to mere size. Duke of York, Early 
Queen, and Duchess of Norfolk were some of 
their specialities. 
Silver Medals.—Messrs. Hogg and Robert¬ 
son, 22, Mary Street, Dublin, had a fine ex¬ 
hibit, including such of their varieties as 
Engineer, Marvel, Hussar, and Duchess of 
Wellington. 
Air. William Deal, Brooklands, Kelvedon, 
had an excellent exlnbit of his own and other 
new Potato®, including Excelsior, Highlander, 
Market King, Early Gem, etc. 
Air. James Kerr, Potato expert, Dumfries, 
had a fine exhibit of his Duchess of Cornwall, 
Conquering Hero, Electric Spark, Cigarette, 
and other first-class- varieties now well to the 
front. Electric Spark is the most recent in¬ 
troduction. 
Mr. J. F. Williamson, F.R.H.S., Mallow, 
co. Cork, had a tasteful display of his own 
novelties, as well as that of others. He has a 
very high opinion of The Colleen, a second 
early, which he thinks may possibly displace 
Duchess of Cornwall for cropping powers. It 
is certainly a good-looking white Potato. He 
also- grows Duchess of Cornwall with remark¬ 
able success, and was the means of bringing it 
into public notice. 
Alessrs. W. AV. Johnson and Son, Ltd., 
Boston, Lincolnshire, put up a fine exhibit of 
their specialities, such as The Diamond and 
The Pearl, which are taking a front position 
for produce and quality. They also staged 
many other varieties. 
Mr. R. W. Green, Wisbech, had a note¬ 
worthy exlnbit of'Diamond, Duchess of Corn¬ 
wall, Discovery, Eldorado, and various other 
popular Potatos. 
Mr. Henry Scott, Boreham Road Nurseries, 
Warminster, Wilts, grows his Potatos at an 
elevation of 400ft. above sea level, and this is 
undoubtedly an advantage for seed purposes 
in the south. Henry Scott was a new early 
Potato now being brought before the public. 
Messrs. William Davie and Co., Hadding¬ 
ton, N.B., had an exhibit of most of the popu¬ 
lar varieties which, are now claiming atten¬ 
tion. Duchess of Buccleuch, Discovery, 
Langworthy, Maincrop, and various others 
were on view. 
Mr. Thom-s A. Scarlett, 22, Market Street, 
Edinburgh, also had an exhibit of Scotch- 
grown Potatos, including Midlothian Early, 
Dalmeny Early, The Highlander, etc. 
Messrs. Isaac Poad and Sons, York, had an 
extensive exhibit rf early, mid-season and 
main crop varieties, including all of the 
recent and notable varieties. 
Alessrs. Fidler and Sons, Reading, staged 
Fidler’s Invincible and an extensive exhibit 
of others raised by themselves, as well as 
the Potatos of other raisers. 
Messrs. W. Dennis and Sons, Kir ton, 
Lincolnshire, also had a large exhibit of all 
the more important Potatos grown either in 
Scotland or England. 
Other Exhibits. 
Air. A. Findlay, Mairsland, Auchtermuclity, 
had an interesting exhibit of his new seedling 
Potatos in two large glass cases. Langholme 
Model, Alairsland Queen, and Findlay’s Gold 
Reef are some of the newer varieties. 
Mr. David Wilson, East Linton, N.B., ex¬ 
hibited a cleaning and sizing machine for 
Potatos. This is worked by hand, and the 
Potatos pass through a circular screen by 
which the dirt and the small-sized Potatos 
are separated from those of a useful size. 
While passing over a sort of sieve the 
diseased Potatos and other damaged ones can 
be removed by assistants, while the good ones 
are gradually dropping away into boxes 
placed for the purpose. The machine is 
patented. 
Alessrs. Alexander Dickson and Sons, 
Limited, Belfast and Dublin, had an exhibit 
of large heaps of Milecross Early, Northern 
Star, Sir John Llewellyn, and other good 
varieties. 
Mr. -S. M. Thomson, 7, Warrender Park 
Crescent, Edinburgh, had a large exhibit of 
the Dalmeny -Seed Potatos, including all the 
early, mid-season, and main-crop varieties 
raised at Dalmeny. 
Mr. A. J. Sole, Peterborough, had an ex¬ 
hibit of Recorder, Magnet, and Kings, which 
mature in this order. The last named is a 
late or main-crop variety, with tubers of 
large size. 
Mr. Joseph Bettinson, Outwell, Wisbech, 
exhibited The Carman Potato, Aiaxini, and 
several others. Hie Carman is certainly a 
handsome Potato. 
Air. F. Pickering, Woodhall Spa, Lincoln, 
had some fine heaps of Eldorado, Northern 
Star, Recorder, and other popular sorts. 
The Potato Crop of the United 
Kingdom. 
STRIKING FIGURES. 
At the meeting last year of the National 
Potato Society in London, Air. A. D. Hall, 
director of the world-famed Rothamsted Ex¬ 
perimental Station, estimated the value of the 
Potato crop of the United Kingdom at 
£40,000,000, which is about equal to the value 
of all the grain crops put together. Leaving 
out market gardens, ordinary gardens, allot¬ 
ments, etc., the total area under Potatos in 
Great Britain and Ireland averages about 
1,200,000 acres, of which England accounts for 
about 400,000 acres-, Wales for about 30,000 
acres, Scotland for about 130,000, and Ire¬ 
land, with its total of only 1,000,000 acres 
more than Scotland, for about- 620,000—more 
than half, of the area under Potatos in the 
United Kingdom. These figures demonstrate 
the immense importance of the Potato to the 
country, and the very large capital which 
must be invested in its cultivation. Among 
crops primarily designed for human consump¬ 
tion this is the only one of which our agri¬ 
culturists can grow enough to- meet the wants 
of our teeming population. When the home 
supply fails-, of course, we have to- import 
large quantities. Thus, in the cereal year 
ending 31st August-, 1904, 670,000 tons of 
foreign Potatos were imported into the United 
Kingdom. In some years /the home supply 
has proved in excess of the demand, and large; 
quantities have- been exported to- America. 
AYest Indian Banana Trade.—I n Jamaica 
29.000 acres are devoted to the cultivation of 
the Banana, and about 14,000,000 bunches are 
exported yearly. America is said to consume 
30,000,000 bunches of Bananas a year. 
