232 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 30, 1907. 
New Potatos.= 
Some Fine New Varieties. 
There is always room on top is an old 
and true saying; and when one surveys 
the extraordinary lengthy list of Potatos 
of the present day, the thought still 
strikes one that there is room for some¬ 
thing better. 
At the time of the boom raisers and 
others did the best or worst to supply 
something that would lick creation. 
Nevertheless, there is still room for some¬ 
thing better, although I am afraid that the 
ideal Potato will never bring a fortune 
to its owner, as did some of the boom 
varieties. I do not mean that a good 
Potato will not realise a high price, how¬ 
ever, for the big Potato specialists are 
always on the look out for something 
extra special, and when convinced of 
the merits of a certain variety pay a good 
round sum for its control. Such a 
varietv is the new Talisman, now being 
offered by Messrs. Dobbie and Co. 
This variety was brought to their notice 
some time ago, and after satisfying them¬ 
selves that it was a distinct advance over 
existing maincrops, they secured the stock 
from the raiser for a big sum running 
into three figures per ton. This fact 
tends to indicate that the days of big 
prices are by no means over. When it 
is remembered that Dobbies introduced 
The Crofter, Dobbies’ Favourite, the 
Provost, The Factor, and other well- 
known late Potatos, it may be taken for 
granted that Talisman goes one better, 
or it would not find a place under their 
wing. During the past year I have had 
the pleasure of seeing what Talisman can 
do, and consider it a Potato of real merit. 
It is a very strong grower, and produces 
a heavy crop of thick pebble-shaped 
t|bers, the size of which runs very even. 
Chats are rarely to be found ; indeed, it 
Is difficult to get seed size. It bids fa;r 
to become a real market Potato, as its 
even size and splendid quality makes it 
just what Potato merchants require. 
Clansman is a new departure in coloured 
rounds, its white skin showing up the 
deep red blotches surrounding the eyes. 
In growth, it is very strong, and resists 
disease well. The tubers are usually 
very much netted, indicating quality. 
It is another of Dobbies’ varieties. 
Flower of Freuchie is another pink- 
eved sort, and, as it name suggests, it 
is a Scotch variety, being one of Davies’ 
proteges. 
The Scot is a recently introduced 
variety, and for exhibition purposes it 
looks like becoming popular. It is a 
flattish round variety, and crops well. It 
must not be confounded with Findlay’s 
Great Scott, which so far as I have seen, 
is not so clear in the skin as it might 
be. Experts who have grown it, state 
that it is not fixed. 
Other new or recently introduced main- 
crop Potatos that merit notice are Peck- 
over. a distinct medium grower, yields 
well and. Golden Wonder, a stronger 
growing and heavier cropper than Peace¬ 
maker, though resembling that variety in 
the tubers. 
Such varieties as Nobleman, High¬ 
lander, Superlative, Table Talk, etc., are 
now looked upon as being fixtures in the 
Potato world. 
Second earlies are not so numerous 
as main,crops, and generally speaking, 
there is no variety which stands out from 
its fellows. Sir John Llewelyn seems to 
be fast losing its constitution. The new 
Southern Queen is a fine variety for light 
soils, but I cannot speak so highly of it 
for heavy land when taking it from a 
quality point of view. A promising 
white round is Russet Queen, which re¬ 
ceived a R.H.S. Award of Merit after 
a cooking test. It is a splendid show 
Potato, having a netted skin. Great 
Central is as yet hardly known, but I 
believe it to be a Potato of great pro¬ 
mise. It is a heavy cropper, the tubers 
being round and shapely. 
There are several new coloured second 
earlies, and on the show bench I have 
been greatly struck with them. Royal 
Purple is a deep coloured Kidney of 
splendid shape. Taylor’s Red is a round 
Potato, with a rough netted skin. It 
is a decided acquisition. Purple Eyes is 
a splendid round of unique colour, being 
white with bright purple eyes. Its growth 
is stocky and distinct. 
In surveying the list of first earlies, one 
finds practically no absolutely new variety 
of striking merit. Rouge Royale is a 
pale red sort, but when cooked it is 
quite white. It crops very freely, and as 
a cooker ranks high, as is proved by the 
A.M. given it by the R.H.S. 
To get an early round is the desire of 
many, and, so far as I have found, 
Dalmeny Early holds a good place. 
As a kidney, I know of no first early 
to equal Midlothian Early. Could 
readers have seen the first prize winning 
tubers at the Marks Tey competition last 
vear they would have realised what per¬ 
fect Potatos are. 
Dobbies’ catalogue gives a beautiful 
illustration of this magnificent tuber, and 
I commend it to the notice of “G.W. ” 
readers. 
W. 
- ¥++ - 
Observed in China. —Every year the 
Emperor of China, with his own hands, 
grasps the plough handle and drives the 
first furrow. Every year he or some 
member of his family plants a Mulberry 
tree, a custom which has special refer- 
-ence to the silkworms for which China is 
famous. At the beginning of each spring 
the first Radish and young shoots of Let¬ 
tuce are presented to the Dowager Em¬ 
press, who solemnly tastes them. As she 
does so all the ladies of the Court express 
a wish for national prosperity. Their 
words are taken up by the attendants and 
echoed and re-echoed bv every inmate of 
the palace until it rises in a great volume 
of sound that can be heard afar. Then 
her Majesty utters a wish that the sap may 
rise in such abundance' as to ensure a 
fruitful year. 
The R.U.O.F. 
The 19th annual report of the Conuhittf 
of the Royal" Gardeners’ Orphan Fum 
which for nearly two decades now has bee 
carrying on such a splendid work, stat< 
that since its foundation the receipts froi 
all sources amount to ,£34,937 9s. nd., c 
which sum no less than .£16,373 2S - 6d. ha 
been expended in assisting in the mainu 
nance and education of the orphan childre 
of gardeners and otheiydse helping to giv 
them a start in the battle of life. Th 
total number of orphans who have bee 
elected to receive the benefits afforded b 
the charity is 217. At the beginning of 190 
90 children were .receiving the full allow 
anoe of 5s. per week, and to this total 1 
were added at the recent annual meeting 
and assistance rendered to 19 candidate 
who are awaiting election. 
Tree and Shrub Planting at the Garden Cit\ 
The residents at Letchworth are making 
a great effort to beautify their town am 
make *t worthy of the name of a gardei 
city. The principle on which the house 
are let or sold encourages the residents t< 
spend money on their own property. Thi 
they do by laying out their gardens wit! 
fine effect and beautifving them wit] 
shrubs that are calculated to thrive there 
This induced the company to plant a col 
lection of 250 different types of shrub: 
with names attached and suitable for th( 
soil which prevails at Letchworth. The 
Estate Office h.as also been busy planting 
out a large number of the streets with 
trees. 
-- 
Addison’s Ideal of a Garden.— 
Joseph Addison in tihe “Spectator” (6tl 
September, 1712) describes his ideal of z 
garden a.s follows:—“My flowers,” he 
writes, “grow up in several parts of the 
garden in the greatest lufxuriancy and pro¬ 
fusion. I am so far from being fond of 
any particular one, by reason of its rarity, 
that if I meet with any one in a field which 
pleases me, I give it a place in my garden. 
By this means when a stranger walks with 
me, he is surprised to see several large 
spots of ground covered with ten thousand 
different colours, and has often singled out 
flowers that he might have met with under 
a common hedge, in a field, or in a mea¬ 
dow, as some of the greatest beauties of 
the place.” 
Feed the Plants. 
Harvey’s "Fertilo'’ is to plants what food 
is to the body. “ Fertilo ” is plant food. It 
contains the essential proportions of Nitrogen, 
Potash, and Phosphates, and, acting as a 
fertiliser through the soil, it developes, 
strengthens, and nourishes all plants. Users 
of “Fertilo” confirm our claim, and tell us 
they get healthier and more abundant crops, 
better fruit, and more beautiful blooms than 
before they used it. 
Mr. S. Deakm, Lea Street, Kidderminster , says : 
“ I have found ‘ Fertilo ' most useful for all green¬ 
house plants. I had a tremendous crop of Cucumbers 
where it was used. I have taken First and Second 
Prizes at Shrewsbury, Cheltenham and Bath in 
succession, so that I reckon to know something about 
growing them." 
Hundreds of amateur and professional 
gardeners speak just as enthusiastically of 
the wonderful results following the use of 
“Fertilo.” It is cheap and economical in use. 
4lb., is. 4d. ; 71b. , 2s. ; 141b., 3s. ; 281b., 4s. 6d.; 
561b.,8s.; icwt., 15s. If you cannot get Harvey’s 
“ Fertilo” from your local seedsman, we will 
send it carriage paid.—J. P. Harvey & Co., 
Dept. 6, Kidderminster. 
