320 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  14,  1898. 
course  of  the  summer,  early  spring  propagation  being  practised,  thus 
forming  a  good  foundation  for  the  future  trellis-trained  plant. 
In  the  case  of  plants  intended  for  training  up  rafters  or  over  roof 
trellises  do  not  pinch  the  leader,  and  if  this  divides  select  the  best 
shoot,  cutting  the  other  away ;  also  pinch  side  growths  at  the  first 
joint,  or  rub  them  off  whilst  quite  young.  This  will  throw  the 
vigour  into  the  one  shoot,  and  the  leaves  being  retained  it  will  become 
stout  and  pushed  forward.  Provide  a  stake  if  necessary  for  support. 
Shift  into  larger  pots  as  the  roots  fill  the  respective  ones,  and  v/hen  the 
plant  has  the  stem  required  pinch  out  the  point  of  the  shoot.  This 
will  give  the  foundation  growths  for  covering  the  trellis,  these  being 
from  time  to  time  stopped  to  secure  an  even  basal  formation.  Grafting 
is  done  in  the  spring,  using  ripened  wood  as  scions,  operating  by  whip 
grafting,  and  covering  the  wounds  with  grafting  wax.  The  stock  may 
be  any  free-growing  variety  easily  raised  from  cuttings. 
Compost. 
The  plants  succeed  well  after  first  being  well  rooted  in  a  mixture 
of  three  parts  good  fibrous  loam,  and  a  part  each  of  “  nuts  ”  charcoal, 
coarse  river  sand,  and  decayed  cow  manure  or  leaf  mould.  Such, 
thoroughly  incorporated,  answers  either  for  borders  (which  need  not 
be  more  than  3  feet  wide  and  18  inches  deep  over  a  foot  of  drainage) 
or  for  pots.  When  forming  the  border  make  the  compost  firm,  and  in 
potting  the  plants  make  the  fresh  soil  firm  round  the  old  ball, 
loosening  the  sides  of  this  and  removing  some  of  the  old  soil.  Always 
leave  room  in  potting  for  plenty  of  water,  as  the  plants,  when  in 
active  growth,  require  a  liberal  supply,  alternating  once  or  twice  a 
week  with  good  liquid  manure.  After  the  first  year  the  plants 
require  but  one  potting  each  season,  which  should  be  done  soon  after 
the  buds  have  started  to  grow  afresh  in  the  early  spring.  When  the 
plants  are  in  as  large  pots  as  can  be  given,  the  ball  should  be  reduced 
about  one-third  all  round,  and  at  the  bottom,  so  as  to  allow  of  fresh 
compost  under  (with  perfect  drainage)  and  around  the  part  retained, 
this  not  being  deferred  beyond  the  starting  of  the  buds,  and  not  much 
in  advance  of  it.  Plants  in  borders  simply  require  some  of  the  old 
soil  removed,  and  fresh  supplied  in  its  place  each  year. — G.  Abbey. 
(To  be  concluded.) 
BLACKS  IN  POTATOES, 
And  “Blues”  in  the  Raiskbs. 
Boatrace  time  has  come  and  gone,  but  a  bad  attack  of  blues 
surely  remains.  In  reading  the  communication  by  “Experimentalist” 
on  page  276,  I  thought  of  the  unhappy  raisers  who  there  fall  under 
the  lash,  and  sympathised  with  them  in  their  trouble.  The  writer 
of  this  weird  production  wanders  over  the  Potato  fields  of  the  past 
half  century,  smiting  around  him  lustily,  but  when  his  performance 
is  over  I  am  irresistibly  reminded  of  the  terrific  onset  of  Raphael 
Aben-Ezra,  who,  led  on  by  Synesius,  fell  on  the  foe  with  fury,  but 
after  belabouring  half  a  dozen  or  so  without  causing  them  the 
slightest  inconvenience,  found  himself  at  length  with  his  head  beneath 
his  feet  on  the  field  of  battle. 
One  of  the  first  things  that  must  strike  the  discriminating  reader 
is  that  the  writer  of  the  article  on  “  blacks  ”  is  a  master  in  the  art 
of  providing  the  “  open  door.”  He  begins  by  telling  us  that  he  has 
been  familiar  with  the  trouble  for  over  fifty  years,  and  ends  by 
tacking  it  on  to  muriate  of  potash.  (How  much  of  tliis  ingredient 
was  used  in  1844,  by  the  way  ?)  But  between  the  year  named  and 
1898  he  has  likewise  kept  a  watchful  eye  on  larvse,  scorpion  flies, 
and  other  suspicions  characters,  so  that  if  an  unwaiy  critic  challenges 
him  on  the  manure  question,  the  “Experimentalist”  can  fall  with 
righteous  indignation  on  ths  mysterious  but  offeiiding  “fly,”  and 
strakhtway  run  It  in, 
^ow,  while  your  correspondent  is  d«adlng  the  knotty  point  as  to 
whether  the  black  trouble  has  arisen  from  a  “  stab  ”  or  an  “  eye  gone 
blind,”  other  people,  who  are  interested  in  the  larger  question  of  the 
production  of  heavy  crops  of  well-flavoured  Potatoes,  will  be  asking 
themselves  (1)  Whether  there  is  real  ground  for  the  attack  made  on 
modern  sorts  ?  and  (2)  What  substantial  basis  has  been  advanced  for 
condemning  acid  fertilisers  wholesale. 
I  will  deal  first  of  all  with  No.  1.  I  did  not  happen  to  be  born  in 
1844,  but  I  do  happen  to  know  the  three  varieties  which  the  writer 
singles  out  for  special  mention.  What  form  of  Ashleaf,  I  should  like 
to  ask,  has  higher  qualities  than  Webber’s  White  Beauty  ?  The  Old 
Ashleaf  is  its  equal  in  flavour,  but  does  not  yield  more  than  half  the 
crop.  Coming  to  Lapstone,  what  chance  would  that  always  weak  and 
long  since  worn-out  sort  have  with  Duke  of  York  if  both  were  tried 
together  at  the  present  time  ?  Lapstone  was  a  popular  Potato  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  and  if  it  is  not  a  popular  Potato  to-day  it  is  because 
we  have  better — t.e.,  more  suitable  varieties.  Duke  of  York  is  as  fine 
in  flavour  as  Lapstone  was,  as  early,  a  heavier  cropper,  and  of  better 
constitution. 
Coming  to  the  Y^ork  Regent,  I  unhesitatingly  say  that,  good 
as  it  was  at  its  best,  we  have  in  Windsor  Castle  a  variety  not  one 
whit  inferior  in  quality,  and  in  every  way  more  reliable.  Taking 
general  merit  into  account  in  the  case  of  a  late  Potato,  I  should  like  to 
ask,  what  old  sort  approaches  Up-to-Date  ?  It  is  the  modern  Potato 
par  excellence,  having  a  tough  hardy  constitution,  respectable  flavour, 
and  magnificent  cropping  and  disease-resisting  powers.  Let  “  Experi¬ 
mentalist”  experiment  a  little  more,  and  before  he  jumps  at  the 
conclusion  that  Lapstone  and  Y^ork  Regent  have  never  been  equalled, 
try  the  quartette  I  have  named — grand  Potatoes  every  one. 
Y'our  correspondent  raises  the  familiar  bogey  of  injurious  acidity  in 
connection  with  muriate  of  jiotash.  lie  also  attributes  the  “  blacks  ” 
to  it.  To  be  sure  it  slips  out  that  the  villainous  “  blacks  ”  were  there 
just  the  same  when  the  muriate  was  not  used;  but  what  of  that? 
When  you  want  to  establish  a  case  you  need  not  worry  about  such 
trifles  as  consistency  and  recognition  of  plain  facts.  It  is  easier  to  get 
on  without  them.  It  chances,  however,  that  I  have  been  experimenting 
with  Potato  manures  rather  freely  during  the  last  few  years,  and,  will 
you  believe  it  ?  a  muriate  manure  is  the  very  best  I  have  found.  Let 
me  just  give  the  result  of  one  careful  trial,  as  typical  of  the  general 
results. 
The  comparison  was  between  (1)  a  dressing  of  good  farmyard 
manure  at  the  rate  of  four  loads  per  20  rods  (one-eighth  acre). 
(2)  The  same  with  a  mixture  (B)  of  3  lbs.  superphosphate,  I3 
muriate  of  potash,  nitrate  of  soda,  and  1  steamed  boneflour  per 
square  rod. 
(3)  The  same  (farmyard  manure)  with  a  mixture  (C)  of  31  lbs. 
superphosphate,  2  kainit.  and  1|  sulphate  of  ammonia  per  square  rod. 
Not  I  alone,  but  everyone  who  saw  the  plot,  was  struck  with  the 
great  superiority  of  No.  2.  The  ground  was  one  of  a  large  number  of 
allotments  in  a  field,  and  it  was  significant  and  instructive  to  hear 
allottees,  who  scorned  the  very  word  artificial,  begging  to  know  where 
“  that  there  B  stuff  could  be  got.” 
It  seems  to  me  that  “  Experimentalist,”  as  Mr.  Thomson  said  of 
me  a  short  time  back,  confounds  things  that  differ.  His  advice  to 
drain  hollows  is  right  enough,  especially  if  an  outlet  can  be  found  for 
the  water.  I  quite  agree  with  him,  also,  as  to  the  time  in  certain 
cases.  But,  then,  the  advice  on  these  scoi’es  is  equally  applicable 
whether  natural  or  artificial  manures  are  used.  Damp,  water-logged 
land  will  give  bad  Potatoes  just  as  abundantly  when  stable  manure 
is  used  as  avhen  artificials  are  employed.  It  is  not  the  latter  which  do 
the  mischief,  but  the  unsatisfactory  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil. 
Nothing  can  balance  the  latter  evil.  It  must  be  remedied  first  of  all, 
as  experience  has  taught  me  full  well. 
Having  got  the  soil  in  a  sweet  and  friable  state,  let  the  Potato 
grower  try  the  following  briefly  sketched  plan : — Item  1,  work  under 
his  top  .spit  a  moderate  dressing  (25  to  30  loads  per  acre)  of  good 
manure ;  item  2,  apply  7  lbs.  per  rod  of  the  B  (soon  to  be  re-christened 
the  Pea !)  mixture,  preferably  all  except  the  nitrate  in  January,  the 
latter  at  the  first  earthing ;  item  3,  use  seed  not  less  than  2  and  not 
more  than  3  ounces  in  weight;  item  4,  include  in  the  list  of  sorts 
Webber’s  Beauty,  Duke  of  York,  Windsor  Castle,  and  Up-to-Date; 
item  5,  avoid  overcrowding,  especially  with  the  last-named ;  item  6, 
send  the  result  to  the  Journal. — W.  Pea. 
GREEN  VEGETABLES. 
The  present  time  is  that  which  is  best  suited  to  the  sowing  of  most 
kinds  of  seeds  of  the  Brassica  family,  and  an  open  situation  will  produce 
the  best  plants.  There  is  no  comparison  between  plants  thus  raised  and 
those  sown  near  high  walls  and  hedges,  and  all  drawn  in  one  direction 
by  the  shade  and  solar  influences.  Thick  sowing  is  one  of  the  greatest 
evils,  and  must  be  guarded  against  most  carefully  at  all  times.  Such 
choice  varieties  as  Magnum  Bonum,  First  Crop,  and  Autumn  Mammoth 
Cauliflowers  give  the  best  results  when  sown  in  pans  at  whatever  date, 
afterwards  being  pricked  out  on  beds  prepared  by  treading  on  a  hard 
surface  about  4  inches  of  well  decayed  manure,  and  placing  on  this  suffi¬ 
cient  soil  in  which  to  prick  out  the  plants  some  4  inches  apart.  When 
planting  time  arrives  they  are  each  cut  out  in  a  square  piece  with  a  sharp 
knife  and  suffer  no  check,  therefore  good  heads  are  sure  to  follow  in 
rich  soil  if  water  is  given  to  the  plants  until  they  become  established. 
Of  Broccoli,  that  indispensable  and  popular  variety,  Veitch’s  Self- 
protecting,  is  well  worthy  of  the  best  culture,  and  in  a  winter  and 
autumn  like  what  we  have  lately  come  through,  with  Superb  Early  White 
and  Snow’s  Improved  Winter  White  there  has  been  no  lack  of  good 
Broccoli,  Model,  Leamington,  Knight’s  Protecting,  and  Late  Queen 
are  all  desirable  varieties  for  later  supplies.  Improved  White  Sprouting 
or  Purple  Sprouting  are  also  serviceable  where  large  quantities  are 
called  for,  and  one  of  these  should  be  included  in  all  collections.  Of 
Kales,  Curled  Scotch,  of  which  A1  is  a  fine  strain,  Asparagus,  Cottager’s, 
and  others  are  best  sown  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  April.  Rosette 
Colewort,  Tom  Thumb  Savoy,  and  Miniature  Marrow  Cabbage  should  be 
sown  towards  the  end  of  May,  also  early  in  J une,  and  these  small  yet 
excellent  varieties  are  of  the  greatest  use  where  every  foot  of  land  is 
required  to  keep  up  a  supply  of  good  vegetables. — C.  F. 
