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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  15,  1898. 
possible.  It  is  here  necessary  to  add  a  word  of  caution,  which  is 
to  abstain  from  cutting  any  individual  plant  too  severely,  as  this 
has  a  detrimental  effect  on  its  after  life.  If  a  third  of  one  plant  is 
cut  away,  that  will  he  as  far  as  it  is  safe  to  go. 
Boses  of  wood  or  tin  are  best  for  flower  transit,  as  those  of  card¬ 
board  are  liable  to  be  crushed  and  the  contents  damaged.  Wooden 
boxes  should  combine  strength  with  lightness,  and  if  the  outside 
corners  have  a  narrow  strip  of  tin  or  zinc  fastened  to  them  it  will 
conduce  to  the  lasting  qualities.  The  lid  should  be  movable,  and 
ought  to  have  a  narrow  strip  of  wood  across  each  breadth  end,  so  that 
when  placed  it  fits  down  the  inside  of  the  box.  By  this  plan  nailing 
the  lid  becomes  unnecessary.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  lids  of  flower 
boxes  should  not  be  nailed,  but  be  secured  by  strong  string.  When 
several  boxes  are  being  sent,  they  must  be  corded  together  or  packed 
into  a  hamper. 
In  all  cases  boxes  that  will  hold  two  Dyers  of  flowers  will  be 
found  deep  enough,  the  dimensions  of  the  boxes  in  other  respects 
being  in  accordance  with  the  flowers  utilised.  Fragile  flowers,  such 
as  Cattleyas,  Oncidiums,  Phatenopsis,  Odontoglossums,  and  most 
Orchids,  also  Gardenias,  Pancratiums,  Dipladenias,  and  Allamaudas, 
should  be  packed  by  themselves  in  small  boxes  and  in  a  single  layer. 
Many  small  flowers,  like  Violets,  Sweet  Peas,  Snowdrops,  Primroses, 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  Roman  Hyacinths,  double  Primula,  Freesias,  blue 
Cornflowers,  and  several  annuals  are  better  tied  into  small  bunches. 
They  travel  well,  and  are  also  conveniently  unpacked.  In  packing 
flowers,  cotton  wool  should  be  carefully  guarded  from  coming  into 
contact  with  the  flowers.  Where  it  is  used  to  line  the  box  or  placed 
over  the  contents,  tissue  paper  should  come  between  it  and  the 
flowers.  It  has  a  very  drying  tendency  on  fragile  flowers. 
Those  receiving  flowers  should  take  the  precaution  to  cut  a  small 
portion  from  the  end  of  the  stems  before  placing  in  water,  so  that  the 
flower  can  suck  up  water  to  retain  its  freshness  and  beauty.  Flowers 
having  a  woody  stem  ought  to  have  a  strip  of  bark  removed  to  enable 
them  to  take  up  the  water.  But  branches  of  flowering  shrubs  cannot 
be  expected  to  remain  fresh  long  under  any  conditions.  Rain  water, 
when  obtainable,  is  best  both  for  the  flowers  and  the  glasses.  Some 
waters  that  are  impregnated  with  lime  encrust  the  glass  to  a  certain 
extent,  but  a  little  salt  will  remove  this,  and  a  pinch  of  salt  is  some¬ 
times  recommended  to  retain  the  freshness  of  flowers  be}  ond  the 
usual  time ;  a  piece  of  charcoal  to  keep  the  water  fresh  is  also  some¬ 
times  used  where  time  is  pressing. 
It  would  seem  to  be  unnecessary  to  say  that  fresh  water  should 
be  given  the  flowers  every  two  or  three  days,  and  it  will  be  found 
that  most  flowers  imbibe  a  considerable  quantity  the  first  day  after 
being  cut.  Moss  is  sometimes  placed  in  wide  and  shallow  bowls  to 
keep  the  flowers  in  position.  If  such  is  used  it  should  be  sphagnum, 
and  not  the  hypnum  moss,  as  the  latter  when  left  a  day  or  two 
frequently  gives  off  a  disagreeable  smell.  In  arranging  flowers  in 
vases  or  glasses  a  stiff  and  rigid  outline  is  to  be  avoided,  no  looseness, 
and  no  packing,  just  sufficient,  and  no  more,  so  that  each  individual 
flower  and  leaf  has  its  own  allotted  space.  One  way  of  accomplishing 
this  is  to  fill  the  receptacles  with  water,  so  as  to  obviate  the  pushing 
of  the  flower  stems  too  far  down,  particularly  in  the  case  of  tall  or 
narrrow  glasses.  Leaves  should  be  removed  from  those  portions  of 
the  stems  that  are  placed  in  water. — F.  Street. 
VEGETABLES  FOR  HOME  AND  EXHIBITION. 
Potatoes. 
As  the  harvest  time  of  the  precious  tuber  is  now  here,  it  seems 
opportune  for  referring  to  Potatoes  in  the  series  of  articles  now  drawing 
to  a  close.  There  is  no  need  to  dwell  on  the  popularity  or  usefulness 
of  the  vegetable,  and  indeed  so  much  has  been  written  about  its 
culture  that  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  going  over  ground  already  traversed 
by  many  an  able  pen.  One  word  respecting  its  progress.  Most 
readers  of  this  Journal  are  acquainted  with  the  story  of  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  bringing  home  the  two  plants  destined  to  be  so  closely 
connected  with  the  requirements  of  Englishmen — viz.,  the  Potato  anil 
the  Tobacco  plant.  Speaking  of  the  latter  in  his  famous  “  Westward 
Ho!”  Charles  Kingsley  says,  “There  is  no  herb  like  it  under  the 
canopy  of  heaven  ;  ”  and  if  he  had  added  similar  words  respecting  the 
former  as  a  vegetable  there  would  be  few  to  disagree  with  him. 
How  great  and  manifold  have  been  the  changes  since  those  times, 
when  we  are  told  the  utmost  difficulty  was  experienced  in  getting 
people  to  eat  Potatoes  !  Compare  the  tubers  of  Gerarde’s  day  with 
the  splendid  specimens  of  our  own  time,  and  note  what  cultivation 
has  done  for  the  Potato.  Still  we  owe  much  to  those  grand  old 
gardeners  who  could,  or  fancied  they  could,  see  a  future  before  the 
novelty  from  the  New  World,  and  grew  it  in  spite  of  opposition. 
One  might  fill  pages  in  writing  the  history  of  the  Potato,  and  yet 
had  it  not  been  for  the  tenacity  of  purpose  with  which  the  early 
growers  stuck  to  their  task  there  might  have  been  little  history  to 
give.  Though  the  public  is  generally  a  long  time  to  appreciate  the 
benefits  of  a  new  product,  when  once  its  worth  is  proved  its  popularity 
is  assured.  So  with  the  Potato,  v  hich  since  gaining  a  firm  footing 
has  never  looked  back,  and  though  in  times  of  disease  dark  clouds 
have  hovered  over  its  fortunes  its  worth  has  prevailed,  and  never  in 
the  history  of  the  tuber  has  its  popularity  been  greater  or  its  general 
qualities  better  than  at  the  present  time. 
At  the  outset  of  Potato  cultivation  in  this  country  it  seems  likely 
that  more  than  one  stock  was  available,  or  it  would  probably  have 
died  out  through  in-breeding.  During  the  present  generation  so  much 
attention  has  been  given  to  the  raising  of  new  varieties  that  in  size, 
appearance,  and  quality  Potatoes  have  made  greater  progress  than 
during  the  whole  of  their  previous  history.  The  deterioration  of 
varieties  is,  I  think,  generally  admitted,  though  there  are  those  who 
are  not  of  this  opinion,  and  hold  arguments  to  the  contrary.  The 
evidence,  however,  is  overwhelming,  as  it  requires  but  little  exercise 
of  the  memory  to  recall  the  names  of  varieties  that  made  sensations 
in  their  day,  but  have  long  since  dropped  from  the  ranks,  and  are 
never  heard  of  now.  As  a  case  in  point  take  that  once  splendid 
variety,  Magnum  Bonum.  Perhaps  no  other  ever  attained  such  well 
deserved  popularity;  but  in  time  its  virtues  began  to  decline. 
Growers  who  had  been  loud  in  its  praises  found  fault  with  it,  and 
tried  others  of  more  recent  introduction,  till  now,  though  the  once 
famous  Potato  is  still  cultivated,  it  does  not  rank  among  the  best,  and 
in  time  will  be  only  a  memory. 
There  is  something  to  be  said  about  the  selection  of  varieties. 
Much  has  been  done  by  horticultural  shows  in  encouraging  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  vegetables  generally,  and  the  Potato  is  no  exception.  In 
the  case  of  these,  however,  prizes  often  go  to  tubers  that  have  only 
good  appearance  to  recommend  them,  and  varieties  possessing  good 
bearing  and  cooking  qualities  are  passed  over  in  their  favour.  In 
order  to  check  this  it  would  be  a  good  thing  if  schedules  stated  that 
every  variety  shown  must  be  correctly  named,  and  the  all-round 
qualities  of  the  Potatoes  exhibited  should  be  taken  into  consideration 
in  making  the  awards.  Visitors  in  going  round  look  at  dish  after 
dish  of  Potatoes  without  being  much  the  wiser,  whereas  if  each  one 
was  named  it  would  act  as  a  means  of  guidance  to  the  uninitiated  in 
choosing  sorts  for  cultivation. 
With  some  new  varieties,  Up-to-Date,  for  instance,  the  vigorous 
top-growth  is  sometimes  objected  to,  but  it  is  a  virtue  rather  than  a 
failing.  All  varieties  become  weakened  in  course  of  time,  and  an 
excess  of  robustness  is  better  than  lack  of  it,  for  without  vigour  the 
yield  cannot  be  large,  and  the  variety  more  readily  succumbs  to 
disease.  In  choosing  varieties  quality  is  an  important  matter,  and 
should  be  one  of  the  first  points  to  consider  ;  but  here  we  come  in 
contact  with  a  difficulty.  A  variety  in  one  district  may  be  tried  and 
discarded  as  inferior,  whereas  on  another  soil  its  eating  qualities  are 
perfectly  satisfactory.  The  only  reliable  means,  therefore,  of  proving 
the  worth  of  any  apparently  promising  Potato  is  to  give  it  a  trial. 
There  are  some  well-known  standard  sorts,  however,  that  appear  to  be 
good  on  all  classes  of  soil,  and  in  the  absence  of  any  means  of  trial  it 
is  best  to  rely  on  these  for  the  main  supplies.  No  matter  how  prolific 
a  variety  may  be,  if  it  lacks  quality  it  cannot  meet  present  day 
requirements,  and  Potato  dealers  have  found  out  that  the  demand  for 
“  good  eaters  ”  is  increasing. 
Passing  to  cultivation  for  the  earliest  crop  of  outdoor  Potatoes,  a 
plot  of  free  working  ground  on  a  warm  site  should  be  selected.  A 
liberal  allowance  of  decayed  manure,  with  the  addition  of  leaf  mould, 
old  potting  soil,  and  sandy  refuse,  spread  on  the  surface  and  worked 
in,  is  found  to  he  advantageous.  Assuming  the  sets  have  been  well 
prepared  in  boxes,  the  first  or  second  week  in  March  is  a  suitable  time 
for  planting,  provided  the  soil  is  friable ;  if  wet  and  adhesive  it  is 
better  to  wait  a  week  or  two  longer.  If  the  sets  are  placed  about  a 
foot  apart  in  rows  2  feet  asunder,  and  covered  with  4  or  5  inches  of 
fine  soil,  there  is  little  more  to  be  done  till  growth  appears.  Late 
spring  frosts  are  always  dreaded,  and  rough  protective  material  should 
also  be  kept  handy  in  case  of  need.  Earthing  must  be  done  as  growth 
proceeds,  and  by  close  attention  to  simple  details  the  cultivator 
will  have  done  his  best  in  obtaining  new  Potatoes  in  June  that  will  be 
very  acceptable  in  the  dining  room. 
Speaking  of  early  varieties,  the  Ashleaf  type  must  always  be  placed 
among  the  foremost.  There  are  many  selections.  \  Veitch’s  Improved 
