December  15, 1898.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
whether  letters  referring  to  the  fruit  are  sent  by  post  or  not.  The 
names  are  not  necessarily  required  for  publication,  initials  sufficing  for 
that.  Only  six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  any  beyond  that 
number  cannot  be  preserved.  They  should  be  sent  on  the  first  indication  oj 
change  towards  ripening.  Dessert  Pears  cannot  be  named  in  a  hard  green  state. 
(Z).  F.). — Pear,  Easter  Beurr6;  Apple,  Goluen  Winter  Pearmain.  ( G.M.Y 
— 1,  Rymer  ;  2,  Waltham  Abbey  Seedling  ;  3,  Royal  Russet  ;  4,  Adam’s 
Pearmain  ;  5,  Golden  Reinette  ;  6,  Dredge’s  Fame.  (5.  S.  P.). — 1, 
Round  Winter  Nonesuch  ;  2,  Sturmer  Pippin  ;  3,  Alfriston  ;  4,  Warner’s 
King  ;  5,  Bramley’s  Seedling.  ((?.  H.  F.). — 1,  Catillac  ;  2,  Uvedale’s  St. 
Germain  ;  3,  Yicar  of  Winkfield.  (Z7.  J.  R.). — 1,  Kentish  Fillbasket ;  2, 
Cornish  Gilliflower  ;  3.  Hoary  Morning  ;  4,  Mannington’s  Pearmain  ;  5, 
New  Hawthornden  ;  6,  Golden  Noble.  (G.  A.  J.'). — 1,  Lane’s  Prince 
Albert ;  2,  Dumelow’s  Seedling ;  3,  Cox’s  Pomona ;  4,  Roundway 
Magnum  Bonum  ;  5,  Lord  Derby  ;  6,  Blenheim  Pippin.  (R.  M.). — 1, 
Cox’s  Orange  Pippin  ;  2,  King  of  the  Pippins  ;  3,  Cockle’s  Pippin. 
( W.  T.). — 1,  Possibly  a  rough  fruit  of  Lemon  Pippin  ;  2,  Rosemary 
Russet. 
Names  of  Plants. — We  only  undertake  to  name  species  of  cultivated 
plants,  not  wild  flowers,  or  varieties  that  have  originated  from  seeds  and 
termed  florists’  flowers.  Flowering  specimens  are  necessary  of  flowering 
plants,  and  Fern  fronds  should  bear  spores.  Specimens  should  arrive  in 
a  fresh  state  in  securely  tied  firm  boxes.  Thin  paper  boxes  arrive  in  a 
flattened  state.  Slightly  damp  moss,  soft  green  grass,  or  leaves  form  the 
best  packing,  dry  wool  or  paper  the  worst.  Those  arrive  in  the  best 
condition  that  are  so  closely  or  firmly  packed  in  soft  green  fresh  grass,  as 
to  remain  unmoved  by  shaking.  No  specimens  should  be  sent  to  rest  in 
the  post  office  over  Sunday,  on  which  day  there  is  no  delivery  of  postal 
matter  in  London.  Specimens  in  partially  filled  boxes  are  invariably 
injured  or  spoiled  by  being  dashed  to  and  fro  in  transit.  Not  more  than 
six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  the  numbers  should  be  visible 
without  untying  the  ligatures,  it  being  often  difficult  to  separate  them 
when  the  paper  is  damp.  ( W.  E.). — 1,  Nephrolepis  davallioides  ;  2, 
Adiantum  assimlle  ;  3,  Microlepia  hirta  cristata;  4,  Adiantum  pubescens. 
(P.  C.). — 1,  A  good  form  of  Cypripedium  insigne  ;  2,  Oncidium  Barcodes  ; 
3,  Woodwardia  radicans.  (if.  J.  B.). — 1,  Eranthemum  pulchellum  ; 
2,  Eu-'nymus  europaeu?,  the  Spindle  Tree  ;  3,  Cupressus  Lawsoniana  ; 
4,  Polystichum  aculeatum  lobatum  ;  5,  Adiantum  cuneatum  grandiceps  ; 
6,  Lastrea  setigerum. 
TRIALS  OF  FIELD  POTATOES. 
The  Cheshire  County  Council,  having  founded  an  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  School  at  Holmes  Chapel,  has  been  wise  enough  to 
organise  a  series  of  experiments  in  connection  with  and  under  the 
supervision  of  the  same,  and  seeing  that  Cheshire  takes  a  prominent 
place  in  the  production  of  the  Potato,  and  is  also  near  to  large  centres 
of  consumption  of  that  vegetable,  it  is  but  natural  that  they  have  put 
the  cultivation  of  it  in  a  prominent  place  at  their  experimental  farm. 
By  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Gordon,  the  Superintendent  of  the  School, 
we  have  been  favoured  with  a  copy  of  the  report  on  the  Potato  experi¬ 
ments,  and  we  are  so  much  impressed  with  their  thorough  and  com¬ 
prehensive  nature,  that  we  are  convinced  the  results  are  worthy  of 
being  very  widely  disseminated.  This  is  the  third  successive  year  of 
these  experiments,  and  the  objects  in  viow  have  been: — 
I,  To  test  the  productiveness,  character,  and  quality  of  a  con¬ 
siderable  number  of  varieties,  especially  new  ones,  a  small  quantity  of 
each  being  planted. 
II,  To  show  more  thoroughly  on  a  large  scale  the  characteristics, 
yield,  and  cooking  qualities  of  those  varieties  which  gave  the  best 
results  in  the  previous  year’s  trials. 
III,  To  test  whole  sets  versus  cut  sets. 
IV,  To  try  the  effect  of  sets  of  different  sizes. 
Y,  To  see  if  artificial  manures  have  much  effect  upon  the  yield 
when  applied  with  farmyard  manure;  also  to  try  the  effect  of 
different  nitrogenous  and  potassic  manures. 
\  I,  To  mark  the  effects  of  disease  on  different  varieties,  and  the 
results  of  spraying  as  a  remedy. 
The  field  in  which  the  experiments  were  tried  is  loam,  and  a  crop 
of  unmanured  Oats  was  taken  the  previous  year,  but  as  it  had  been 
in  grass  for  eighty  years  there  was  a  lvrce  residuum^  of  decomposed 
467 
sod  and  organic  matter  still  available,  so  that  it  could  hardly  be  con¬ 
sidered  in  an  ordinary  state,  but  in  a  highly  rich  condition  especially 
as  regards  nitrogen. 
This  is  proved  by  an  analysis  of  the  soil,  which  show’s  a  percentage 
of  8’27  of  organic  matter,  equal  to  0'50  per  cent,  of  ammonia.  As  an 
average  soil  would  not  contain  more  than  0-30  per  cent,  of  ammonia 
the  relative  richness  of  one  containing  0'50  per  cent,  must  be  fully 
considered  when  calculating  the  results.  The  proportions  of  potash 
(0*42)  and  phosphoric  acid  (021)  are  also  much  above  the  average, 
so  that  in  looking  at  the  results  of  these  experiments  we  must  rate 
the  conditions  for  producing  heavy  crops  as  being  most  favourable. 
On  such  a  soil  as  this,  with  the  assistance  of  fifteen  loads  per  acre 
of  manure  as  well  as  a  fair  dressing  of  artificials,  the  Potato  that 
would  not  produce  a  decent  crop  can  hardly  be  worth  a  name,  and  the 
well-named  and  recommended  varieties  here  put  to  the  test  naturally 
produced  all-round  crops  much  above  the  average. 
We  subjoin  list  of  produce  of  most  of  the  leading  varieties,  at  any 
rate  of  those  best  worth  recording.  The  following  were  tested  in 
large  plots : — 
Total 
Variety. 
Small. 
Diseased  per  acre. 
T.  cwt. 
qr. 
T 
cwt.  qr.  T.  cwt.  qr. 
1st  Early. — Early  Beauty  . 
0 
16 
1 
... 
0 
3 
2  ...  11  1 
0 
,,  Hough  Favourite . 
0 
14 
1 
... 
Nil 
...  11  2 
3 
,,  Snowdrop . 
0 
11 
2 
... 
Nil 
...  11  5 
1 
,,  Red  Elephant  . 
0 
18 
0 
... 
Nil 
...  12  3 
0 
„  Early  Market  Favourite  ... 
0 
17 
Q 
u 
... 
0 
2 
0  ...  14  0 
1 
,,  Hough  Champion . 
1 
17 
3 
... 
Nil 
...  15  8 
0 
„  Challenge . 
0 
15 
2 
•  •• 
0 
9 
0  ...  17  1 
2 
2nd  Early. — Sutton’s  Epicure . 
0 
11 
0 
Nil 
...  14  5 
3 
,,  British  Queen  . 
0  17 
2 
... 
0 
8 
1  ...  18  11 
1 
Late.  —  Maincrop . 
0 
10 
2 
... 
0 
1 
0  ...  13  2 
3 
,,  Cheshire  Delight . 
0 
12 
3 
... 
Nil 
...  13  13 
1 
,,  Hough  Abundance 
0 
7 
2 
•  •• 
Nil 
...  14  1 
1 
„  Good  Hope -. . 
0 
8 
2 
... 
Nil 
...  14  11 
2 
,,  Lady  Ward . 
0 
14 
3 
... 
Nil 
.  .  15  4 
1 
,,  Sutton’s  Reliance . 
0 
14 
0 
... 
Nil 
...  15  7 
0 
,,  County  Councillor 
0 
7 
0 
... 
Nil 
...  15  9 
0 
„  Dickson’s  Grand  Monarch 
0 
9 
2 
... 
Nil 
...  16  12 
2 
,,  Hough  Giants  . 
0 
5 
3 
•  •• 
0 
1 
2  ...  20  4 
0 
,,  Up-to-Date . 
0 
15 
3 
... 
0 
1 
3  ...  21  3 
1 
There  is  nothing  very  startling 
in 
the  above  figures,  for  though 
the  gross  results  are  much  in  favour  of  the  later  varieties,  the 
difference  i3  hardly  as  great  in  some  cases  as  we  should  have 
expected,  and  we  fancy  that  on  soil  in  an  ordinary  state  of  culti¬ 
vation,  vigorous  kinds,  such  as  the  Up-to-Date,  would  have  shown 
greater  superiority  to  such  as  British  Queen  or  Challenge.  But  it 
is  hardly  fair  to  compare  early  and  second  early  Potatoes  with  late 
ones,  and  at  any  rate  the  above  three  were  all  proved  to  be  excellent 
in  their  respective  classes. 
One  hundred  and  thirteen  varieties  were  also  tried  on  a  small 
scale,  7  lbs.  of  each  being  planted.  Many  of  them,  especially  the 
early  ones,  proved  to  be  of  little  value,  but  the  results  with  regard  to 
the  sorts  already  mentioned,  fully  bore  out  those  of  the  larger  trials  ; 
but  although  Challenge  held  its  own  as  being  the  best  first  early,  both 
British  Queen  and  Up-to-Date  found  heavier  cropping  rivals,  British 
Queen  being  beaten  by  Fidler’s  Queen  (first),  British  Lion  (second), 
Daniels’  Special  (third),  and  Kerr’s  Professor,  whilst  Up-to-Date  had 
to  give  way  to  Scottish  Triumph  and  Kerr’s  General  Roberts. 
Scottish  Triumph  was  the  heaviest  crop  of  all,  though  slightly 
touched  with  disease. 
There  is  one  point  about  these  experiments  that  strikes  us,  and 
suggests  a  further  test.  All  the  varieties  seem  to  have  been  lifted 
when  fully  ripe,  and  this  may  mislead  one  as  to  the  true  value  of  the 
earlier  kinds  which  are  required  for  market  long  before  they  are  ripe. 
It  would  be  both  interesting  and  instructive  to  have  records  of  weekly 
or  fortnightly  liftings  of  portions  off  the  plots  of  these  sorts. 
The  trials  of  whole  sets  versus  cut  sots  produced  what  was  practi¬ 
cally  a  tie  for  three  trials,  ended  in  favour  of  one  and  three  in  favour 
of  the  other ;  but  cutsets  produced  fewer  chats  and  larger  saleable 
Potatoes. 
The  trials  with  di  ferent  sizes  of  seed  proved  most  conclusively 
