January  30,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
99 
'respect  lias  ruined  hosts  of  companies  sound  in  other  respects. 
\es;  light  on  the  matter  is  what  we  want,  and  we  want  it  badly, 
“  Essex.”  Switch  on  the  electric  current  at  full  power,  and  let 
men  from  North,  South,  East,  and  West,  tell  us  something  we 
ought  to  know.  I  am  just  beginning  to  learn,  though  still  an — 
Ignoramus. 
Birds  of  the  Forest. 
The  grand  feeding  ground  of  the  Gold  Crest  is  the  Fir  woods, 
and  no  prettier  scene  in  bird-life  is  that  of  a  Gold  Ch'est  suspended 
back  downwards  from  the  drooping  branchlet  of  a  Spruce  Fir, 
searching  for  insect  food.  And,  again,  what  can  be  more  charm¬ 
ing  than  its  exquisite  nest,  suspending  beneath  a  similar  branch- 
let,  composed,  as  it  invariably  is,  of  moss  and  lichens,  inter¬ 
woven  with  wool,  and  lined  thickly  with  soft  feathers  P  Its 
external  fonn  is  nearly  that  of  a  globe,  with  a  contracted  opening 
at  the  top.  The  eggs  vary  in  number  from  five  to  eight  ;  they 
are  almost  globular,  and  smaller  than  those  of  any  other  British 
bird.  Adverting  to  the  comparative  hardy  nature  of  the  Gold 
Crest,  Gilbert  White  remarked  that,  “The  feeble  little  Golden- 
crowned  Wren,  that  shadoAv  of  a  bird,  braves  the  severest  frosts, 
without  availing  himself  of  houses  or  villages,  to  which  most  of 
our  winter  birds  crowd  in  distressful  seasons,  yet  this  keeps 
aloof  in  fields  and  woods — but  perhaps  this  may  be  the  reason 
why  they  may  often  perish,  and  why  they  are  almost  as  rai'e  as 
any  bird  we  know'.”  The  Hon.  and  Rev.  W.  Herbert  also 
remarks:  “The  Golden-crested_Wren  and  the  common  Brown 
W  ren  are  both  impatient  of  cola,  and,  in  confinement,  the  least 
frost  is  immediately  fatal  to  them.  In  a  wdld  state  they  keep 
themselves  warm  in  the  day,  and  at  night  they  secrete  themselves 
in  places  wdaere  the  frost  cannot  reach  them  numbers,  doubt¬ 
less,  perish  in  severe  w'inters.”  Several  instances  are  recorded  in 
which  large  flocks,  consisting  of  several  hundreds  of  these  birds, 
ha,ve  been  observed  at  once ;  these,  it  is  supposed,  must  have 
migrated  from  higher  latitudes,  and  not  broken  up  into  smaller 
parties  after  their  arrival. — W. 
Rotatioii  of  Crops. 
This  is  a  subject  of  very  great  importance  to  all  gardeners, 
but  it  is  most  difficult  to  carry  out  on  scientific  lines  in  gardens 
where  a  great  portion  of  the  ground  has  to  produce  more  than 
■one  crop  in  a  year.  It  is  also  important  from  a  labour-saving 
point  of  view',  and  a  few  of  my  own  schemes  in  this  direction, 
wdiich  comes  of  necessity,  may  be  of  some  use  to  others  wdthout 
considering  them  in  any  other  w'ay.  In  the  first  place,  I  like 
to  have  crops  that  cannot  be  followed  up  w'ith  any  catch-crop 
in  the  autumn  months  all  together  as  much  as  possible,  so  that 
the  ground  may  be  cleared  at  one  time,  and  got  read,y  early 
for  the  next  crop.  Nothing  can  be  put  into  the  same  ground 
after  the  latest  Peas,  or  the  main  crops  of  Carrots,  Beet, 
Parsnips,  or  Seakale.  These  crops  all  require  to  be  growm  on 
deeply  dug  ground.  In  my  case  the  ground  is  bastard-trenched, 
digging  the  roughest  part  of  the  manure  into  the  bottom  spit. 
Perhaps  the  best  of  all  following  for  these  crops  w'ould  be 
Potatoes.  If  the  land  is  in  good  condition  and  manure  scarce, 
a  fair  crop  may  be  had  without  it.  When  cleared,  throw  it  up 
into  2ft  or  2ft  Gin  ridges,  as  suggested  by  your  correspondent, 
“A.  W.  D.,”  on  page  57.  If  labour  is  scarce,  the  Potatoes  may 
be  planted  between  the  ridges  (first  drawung  a  hoe  along  to 
level  it),  and  then  fork  the  ridges  down  level.  In  the  case  of 
Sharpe’s  Victor  and  Ashleaf  Potatoes,  so  soon  as  they  can  be 
got  off  the  ground,  it  is  filled  up  with  Savoys  and  Coleworts, 
“  Thousand-headed  Kale,”  and  other  winter  Greens,  of  wdiich 
w’e  never  seem  to  get  too  much. 
In  the  case  of  second  early  Potatoes,  the  following  crop  may 
be  winter  Spinach.  A  good  width  of  this  is  generally  useful, 
and  when  it  is  cleared  off  the  follow'ing  summer  wm  plant  the 
ground  with  Broccoli,  putting  the  plants  in  wdth  a  bar,  as  in 
the  case  of  planting  after  Strawberries.  Brassels  Sprouts  in 
light,  loose  soils  may  very  well  be  planted  after  the  latest  crops 
of  Peas  wdthout  digging  further  than  to  loosen  the  surface.  I 
think  Gabbage  for  spring  use  follow'  Onions  better  than  Carrots. 
We  like  to  have  our  main  crop  of  Carrots  in  the  ground  as  late 
as  possible,  and  after  lifting  them  we  do  not  find  our  light 
land  by  any  means  very  firm  after  the  process.  We  like  to 
have  our  early  Cabbage  planted  out  some  time  before  September 
is  out,  and  our  Carrots  remain  in  the  ground  till  November. 
The  Celery  crop  generally  goes  in  after  the  latest  winter 
Greens,  “  Thousand-headed,”  Scotch  Kale,  and  Asparagus  Kale, 
and  Broccoli.  It  is  best  to  bastard-trench,  digging  plenty  of 
manure  into  the  bottom  spit,  and  but  little  in  the  trenches  at  the 
time  of  planting.  Tlie  roots  have  thus  a  wider  field  of  food  supply, 
and  will  be  less  dependent  on  the  wmterpot  than  if  the  trenches 
were  taken  out  on  hard  ground. — R.  I. 
Fallacies. 
On  page  57  notes  are  contributed  about  “Rotation  in  the 
Kitchen  Garden,”  at  the  conclusion  of  which  the  initials  given 
apjiear  us  ■  A.  tV.  D.”  Tlie  wr.ter  must  certainly  be  complimented 
upon  two  points,  viz.,  his  “levity  of  style,”  and  singular  “dis¬ 
regard  for  facts.”  It  is  certainly  a  long  time  since  1  have  read 
an  article  having  so  many  of  tlae  characteristics  of  an  “Irish 
stew'  ” — formed  of  doubtful  constituents.  The  editorial  footnote, 
fortunately,  drew^  attention  to  one  glaring  error  which  any 
gardener  ought  to  be  well  acquainted  w'ith.  8ays  “  A.  W.  H.”  : — 
“  The  Potato  disease,  Peronospora  infestans,  sticks  manfully  by 
that  tuber,  and  will  touch  no  other  vegetable.”  If  “A.  W.  D.” 
had  seen  what  I  saw'  a  few'  years  ago,  viz.,  a  splendid  crop  of 
Tomatoes  in  the  oi>en  air  entirely  destroyed  by  disease  which  first 
started  in  Potatoes  grow'ing  near,  he  could  never  -have  penned 
such  an  inaccuracy.  Neither  would  he  have  required  the 
Editorial  correction  in  regard  to  the  true  name  of  the  disease.  A 
few'  lines  above,  in  the  same  column,  we  ai’e  told  by  the  studious 
“  A.  W.  B.,”  that  “  the  Celery-fly  sw'ears  by  his  favourite  food,  and 
will  have  no  other.”  WhyP  I  thought  the  merest  tyro  in  gar¬ 
dening  knew  what  such  flics  were,  and  are,  as  fond  of  the  leaves 
of  the  white  Marguerite  as  of  Celery,  and  that  they  sometimes 
pi'ey  upon  other  spiecies  of  Chrysanthemum  too.  When  writers 
put  pen  to  paper  for  the  object  of  imparting  knowledge,  surely  it 
is  not  too  much  to  ask  them  to  take  a  reasonable  amount  of 
trouble  to  make  sure  of  their  facts.  This  is  Avhy  I  am  tempted  to 
w'rite  this  brief  note,  although  I  am  only  an — Old  Reader. 
Tomato,  CoronatioD. 
The  above  is  the  name  Messrs.  Webb,  Wordsley,  Stourbridge, 
have  given  to  a  new^  Toanato  they  are  offering  for  the  first  time  this 
year.  I  think  the  term  is  a  most  appropriate  one.  The  w'ord 
will  be  in  everyone’s  mouth  this  season,  and  so  should  the 
Tomato.  In  culture  I  am  quite  familiar  W'ith  all  the  superior 
Tomatoes  introduced  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  and 
I  have  found  none  to  surpass  the  one  under  notice.  When  I  first 
learned  of  its  decidedly  first-rate  properties  I  wrote  Messrs.  Webb 
asking  its  name,  but  it  had  not  one  at  that  time  ;  and  it  is  now' 
from  their  seed  catalogue  of  1902  that  I  learn  of  it,  and  I  am 
glad  that  such  a  fine  Tomato  is  to  bear  such  a  consi^icuous  name. 
It  is  a  robust  grower,  and  superabundantly  prolific.  In  the  latter 
respect  I  have  not  found  one  to  surpass  it.  The  fruits  are  of 
medium  size,  and'  produced  in  clusters  of  from  eight  to  ten,  and 
sometimes  a  dozen.  They  are  slightly  oval  in  shape,  and  a  rich 
red  in  colour.  The  flesh  is  very  firm,  and  the  flavour,  cooked  or 
raw',  excellent.  Whether  grown  in  pots  or  planted  in  beds  it  is 
no  exaggeration  to  describe  it  as  the  most  prolific  of  all  Tomatoes, 
and  I  can  hardly  remember  when  I  met  with  a  new'  vegetable 
which  has  pleased  mo  so  highly.  We  all  know'  that  the  demand 
for  Tomatoes  is  ever  on  the  increase.  Their  culture  is  now  a 
great  industry,  and  new',  or  alleged  vai'ieties  are  plentiful  enough, 
but  I  venture  to  think,  indeed  assert,  that  Coronation  has  a 
distinct  superiority  in  the  i^oints  I  have  named,  which  will  secure 
it  a  foremost  place  in  British  gardens  many  years  after  features 
w'hich  gave  special  pleasure  at  that  function  have  ceased  to  be 
remembered. — An  Old  Hand. 
Potato,  Syon  House  Prolific. 
It  may  be  in  the  recollection  of  some  of  your  readers  that 
some  few'  months  ago  I  drew  attention  to  the  merits  of  this 
excellent  Potato,  w'hile,'just  pi'eviously,  Mr.  A.  Young,  of  Witley 
Court  Gardens,  Stourport,  also  spoke  highly  of  the  same,  and  in 
1897  and  1898  correspondents  in  a  contemporary  testified  in  a 
similar  manner,  and  predicting  for  it  great  popularity,  as 
especially  a  garden  Potato.  Recently  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
practically  demonstrating  its  cooking  quality  by  purchasing  a  few' 
bags  of  it  from  a  Tamw'orth  market  gardener,  and  was  much 
gratified  to  find  it  superior  in  flavour  to  the  Popular  Up-to-Date, 
or  even  of  a  few'  other  good  varieties  such  as  Sutton’s  Abundance, 
British  Queen,  The  Bruce,  and  Imperator.  The  tubers  of  the 
variety  in  question  are  so  similar  to  Up-to-Date  in  shape  and 
size,  but  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  distinguish  them  w'hcn  mixed. 
As  a  disease  resister,  my  Tamw'orth  grower  says  that  so  far  he 
entertains  a  good  opinion  of  its  power,  having  as  yet  never  found 
an  affected  tuber  since  coming  to  grow  it,  w'hilst  such  as  Up-to- 
Date  W'ere  more  or  le.ss  affected.  I  may  add  that  there  is  no 
trace  of  “  earthiness  ”  in  its  flavour.  Regarding  the  “  disease,”  I 
am  informed  that  in  the  Bromsgrove  dkstrict,  in  MMrcestershire, 
ii6cirly  Gvory  sort  of  PotEito  is  GVidoiicin^  ti  considGrciolG  dogroo 
of  tlie  malady,  and  a  variety  new'  to  me,  the  name  of  which  I  now' 
foro-et,  and  which  was  cooked  to-day,  proved  excellent  in  every 
respect,  but  several  of  the  tubers,  when  cut  across,  exhibited  in  a 
marked  degree  traces  of  a  disease  differing  from  the  original  attack 
in  its  appearance,  and  permeating  the  whole  of  the  tuber,  m  a 
spotted-liko  w'ay,  and  hardly  apparent  in  the  skin,  though  it  may 
develope  increasingly  at  a  later  stage. — M  .  G. 
