2LS 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  1 6,  899. 
as  well  as  api)earan' e,  we  have  a  happy  illustration  of  the  litness  of 
things  to  a  purpose. 
'i’he  iine-folirtged  Anthuriuins,  not  so  often  seen  as  of  yore, 
permit  of  little  laxity  in  the  way  of  temperature.  Strictly  stove 
plants  and  fairly  revelling  in  a  kind  of  Sierra  Leone  heat  and 
humidity,  they  reijuire  a  tropical  house  to  develop  their  beauty.  Here, 
however,  they  are  grand  objects,  more  especially  if  planted  in  a  rock- 
pocket  upon  some  vantage  point.  There  are  few  finer  objects  than 
a  well-grown  ])lant  of  the  more  recently  introduced  Antburium  Yeitchi ; 
and  although  the  planting  out  process  of  so  choice  a  pilant  may  com¬ 
mend  itself  to  few,  the  cork-covered  tub  appears  to  be  infinitely  pre¬ 
ferable  to  pot  culture.  This  plant,  nevertheless,  is  well  able  to  conceal, 
with  its  long  Zulu  shield-like  leaves,  any  receptable  it  may  be  grown 
in.  If  memory  serves  me  rightly,  a  plant  in  its  prime  at  Straffan 
House,  Kildare,  had  thirty  leaves,  the  later  developed  one  being  5^  feet 
in  length.  A  fine,  bold  habited  rambler  is  the  great  Passion  flower, 
P.  quadrangularis,  and  quite  worthy  of  inclusion  in  this  category. 
Giants  of  the  Fern  tribe  appear  to  be  of  too  distinguished  an 
order  of  merit  not  to  have  their  claims  separately  considered,  hence 
but  a  passing  thought  is  given  to  them  here;  or  is  it  desirable  to 
enumerate  a  host  of  interesting  and  beautiful  foliage  plants  generally 
well  known  and  frequently  seen?  Some  gardens  there  are  which  seem 
almost  to  suffer  from  an  emharras  des  riches  in  this  direction — viz., 
(  vercrowding  being  detrimental  to  the  best  effect  From  a  botanical 
jioint  of  view,  or  from  a  gardening  point  of  view,  it  is  good  so  far  as 
it  goes,  but  it  seldom  goes  far  enough  to  reach  what  many  aim  at,  and 
not  a  few  miss.  Nature  is  the  great  teacher,  and  inculcates  few  finer 
le.^sons  than  where,  with  some  bits  of  half-draped  rock  and  a  few 
noble  foliaged  plants,  she  has  “  allured  to  brighter  worlds  and  led  the 
way.” — K.,  Dublin. 
PLANTING  POTATOES. 
The  spell  of  frosty  weather  lately  experienced  has  in  a  great 
measure  pulverised  the  surface  of  previously  broken  up  land,  and  left 
it  in  a  condition,  when  sufficiently  dried  by  sun  and  wind,  for  readily 
receiving  the  tubers  of  Potatoes.  Heavy  land  is  much  benefited  by 
frost,  as  nothing  tends  to  break  down  the  adherent  particles  so  much. 
After  the  frost  has  passed  away,  and  drying  winds  have  extracted  the 
moisture  which  causes  the  sticky  condition  following  frost,  the  land 
may  with  advantage  be  forked  over,  so  as  to  bring  it  into  a  still  more 
friable  condition.  Soil  in  a  lum(>y  state  is  not  conducive  to  a  good 
start,  either  with  roots  or  seeds,  and  time  spent  in  thoroughly 
creaking  it  down  adds  greatly  to  ease  in  planting,  as  well  as  subse¬ 
quent  success  with  the  crop. 
The  earliest  crops  of  Potatoes  with  outside  culture  are  best  grown 
on  warm  sheltered  borders,  where  the  soil  is  light  and  triable  and 
readily  warmed  by  the  sun.  Such  soil,  if  deeply  cultivated  and 
enriched  a  few  weeks  before  with  a  fair  amount  of  decomposed  manure 
and  light  sandy  potting  soil,  will  retain  moisture  enough  to  carry  the 
crop  to  an  advanced  stage,  and  with  the  aid  of  natural  moisture, 
which  may  reasonably  be  expected,  a  good  crop  of  tubers  will  be  dug 
in  June.  For  this  crop  the  Ashleaf  or  kidney  varieties  are  the  best. 
Their  growth  may  be  materially  forwarded  by  sprouting  the 
tubers  before  planting.  This  is  effected  by  placing  the  tubers,  rose 
etid  upwards,  in  shallow  boxes  set  close  to  the  glass  in  a  cool  house. 
If  this  is  done,  a  delay  of  a  week  or  two  in  planting  will  be  of  little 
consequence,  as  care  in  planting  will  soon  be  rewarded  in  seeing 
growths  above  the  soil.  Plant  4  inches  deep,  in  drills  2  feet  apart, 
and  the  sets  a  foot  distance.  Attention  must  be  given  to  protect  from 
frost,  as  the  growths  are  susceptible  to  injury  when  May  frosts  occur. 
Dry  litter  spread  over  them  each  night  when  frost  is  imminent  is 
]ierhaps  the  best  protection.  As  soon  as  high  enough  soil  should  be 
drawn  to  them. 
Succe.ssional  tubers  ought  to  be  planted  in  a  similar  position,  or 
failing  that,  in  the  open  quarters  where  the  ground  is  in  exceptionally 
good  tilth.  Although  not  of  deep  rooting  habit  Potatoes  seem  to 
succeed  better  where  the  soil  is  deep  rather  than  shallow.  Shallow 
soil  cannot  long  retain  moisture,  while  deeper  soil  does,  and  also  draws 
fresh  supplies  from  the  subsoil  as  that  at  the  surface  evaporates  or  is 
exhausted  by  the  needs  of  crops. 
Drilling  is  the  best  method  of  planting  Potatoes.  Draw  the  drills 
4  to  6  inches  deep,  and  at  the  required  distance  needed  by  the  variety. 
The  early  kidney  varieties  do  well  in  rows  2  feet  apart.  Stronger 
growing  varieties  should  be  placed  2  feet  6  inches  to  3  feet  from  row 
to  row.  Drills  which  cannot  readily  be  formed  with  the  hoe  should 
be  cut  with  the  spade.  The  use  of  the  dibber  for  planting  Potatoes 
is  not  to  be  recommended.  The  sets  are  liable  to  be  suspended  in  the 
Loles,  which  vary  in  depth  if  not  carefully  formed. 
Medium-sized  whole  tubers  are  much  to  be  preferred.  If  large 
sets  are  cut  a  lew  good  eyes  must  be  retained  to  each  section.  Before 
planting  allow  the  cut  parts  to  dry,  dusting  them  with  a  little  lime. 
The  whole  of  March  and  the  first  part  of  April  include  the  best 
times  tor  Potato  planting.  Choose  periods  when  the  soil  is  dry  on- 
the  surface,  so  that  the  ground  is  not  made  into  a  pasty  condition  by 
trampling  on  it  when  wet.  In  a  dry  state  no  harm  whatever 
accrues  from  treading  the  soil,  which  if  light  is  all  the  better  for  being 
firmed. — E.  D.  S. 
TOMATO  CULTURE. 
{Continued  from  page  92.) 
W HEN  the  young  plants  are  grown  with  abundance  of  syjace  at  all- 
stages,  they  form  a  sturdy  base,  close-jointed  stems,  well -developed 
leaves,  and  push  laterals  or  axillary  growths,  so-called  side  shoots.  In 
ordinary  practice  it  is  advised  to  remove  the  side  shoots  as  they  ap|)ear, 
in  order  “  to  direct  the  nourishment  to  the  formation  and  maturation 
of  the  crop,  instead  of  being  expended,  as  it  often  is,  in  making  super¬ 
fluous  growth.” — (Macintosh’s  “  Practical  Gardener.’’)  On  this  point 
there  can  be  no  que.stion  as  to  its  advisability  after  the  first  trusses  of 
flowers  are  formed  and  the  fruits  are  set ;  but  I  am  not  at  all  convinced 
of  its  propriety  until  the  plant  shows  for  fruit  formation. 
If  the  plants  are  not  required  for  trellises  I  think  it  is  advisable  to 
allow  the  side  shoots  to  spring,  and,  unless  very  strong,  remain  until  the 
first  trusses  for  fruit  appear.  This  secures  a  stout  base,  any  laterals 
showing  undue  vigour  being  shortened  to  the  joint  nearest  the  stem. 
When  the  plant  shows  for  fruit  side  growths  may  be  closely  rubbed 
out,  thus  directing  the  nourishment  “  to  the  formation  and  maturation 
of  the  crop.” 
The  Tomato,  like  the  Potato,  will  grow  in  almost  any  medium. 
It  appears  to  appreciate  alluvial  soils,  and  to  detest  heavy  and  wet  land. 
The  top  2  or  3  inches  of  pasture  land,  with  its  turf,  unquestionably  grows 
the  healthiest  plants,  with  the  heaviest  and  cleanest  produce.  For 
enriching  the  turf,  usually  stacked  until  the  herbage  has  been  reduced, 
nothing  answers  better  than  stable  or  farmyard  manure.  The  amount 
to  be  used  depends,  as  well  as  the  form,  upon  the  nature  of  the  soil. 
For  light  loam  cow  manure  is  preferred,  as  it  is  cool  and  moisture¬ 
holding,  also  closer  in  texture  than  other  animal  manures.  Of  it  not 
more  than  one  third  should  be  added  to  the  loam.  Medium  textured 
loams  neither  light  nor  heavy,  will  be  sufficiently  enriched  by  the 
addition  of  one-fourth  of  good  farmyard  manure,  as  they  generally 
contain  a  considerable  amount  of  organic  matter.  For  strong  loan> 
horse  or  stable  manure  proves  most  suitable,  not  adding  more  than 
one-third. 
The  proportions  may  be  varied  according  to  the  character  of  the 
loam,  always  having  the  manure  at  least  half  decayed,  as  it  will  then 
have  heated,  and  be  more  or  less  freed  from  vegetable  and  animal 
pests.  In  olden  time  the  manure  was  used  comparatively  fresh, 
placing  it  between  the  layers  of  turf  in  stacking  in  about  the  amounts 
quoted.  Thus  the  whole  mellowed  together  and  formed  an  excellent 
blend.  The  practice  hardly  commends  itself  to  present  day  require¬ 
ments,  especially  in  growing  for  market.  The  latter  grower  cannot 
always  command  tnrf,  or  even  allow  it  to  lie  any  considerable  time, 
therefore  mixes  the  manure  with  the  soil  sc>me  little  time  in  advance 
of  planting,  and  often  too  fresh.  This  I  consider  a  mistake,  for  though 
more  may  be  got  out  of  it  in  the  form  of  nitrogen  there  will  be  pro¬ 
portionately  less  available  mineral  matter,  and  the  plants  will  grow 
more  in  the  direction  of  eelworm  and  kindred  ills  than  away  from 
them. 
The  foregoing  suggestions  may  be  useful  to  the  uninitiated,  for  the 
use  of  fresh  manure  mainly  profits  the  plants  by  the  nitrogen,  while 
the  other  elements  come  into  use  too  late  to  be  correspondingly 
beneficial.  It  is  preferable  in  most  instances  to  rely  on  top-dressings 
of  rich  compost  or  manure  and  artificial  fertilisers  or  liquid  manure 
when  the  fruits  commence  swelling  than  to  give  a  very  rich  soil 
previously,  as  this  tends  to  induce  too  vigorous  a  growth  for  pro¬ 
ductiveness.  This,  however,  depends  upon  the  amount  of  compost,, 
its  firmness,  amount  of  light  or  space,  and  management. — G.  Abbey. 
(To  be  continued.) 
A  Hint  About  Fuchsias. — When  attention  is  being  given  to  old 
stock  plants  of  Fuchsias  in  the  way  of  cutting  back  and  potting,  it  is 
well  to  give  heed  to  the  raising  of  young  plants  for  summer  flowering. 
To  meet  the  demand  of  present  day  styles  of  decoration,  small  plants  of 
graceful  habit  are  required,  and  for  this  purpose  Fuchsias  raised  from 
cuttings  in  the  early  spring  are  very  useful.  If  young  growths  from  the 
old  stems  are  broken  off  and  inserted  in  pots  or  boxes  over  a  gentle 
bottom  heat,  they  will  root  readily,  and  in  due  course  may  be  placed  in 
small  pots  and  grown  on  shelves  close  to  the  glass.  Before  getting 
thoroughly  root-bound  remove  them  into  5-inch  pots,  and,  if  necessary,, 
again  into  a  larger  size.  Keep  the  main  stem  growing  and  supported  by 
a  neat  stake.  Side  growths  will  be  emitted  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves, 
and  later  on  the  whole  or  a  portion  of  the  plants  can  be  grown  in  a  cold 
frame.  When  in  full  bloom  these  small  specimens  are  very  effective  and 
I  useful  for  various  forms  of  decoration.— G.  H. 
