April  23,  1903. 
357 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
CO  TTA  GE  GA  RDENER. 
Incarvillea  grandiflora.  (Sec  page  363.) 
over  and  over  again,  and  if  growers  would  observe  it  more  we 
should  hear  less  of  disease  and  light  crops.  It  is  natural  to  have 
a  liking  for  some  particular  Potato  that  suits  you,  and  there  is  a 
•reluctance  to  give  it  up.  But  it  must  go  sooiter  or  later,  accordr 
ing  to  the  natural  order  of  things.  It  seems  that  the  existence 
of  any  variety,  no  matter  how  good  it  is,  is  only  limited,  its  time 
being  longer  or  shorter  according  to  its  con.stitution.  In  support 
of  this  contention  I  ask  voii  to  jog  your  memory  and  think  of 
the  names  of  Potatoes  that  once  Avere  household  Avords.  You 
neA’cr  hear  of  them  noAV ;  Avhere  are  they?  Simply  dropped  out 
of  cultivation  like  other  good  A^arieties  that  preceded  them,  and 
as  our  present  family  of  high-class  varieties  Avill  do  in  course  of 
time.  This  experience  proves  the  AA’isdom  of  keeping  abreast  of 
die  times  in  regard  to  A^arieties.  There  must  be  no  sentiment 
Viola  cucullata. 
The  Marsh  Blue  Violet,  as  Viola  cucidlata  is 
called  in  its  native  land — the  eastern  and 
middle  States  of  the  Fnited  States  of  America — 
is  one  of  the  plants  all  too  seldom  met  Avith  in 
British  gardens.  This  cannot  be  due  to  any 
AA’ant  of  hardiness  on  its  part,  and  it  cannot  bo 
said  that  it  is  impossible  to  supply  it  Avith  the 
conditions  necessary  to  induce  it  to  display  its 
little  modest  flowers.  Possibly  its  lack  of 
fragrance  Ave  a  ;ociate  so  inseparably  Avith  the 
Violet,  though  not  all  of  the  genus  possess  this 
virtue,  may  be  against  it.  Then,  too,  it  has  to 
compete  Avith  these  fine  Violets  Avhich  are  so 
de.servedly  popular  and  Avhich  our  gardens  can¬ 
not  do  Avithout.  Be  that  as  it  may,  V.  cucullata 
is  not  often  met  Avith.  It  is  accommodating 
enough,  as,  though  it  prefers  a  moist  place, 
such  as  a  marsh  or  a  moist  A\  ood,  it  can  also  be 
cultiA-ated  on  a  shady  border  or  on  a  shady 
rockei'y,  even  if  rather  dry.  I  have  had  for  a 
dozen  years  or  so  this  Violet  groAving  and 
floAvering  Avell  at  the  base  of  a  dry  rockei-j',  but 
in  such  a  place  that  it  only  receives  the  morji- 
ing  sun.  Here  it  produces  its  floAvers  from  year 
to  year  AA'ith  the  minimum  of  attention.  It  has 
a  rather  thick  rootstock,  light  green  ovate-reniform  leaA-es,  and 
floAvers  Avhich  are  light  blue  in  the  type,  but  are  also  to  be 
met  Avith  cither  Avhite  or  blue  and  Avhite  stripc'd.  The  last  form 
is  the  most  distinct  of  all.  The  floAvers  do  not  sIioav  boldly 
from  among  tlie  loaves,  thus  partaking  of  the  modest  demeanour 
of  some  of  our  older  SAveet  Violets.  There  is  a  cleistogamous 
form,  but  I  have  not  cultiA^ated  this,  nor  have  I  any  desire  to  do 
so.  The  floAvers  of  this  are  elcA^ated  aboAo  the  leaves,  but  they 
are  very  poor  in  appearance.  I  am  not  aware  that  seeds  of  this 
species  are  at  present  offered,  but  plants  are  to  be  had  and  niay 
be  propagated  by  diA’isiou.  Ihey  do  not  send  out  runners  like 
the  SAveet  Violets. — A.  [When  visiting  the  Daffodil  beds  af 
Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  nurseries  recently,  Ave  admired  their  fine 
Viola.] 
AA-itli  Potatoes,  and  when  a  A^ariety  begins  to  sIioav  that  its  cen- 
stitutioii  is  AA-eakeiiing  it  must  give  aa  ay  for  smnctliing  more 
criginal.  History  proves  this,  for  people  Avould  not  have  th'opped 
the  fine  old  Potatoes  of  tAventy  years  ago  or  less,  simpiv  for  the 
sake  of  groAving  novelties.  Not 'a  bit  of  it  !  they  Avere  Avorii  out, 
as  it  is  naturiil  for  many  Potatoes  to  Avear  out. 
There  need  be  no  fear,  hoAvever,  that  the  essential  introduc¬ 
tions  Avill  not  be  forthcoming.  Every  season  ucav  Potatoes  are 
placed  before  us  in  shoals.  Some  last  and  groAv  popular,  but 
many  others  linger  for  a  Avhile  and  then  drop  out  and  are  never 
missed.  Why  is  this?  Simply  because  thfy  fail  in  some  par¬ 
ticular.  If  a  noAv  Potato  possesses  the  qualities  that  groAvers 
want,  it  is  bound  to  become  popular.  An  illustration  of  this 
is  given  in  tliat  fine  variety  T'p-to-Date.  It  is  only  a  fcAv  years 
since  it  Avas  introduced,  and  yet  to-day  there  is  hardly  a  garden, 
large  or  small,  Avhere  it  is  not  groAvn,  and  Avhat  Magnum  Bonum 
Avas  Avhen  at  the  height  of  its  popularity,  Up-to-Date  is  at  the 
present  time. 
But  have  Ave  got  too -many  Amrieties?  Possibly.  One  thing 
is  certain,  there  are  too  many  names,  and  I  should  not  like  to 
say  how  many  Potatoes  there  are  AA'ith  different 
titles  that  are  one  and  the  same  thing,  or  are 
too  much  alike  to  be  classed  as  distinct.  This 
is  regrettable  and  leads  to  much  confusion  Avitli 
groAvers.  Hoav  to  remedy  it  is  the  question, 
but  something  ought  to  bo  done  to  ]ireA'ent 
A'arieties  that  are  not  really  ucav  and  distinct 
being  sent  out  under  ncAv  names. 
From  Avhat  I  have  said  the  deduction  Avill  be 
draAvn  that  I  sugge.st  the  trial  of  novelties. 
Quite  so.  Try  them  by  all  moans;  but  do  not 
rely  on  them.  There  are  enough  good  Pota¬ 
toes  that  can  be  depended  on,  for  the  main 
crop,  but  the  noA-elties  of  to-day  Avill  be  the 
maimstay  of  the  future,  and  if  no  one  tries  them 
hoAv  ai'e  their  qualities  to  be  proved  ?  In 
selecting  A’arieties  it  is  Avell  to  rely  on  those 
that  are  popular,  Avell-kuoAvn,  and  universally 
groAvn  (there  is  no  need  to  append  a  list  of 
names),  but  Ave  AA-ant  to  be  fin'ding  something 
out  as  Ave  go  along,  and  there  is  no  teacher  like 
experience.  If,  then,  you  have  a  chance  of 
testing  a  Potato  that  you  haA’e  never  groAvn 
before,  do  not  miss  the  opportunity,  for  in  it 
you  may  have  something  that  Avill  stand  you  in 
good  stead  in  the  near  future. — Ashleaf. 
apparatus  for  the  purpose,  but  there  are  many  large  groAvers  aa  Iio 
entirely  discard  the  operation,  and  are  full  cf  complaints  if  the 
crop  is  blighted. 
As  Ave  are  again  Avatching  the  sprouting  roAvs  of  Potatoes, 
groAvers  are  reminded  of  a  trouble  Avith  Avhich  they  Iuia’c  had  to 
contend  in  the  past  tAvo  seasons,  and  they  are  Avondering  Avhether 
1903  is  going  to  see  a  similar  experience.  It  happened  in  this 
Avay.  The  Potatoes  Avere  planted,  all  apparently  good  sets,  but 
Avhen  groAAdh  appeared  a  miss  Avas  noticed  here  and  there. 
These  Potatoes  never  greAV,  and  Avhen  they  Avere  lifted  the  old 
tubers  came  out  as  firm  as  on  the  day  they  Avere  planted.  In 
some  cases  it  Avas  one  here  and  there,  in  others  the  majority  of 
the  tubers  Avere  like  this,  and  failure  Avas  Avritten  across  the 
patch.  Some  have  blamed  the  season,  some  the  ground,  and 
others  the  seed  tubers;  but  the  real  cause  of  the  trouble  remains 
something  of  a  mystery.  If  Ave  have  done  Avith  it,  then  Ave  can 
afford  to  let  it  be  so,  but  if  Ave  have  a  repetition  of  it  this  season 
it  Avill  be  time  to  search  diligently  for  the  cause  and  see  Avhether 
it  cannot  be  remedied.  It  may  be  Avell  to  do  something  hoav, 
and  in  the  case  of  my  oAvn  seed  Potatoes  set  up  for  sprouting,  if 
I  find  that  any  of  them  have  not 
started  to  groAv  Avlien  the  time 
comes  for  planting  they  are  discarded 
on  suspicion,  or  are  planted  apart 
for  the  .sake  of  experiment. 
What  varieties  are  being  groAvn  ? 
dhere  is  scarcely  need  to  say  that 
change  is  necessary,  for  the  correct- 
nc.ss  cf  this  theory  has  been  proved 
