258 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
March  28,  1901. 
Eartfy  Potatoes. 
For  some  two  or  three  years  past  my  Potatoes,  whether  from  the 
garden  or  the  field,  have  had  a  most  unpleasant,  strong,  earthy  smell 
and  taste,  and  ate  a'most.  uneatable.  The  sorts  are  mostly  Up  to- Date 
and  Snowdrop,  and  there  is  nothing  unusual  about  the  manuring  or  the 
cultivation,  (  an  any  of  your  readers  give  me  any  idea  of  the  cans-*,  or 
suggest  a  remedy  ?  I  at  first  thought  the  fault  might  be  in  the  cooking 
or  dirty  sauce. >ans,  but  can  find  nothing  wrong  there;  moreover, 
uncooked  specimen  cut  through  has  the  same  disagreeable  smell. — 
Subscriber. 
Cinerarias  at  Impney. 
There  is  a  house  full  of  Cinerarias  now  at  Impney,  and  the  plants 
are  almost  in  the  height  of  blotm.  The  coll°ction  is  remarkable  for 
richness  of  cob  ur,  s  ze  and  symmetry  of  flowers,  and  sturdiness  of 
plants.  Such  a  high  standaid  of  quality  is  seldom  seen. 
I  was  pleasid  to  see  another  old  and  handsome  friend  at  Impney — 
namely,  the  Schizantl  us,  in  flower.  It  is  a  charming  annual,  and  so 
easy  of  culiute.  Wuh  a  mixture  of  S.  oculatus,  S.  Grahami, 
S.  papilionaceus,  and  S.  retusus,  we  have  a  richness  and  variety  of 
tint  which  must  be  seen  to  be  fully  realised.  Mr.  Corbett  derives  so 
much  pleasuie  from  the  floral  treats  continuously  provided  by  his 
gardener  (Air  J<>rda>  ),  that  he  annually  provides  better  means  for  their 
production. — J.  Udale. 
Stable  EJ  inure  versus  Artificials. 
I  AM  surpr’gsd  that  your  correspondent,  “  W.  D.,  Herts  ”  (page  135), 
does  not  see  that  the  facts  he  mentions  makes  my  case  stronger — 
namely,  that  stable  manure  is  less  quick  in  its  action  than  artificial 
fertilisers.  The  very  fact  that  in  the  experiment  referred  to,  the 
Potatoes  were  not  planted  until  so  late  in  the  season  as  June  10-13, 
shows  that,  notwithstanding  the  short  period  of  growth,  the  artificials 
were  able  to  produce  a  much  larger  crop  of  tubers  than  the  farmyard 
manure,  although  the  14  tons  of  dung  supplied  about  200  lbs.  per  acre 
of  nitrogen  against  only  86  lbs.  by  the  artificials. 
I  now  give  the  total  produce  of  Potatoes  from  each  of  the  ten  plots 
in  the  fi  st  year  of  the  exp*riment  (lh76),  and  also  the  average  produce 
for  the  first  five  years  (1876-80),  grown  at  Rothamstead. 
Manures  pee  Acee  each  Yeae. 
Plots. 
1.  Without  manure  . 
2.  Farmyard  manure,  14  tons  . 
3.  Farmyard  manure  and  superphosphate  . 
4.  Farmyard  manure,  superphosphate,  and  nitrate  soda 
5.  Ammonium  salts,  400  lbs . 
6.  Nitrate  of  soda,  550  lbs . 
7.  Full  minerals  and  ammonium  salts  . 
8.  Full  minerals  and  nitrate  of  soda  . 
9.  Superphosphate,  3J  cwt . 
10.  Full  minerals  .  ' . 
1Q7,;  Aveeage 
‘  OE  5  YEAES 
cwts.  cwts. 
77*  ...  46J 
85*  ...  93§ 
106*  ...  106* 
1341  ...  1341 
58  ...  50£ 
77g  ...  64 
162'  ...  137* 
175g 
121 
123| 
With  regard  to  the  large  quantity  of  Potatoes  yielded  by  plots 
9  and  10  in  the  first  year,  the  results  show  that  there  was  available 
nitric  acid  in  the  soil  which  was  readily  taken  up  in  combination  with 
the  phosphates  and  other  minerals.  This  so  exhausted  the  land  of  its 
nitrogen,  that  in  the  second  year  (1877)  the  superphosphate  (plot  9) 
yielded  but  6-£  cwts.  of  tubers  per  ne  e  more  than  the  unmanured  plot, 
and  the  f  II  mineral-*  (plot  10)  only  15  cwts.  per  acre  in  excess  of  that 
without  manure.  The  probable  explanation  of  the  fact  that  the  super¬ 
phosphate  alone  and  the  full  minerals  alone  yielded  more  produce  in 
the  first  year  than  was  produced  by  the  dung  alone,  or  the  dung  and 
superphosphate,  is  that  owii  g  to  the  late  application  of  the  dung  there 
was  denit! ification  caused  in  the  soil,  and  the  growing  period  was  not 
long  enough  for  the  nitiic  acid  to  be  fully  converted  into  a  soluble 
condition.  When,  however,  nitrate  of  soda  (plot  4)  was  added  to  the 
dung  and  superphosphate  there  was  ready  formed  nitric  acid,  and 
accordingly  a  considerable  increase  of  crop,  althrugh  even  here  2  tons 
per  acre  less  than  when  the^nitrate  of  Boda  was  applied  with  the 
minerals  (plot  8). 
I  suppose  doctors  will  differ  even  in  Potato  culture.  While  “  W.  D.” 
thinks  these  results  not  at  all  s  itisfvctory,  for  myself  I  think  they  are 
most  convincing,  that  artificial  fertilisers  are  much  more  readily  available 
to  plant  growth  than  the  best  made  farmyard  dung.  Market  gardeners 
who  make  a  speciality  of  growing  large  areas  of  early  Cabbsge  or 
Cauliflowers,  find  it  almost  impossible  to  make  the  land  rich  enough  the 
first  year.  They  find  the  Fecond  and  thiid  year,  even  with  smaller 
quantities  of  dung  than  the  fiist,  gives  better  resnl  s.  Why  is  this?  It 
is  owing  to  the  slow  nitrification  of  the  nitrogemus  organic  matter  of 
the  dung,  accordingly  many  growers  now  add  nitiate  of  soda  or  guano 
to  the  dung,  to  furnish  more  ni'rogen  to  the  plants  early  in  the 
season.  The  fa'myard  manure  will  furnish  nitric  acid  for  the  late 
crops,  but  if  very  eaily  growth  is  expected  some  more  soluble 
nitrogen  must  be  added  than  that  provided  by  the  dung.  This  is  no 
less  true  in  growing  Cucumbers  on  a  large  scale  under  glass.— 
J.  J.  Willis,  Harjoenden. 
Coleus  from  Seeds. 
It  is  surprising  with  what  ease  these  are  obtained  from  seeds,  and 
it  is  not  less  curious  to  note  how  few  obtain  a  new  stock  by  such 
means.  Very  fine  sorts  can  b**  had  fn-m  seeds,  indeed  among  the 
large-leaved  section  much  the  finest  I  have  \  et  seen  were  obtained  in 
this  way.  Coleus  often  play  an  important  part  in  the  embellishment 
of  the  conservatory  and  dwelling  rooms  in  summer  and  autumn,  and 
where  such  is  the  case  new  blood  introduced  in  this  way  cannot  be 
otherwise  than  interesting  and  useful.  With  these,  as  with  other  plants 
obtained  by  seed,  it  is  not  a  wise  policy  to  choose  the  strongest  and 
throw  away  tt  e  weaker  seedlings,  as  often  the  slow  and  weak  produce 
the  choicest  plant  when  it  has  attained  maturity. — S. 
A  Protector  Novelty, 
With  reference  to  the  above  in  Journal  oi  Horticulture  for  March  14, 
it  certainly  has  the  appearance  of  being  a  very  useful  thing  to  keep  the 
fruit  of  Strawbei  t  ies  off  the  giound,  which  wt  uld  keep  it  clean  and 
prevent  much  of  it  from  rotting  in  wet  w-aiher.  But  I  cannot  think  it 
will  be  “practically  imperishable”  unless  it  is  very  much  more 
effectively  galvanised  than  are  the  holders  of  metallic  labels  put  in 
commerce  a  few  years  ago.  These  are  so  lightly  galvanised  as  to 
render  them  practically  useless  here,  as  the  atmosphere  eats  them 
nearly  away  iu  two  years,  which  compels  us  to  give  up  their  use,  and  to 
fall  back  on  the  ancient  wooden  label.  So  that,  unless  the  protector  in 
question  is  thoroughly  galvanised,  it  will  be  next  to  useless  in  all 
districts  where  the  atmosphere  is  laden  with  sulphuric  acid  as  it  is 
here. — J.  H. 
Potatoes. 
I  quite  agree  with  “N  H.  P.’s”  remarks  as  to  the  advisability  of 
carefully  testing  varinties  of  Potatoes  before  planting  them  in  quantity, 
I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  growing,  amongst  others,  Reading  Russet  as 
a  midseason,  and  Saxon  as  a  late  v  riety,  and  found  them  everything 
that  could  he  desired  as  regards  both  pn  duciiveness  and  flavour,  the 
latter  keeping  in  splendid  condition  right  on  till  new  Potatoes  were 
obtainable.  On  taking  over  a  fiesh  charge  two  years  ago  I  planted  these 
two  varieties  as  usual,  but  fotn  d  by  painful  experience  (which  is 
certainly  the  best  tutoi)  tha’  neither  were  useable;  both  varieties  were 
exceedingly  soapy  and  insipid,  so  that  I  was  c  mpelled  to  discard  them. 
I  make  a  pi aci  ice  of  growing  about  twelve  varieties  each  year,  including 
two  or  three  f i esh  ones.  If  I  consider  any  of  these  improvements  on 
the  older  kii  ds  I  substitute  them,  but  only  when  they  are  a  decided 
advance.  It  is  a  gieat  mistake  to  j  mp  at  new  vaiieties  too  eagerly,  it 
is  much  better  to  stick  10  the  well-known  old  standard  varieties,  which 
though  common,  would  not  be  so  wete  they  not  leliable.  On  the  other 
hand  one  season’s  trial  is  not  a  fair  test  of  the  capabilities  of  a  new 
Potato. — W.  R. 
- «■»■» - 
Seakale  Lilywhite. 
My  experience  with  this  Seakale  does  not  coincide  with  that  of  your 
correspondent,  Mr.  Easter  of  Nostell  Pri  >rv.  I  find  it  has  a  more 
delicate  constitution  than  the  pink  or  common  variety,  consequently 
it  does  not  grow  so  stiongly,  and  of  course  does  not  form  such  large 
crowns  as  the  common  kind.  I  find,  too,  that  the  cuttings  are  very 
liable  to  decay  after  being  made  and  laid  in  soil  previous  to  being 
planted.  Quite  7o  per  cent,  of  mine  so  decayed  last  year,  while  not  any 
of  the  other  kind  did  i-o.  I  also  find  that  ii  is  not  so  good  for  very 
early  forcing — before  Chiisfmas,  for  instance — as  the  common  kind  ;  it 
is  a  longer  time  in  becoming  fit  for  me,  and  is  much  weaker.  Its 
foliage  does  certainly  ripen  ten  days  to  a  fortnight  earlier  in  the 
autumn  than  the  ordinary  kind.  This  fact  led  me  tosuppose  that  it  would 
be  the  better  kind  for  the  earliest  forcing,  which,  after  several  trials,  I 
found  to  be  i  he  reverse,  the  older  kind  coming  quicker  and  stronger. 
We  force  3000  crowns  or  roots  every  year,  from  wh  ch  we  commence 
cutting  not  later  than  the  middle  of  December,  and  continue  to  do  so 
every  day  till  well  into  June.  For  the  last  six  weeks’  supply  the  roots 
are  retarded.  The  outiinga  are  made  in  the  usual  way. — J.  H.  W. 
