With the opening of the month of March I commence my planting operations, and thus lay the foundation for the season's trials of this noble esculent. Where the Potato-fancier essays to gather together for his pleasure, and possibly his profit, a large collection of Potatoes, he will find one of the most difficult things he has to do consists in the gathering together from all parts of the country, quantities, more or less, of all the best-known kinds, without the possession of which his trials would be imperfect and his experiences uncertain. The Potato connoisseur has now become almost a horticultural necessity. His duty (if his work and labours be recognised as such) consists in sitting in judgment on the productions of others, and in testing them by known and approved kinds. He should have no trade bias, and should strive only to put prominent the good things in his collection, come from whence they may, remitting the indifferent ones to the fate they deserve - that of well-merited oblivion. To such an one a really good Potato is an art-treasure, over the possession of which he gloats, and he is proud of it; but from whence it came, what matters it 1 There it is, and the world shall know that it exists, and so be made available for its use in due time.

I do not, however, assume to myself the possession of all that disinterestedness that may be said to characterise the true connoisseur. Nevertheless, I hope and purpose, as far as in me lies, to give in time to come the most fair and honourable testimony I can bear to the relative merits or demerits of all the kind of Potatoes that have been from various sources committed to my care for trial during the present season. I shall start this year with over a hundred assumed varieties, nearly the whole of which I believe to be distinct, although the points of difference in some are not very easy to determine. Through the kindness of valued friends, I have been enabled to exchange largely with them, and thus my collection has increased this season by some twenty-five new varieties, amongst which are several of the new American kinds, some of which bid fair, by their cropping qualities, to become ultimately famous market Potatoes for the use of the million. The gathering together of this large number of kinds has not been the work of a year or two, neither is the experience that will be called upon to superintend their growth and rate their qualities limited in its extent.

For several years I have gathered about me a large number of varieties of the Potato. Many of the best of my earlier subjects I still continue to hold stock of, but the additions of both last year and the present are so great that I feel I am called upon to enter on my next trial with much heavier responsibilities, knowing that I hold one of the best as well as most extensive collections of Potatoes to be found in the kingdom. To enter into a minute account of the various kinds I have, would be just now as useless as it would be tedious to the readers of the 'Gardener.' The time for that will come by-and-by, when, with the names of each kind, I trust to be able to furnish also a true and correct account of the good or bad qualities of the several varieties, as developed here in the south of England.

My trial-ground is an open field, situated upon the brow of a hill, and fully exposed to all the various climatic influences that arise from a near approach to the sea. The soil is a moderately good yellow loam of about 24 inches in depth, beneath which is a deep substratum of gravel that drains the soil so effectually as to make it very dry in the case of a hot summer. My trial-borders range to a length of over 200 feet, and are about 14 feet in width. I select for my purpose from each kind twelve medium-sized tubers, all of which have been so cared for previously that they have just started into growth, and as a consequence I am in no fear of blank rows. The soil, which I previously mentioned as being but moderately good, has had spread over it a light dressing of manure, consisting chiefly of road-droppings. This is by no means a potent manure, but it answers my purpose, as by it I am enabled to get the character of each distinct variety correctly developed ■ and as I wish to secure clean samples rather than large ones, which are too frequently accompanied by a luxuriant growth of haulm that is by no means desirable, I am content to adhere to moderate culture and road-droppings. The width at which the rows are placed apart is regulated somewhat by the habit of growth of the variety, but I find, under my mode of culture, that 24 inches is enough for moderate-growing kinds, and 28 inches for those of a more robust habit.

The ground having been previously-broken up, a steel fork accomplishes the digging with ease at this season of the year. I use a spade to strike out the drills into which the Potatoes are laid. These are of such a depth as to allow about 4 inches of soil to lie upon the tubers when planted - quite enough under any circumstances, as it does not produce that weakening of the shoots that so commonly results from deep planting. Each kind when planted is carefully marked with a numbered label, and as soon as the work is over, each row is similarly numbered in a book, and the name of the sort it contains placed against it. Here are made all the notes necessary at the various stages of growth, and the final results entered as well; thus the displacement of a label is guarded against, and actually becomes a matter of little moment. When the haulm has reached the height of about 6 inches, I go carefully through each row and pick out all the weak shoots, leaving only about three of the strongest. By this process the number of tubers is reduced, but the size of the remainder is increased.

Then comes the hoe, and gives the soil a good surface-stirring; and about a week afterwards, a moderate earth-ing-up is given, after which, beyond noting the growing appearances and instituting comparisons, there is little else to be done until the arrival of that important time when the fork is once more brought into requisition, and the generous earth is made to yield up its treasures to reward the labours of the patient, industrious, and careful planter.

The storing of Seed-Potatoes during the winter is a matter of no small moment; indeed, much of the success of a trial depends upon the manner in which the tubers have been prepared for it. A well-aired shed, or a building specially devoted to this purpose, fitted with shelves in sufficient quantity to take the whole of the stock of seed, is the best place to keep them in. Internal dryness, and plenty of air when frost does not prevail, are essential; but even a few degrees of the latter will be productive of no injury where all damp is excluded. In such a Potato-house the work of thoroughly examining its contents at any time is a matter of ease; and in no case will the tubers become so much sprouted as to be productive of injury. Their removal to the garden should be accomplished in flat boxes, into which they can be laid without damaging the young growth, and from these they can be taken for planting with great ease. To those who are limited in accommodation for storage space, a number of herring-boxes will prove of great service, as these are always sufficiently open at the bottom to allow the air to pass up through the Potatoes placed in them.

These boxes can be stacked one upon the other in any dry shed or outhouse, and may be frequently removed, so as to have the bottom ones occasionally put at the top, and vice versa. They also give an easy mode of transit to the planting-ground. And now, fellow-readers, I close my Potato gossip in the hope that in a few months I shall be able to resume it to our mutual advantage.

A. D.