14 THE FLORIST. 



his remarks are qualified with "I quote from memory" — but the 

 evident bearing of tlie reasoning is, if uncontradicted, against the 

 soundness of the opinions given in the Rose-Garden. If any of your 

 readers feel sufficiently interested in the matter to refer to p. 132, 

 division II. of the Rose-Garden, they will find the passage to stand 

 thus : " The practice of removing them (Tea-scented Roses) from 

 the ground for protection during winter, and again transferring them 

 to tlieir j)laces in the rosarium in spring, cannot be too highly de- 

 precated." Then follows the passage alluded to : " To remove a 

 plant once endangers its growth and perfect flowering the first year, 

 and to remove it twice more than doubles the risk of failure." To 

 this opinion I still firmly adhere. I think your scientific readers 

 will say, theoretically it is true ; and repeated experiments satisfy 

 me that it is true in practice also. 



Nurseries, Cheshunt, Herts. W. Paul. 



ON GLADIOLI. 



I HAVE read Mr. Brown's excellent article on this subject in your 

 last Number with much pleasure, and I do not doubt that it will 

 tend to bring these fine plants more into notice. I beg, however, 

 to state, that I do not consider them all to be " perfectly hardy ;" 

 experience has satisfied me to the contrary, especially as respects the 

 class called early- flowering varieties, or, in other words, the Cardinalis 

 section, which includes by far the most numerous, and, I may say, 

 the most beautiful of the tribe. The reason why they are not hardy, 

 is their tendency to early growth ; consequently, if planted in the 

 open ground unprotected, they would be killed by frost. Many of 

 the varieties in this division are in a growing state early in Novem- 

 ber, and all of them are in action in February ; therefore I cannot 

 agree with Mr. Brown as to their being hardy. If their growth 

 could be retarded by any means, in order that they might be planted 

 about March, with Gandavensis, psittacinus, floribundus, and their 

 varieties, we might consider them to be hardy. And here lies the 

 value of hybridisation ; we want crosses of Gandavensis with Car- 

 dinalis, or any of its varieties, and then I have no doubt they would 

 be hardy. The colours and markings of the latter are also much 

 wanted in the habit of Gandavensis and floribundus and its allies ; 

 but the question is, how to get them "^ it has puzzled the hybridist 

 hitherto ; and if we are to believe Dr. Herbert's statement, which 

 deserves great weight, the thing has not been eflfected. 



My mode of managing the early-flowering kinds is, to pot them 

 as they shew symptoms of growth, and plunge them in a cold frame, 

 merely keeping the frost from them. I plant them out in May, in 

 a bed composed of light rich soil, where they continue flowering for 

 a considerable time, and produce a fine display. I subjoin a list of 

 the best sorts, selected from about sixty varieties : 



