1876.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



199 



nurseries around here in the largest quantities 

 and generally of very good size. Magnolias are 

 extremely scarce. 



"We had, what they called here, terribly cold 

 weather ; every one was complaining ; the cold 

 was 10° below zero, and that only one day, 

 without any air stirring. January was beautiful, 

 generally 20°-24° above zero. February and 

 beginning of March was mostly wet, and now for 

 weeks we have had no frost ; we are sitting in 

 the garden every day; thermometer ranges du- 

 ring the greater part of the day between 50°-65°, 

 and sinks to about 42°. Most fruit trees are now 

 blooming or beginning to. The nurserymen 

 have been through selling their dead stock for a 

 week or more. 



This delightful climate, the most excellent beer, 

 the splendid and very cheap wine, the cheap and 

 good cigars, the jolly society we have — how can 

 a man long for America, with local option and 

 all its blessings ? and women writing and preach- 

 ing against smoking? as I read of in your 

 papers. Three cheers for Germany ! 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Parks in Boston. — Boston is in a fair way to 

 have a chain of magnificent public parks. The 

 commission to inquire into the matter repor's fa- 

 vorably. 



Anemone nemorosa. — This beautiful spring- 

 flowering native plant has a great tendency to 

 produce rosy tinted flowers. If closely looked 

 after a real pink native Anemone might be ob- 

 tained. 



• • 



How Marechal Niel Rose Grows. — Mr. Har- 

 rison, of Darlington, mentions in the Gardeners' 

 Magazine, that a plant of the Marechal Niel Rose 

 in his nursery "has attained the immense growth 

 of 500 yards, and is now (Feb. 22) making nearly 

 2 yards of wood per day." Mr. Harrison contin- 

 ues : " We have people coming from all parts 

 to see it. It is now beginning to bloom, which 

 will stay its growth. Splendid blooms have gone 

 to Covent Garden to-day at Is 6d. each. What a 

 pity to have to destroy such a plant ! as I must 

 because the place has been sold over my head, 

 and I shall have to move this spring to Cat- 

 terick." 



Gun-barrel Budding. — This kind of budding is 

 now much practiced by rosarians. In all rose 



gardens where the amateur buds his own roses 

 there will be found many strong suckers rising 

 from the roots of dead briars. On account 

 of the severe frosts last winter, many fine, strong 

 suckers may be found at the present time. Take 

 a strong sucker, about 3 feet high, dress all the 

 spines and side shoots off for about 2 feet from the 

 ground, the young wood will be found in about the 

 same state of greenness and ripeness as the side 

 shoot of the briars which you are budding on the 

 top part of the stock. Instead of waiting till next 

 season, bud at once, just above one of the leaf 

 rings, gun-barrel fashion — put the point of the 

 knife in just above a bud, draw it upwards gently 

 for about an inch in length. Here you have the 

 incision which must receive the bud, at the top 

 of which make your cross cut. Use good, strong, 

 plump buds, which can always be obtained in 

 abundance during August, which is the best time 

 for gun-barrel budding. About two eyes above or 

 below yovi may insert another bud. There is 

 such an immense flow of sap in these shoots 

 from the root that, when tying up the bud, the 

 sap flows out and runs down the stem. The 

 briar and the bud are thus both of one age> and 

 may be said to begin the world together. The 

 junction is rapid and complete. All below the 

 inserted buds must be cut away, 43ut all growth 

 above must be suftered to remain until about the 

 middle of November. The reader will naturally 

 ask, " How do you get this sucker up when the 

 head is formed ? How do you separate it from 

 the parent stock ? " I let it grow for two seasons, 

 after which a good head is formed, and the 

 sucker has become as thick as the thumb. In 

 November, grub up the whole of the old root, 

 and separate the stem from it; it is generally full 

 of fibres, and may be removed to its proper 

 quarters with safety. On this 'plan, instead of 

 suckers being a nuisance, they may be turned to 

 good account, and your roses multiplied into 

 dwarfs and standards at pleasure. I generally 

 bud these suckers last, and they have often been 

 of the greatest service to me, when a friend has 

 sent me some buds of very choice new sorts late 

 in the season ; all my briars having been worked, 

 I should have had no stocks to bud them into, had 

 I not preserved these suckers. Gentlemen occu- 

 pying land can bud into the suckers arising from 

 old roots growing in the hedgerows ; but, before 

 inserting the buds, the sucker must be carefully 

 examined at its base, in order to see whether it 

 can be taken up when the head is formed, and 

 removed to the rose garden. — Garden. 



