THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[April, 



country, being found in Michigan and many of the 

 Western States. The most valuable of all the 

 non-remontant climbers. For rapidity of growth, 

 they are unexcelled. The flowers are produced 

 in large clusters during the summer. The Queen 

 of the Prairies seems to be the most useful of the 

 group. 



Tea. — Several varieties of this group were in- 

 troduced from China in the early part of the 

 present century; among them were the Blush Tea 

 and Yellow Tea, two varieties from which most of 

 the sorts now in cultivation have descended. Most 

 of the varieties in this group are very sensitive to 

 neglect, and will show very quickly whether they 

 have met with good or ill treatment. The soil can 

 scarcely be made too rich, and should be well 

 drained. The varieties of moderate growth re- 

 quire rather close pruning. The flowers vary 

 greatly in size, as well as in fullness, and for deli- 

 cate beauty — refinement of color, and wonderful 

 fragrance — they are unequaled. It is principally 

 lor their beautiful buds that Teas are highly 

 prized. Oakland, Cal. 



[We take this from the catalogue of a rose grow- 

 ing company, of which Mr Havens is the manager, 

 which gives a full and concise description of near- 

 ly every rose that is known in gardens to-day. So 

 many people who love roses do not know the 

 classification, that we are sure the condensed in- 

 formation will be very acceptable. — Ed. G. M.] 



COMBINATION HEDGES. 



BY J. R. S. 



An arbor vitae hedge separating the vegetable 

 garden from the lawn, occupying more than six 

 feet in width of valuable ground and having be- 

 come somewhat dilapidated from its thirty years 

 of service, was removed and a galvanized buck- 

 thorn fence with eight strands or rails (it is not 

 wire) attached to planed and painted locust posts 

 five feet high, was put in its place. Climbing roses 

 of various kinds were set about eight feet apart 

 along the whole line ; after two seasons' growth 

 they cover the fence completely ; many of them 

 having been cut back four or five feet the past 

 summer. 



The barbs on the buckthorn fencing, without 

 being so sharp as to make the training of the rose 

 shoots unpleasant, are yet sufficiently prominent to 

 prevent the shoots from slipping, so that no tying 

 is necessary if they are interlaced through the rails. 



The corner or straining posts were mortised into 

 pieces of locust seven or eight feet long, and the 



braces, also of locust, notched in at such height 

 that they are entirely under ground. 



.\ rose hedge is thus quickly and cheaply made, 

 is a far better barrier, more ornamental, less ex- 

 pense for its yearly care than a hedge, and occu- 

 pies six inches instead of six feet in width of land. 



Some of the stronger growing sorts of roses 

 would be better ten or twelve feet apart. 



Rahway, Feb. i6th, 1885. 



[The idea of combining barbed wire fences with 

 live plants opens up such a wide range of possi- 

 bilities that it is bound to grow, and we shall no 

 doubt see Osage orange and other plants that 

 require continual labor to keep them within bounds, 

 completely abandoned. Any bush strong enough 

 to hold a wire, will make a permanent fence, and 

 then we have hundreds of things to choose from. 

 —Ed. G. M.] 



THE YORK AND LANCASTER ROSE. 



BY MRS. J. S. R. THOMSON. 



Several years since the rose growers had given 

 them (by Peter Henderson I believe) a new rose, 

 striped ; and therefore called American Banner. 

 It created quite a sensation and demand. I amongst 

 the rest bought it and must confess to a great dis- 

 appointment after seeing it flower. It does not 

 here interest us to discuss its merits, but I want to 

 call your attention to a rose now very scarce in 

 our southern gardens; but a few I saw last season 

 in such luxuriant bloom that several flower loving 

 people " talked it over " and came to the con- 

 clusion that in it the "American Banner" had 

 more than its compeer. Doubtless you know the 

 rose under its old-fashioned name of "York and 

 Lancaster." Named from England's war of the 

 roses, whose emblems were one a white, the other a 

 red rose, and afterwards commingled in one. 

 This rose is a deep glowing rose color, distinctly 

 striped with pale flesh, only semi-double, a pro- 

 fusion' of golden stamens in fine contrast to the 

 rose. Why cannot this rose be made known again 

 to the flower public ? If they raved over " Ameri- 

 can Banner," which is an extremely delicate Tea, 

 why not accept this York and Lancaster which is 

 is as hardy as a wild Cherokee rose, and make it 

 a prime favorite? I have secured a goodly num- 

 ber of them and intend propagating from it and 

 try to re-introduce it, on its merits alone. 



Will you not write an article upon this rose ? I 

 would like to know more of it, its origin and 

 merits, than I do. I love flowers and their culture 

 with my whole ardent southern soul, and never 



