December 25, 1873. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



505 



hardly imagine that I can have made a mistake in all these 

 instances, so closely as I have kept an eve on every plant in 

 mv collection. 



I wonld take it very kind if " J. B. Q." or any other reader 

 ■would obUge me with a plant of the true BarJfield Oxlip, to 

 compare with that which is not unfrequently found in Sussex, 

 and which is very different from a caulescent rrimiose. — 

 Phtlanihos. 



ADIANTUM FARLEYENSE. 



Many say that they cannot make this queen of Adiantums 

 grow, and that instead of its growing larger it becomes smaller, 

 yet not the slightest difficulty is experienced in producing a 

 free healthy growth, while with others success seems impos- 

 sible. I am sure, however, that it will always be a rare plant, 

 and my reasons for thinking so are — first, as far as I have 

 noticed, it does not produce spores, and therefore cannot be 

 raised from seed ; secondly, many who buy it have not a proper 

 house for it, and consequently it soon dies. No doubt, as 

 " Old Fbiend " says, propagation has been conducted under 

 high pressure, and the plants are in some places kept in green- 

 houses, at others in Cucumber houses, and at others, again, it 

 is planted-out in the fernery. It is very seldom to be seen iu 

 perfection in such places, for it is truly a stove Fern, and one 

 that will not be played with— no draughts, no syringe, no hot 

 dry pipes, and it does not like to bo taken into the house for 

 decoration ; for although it may not be noticed that the plant 

 has been injured by being taken from its proper home, still a 

 good gardener can soon see that his plant has received a check 

 which it will take some time for it to recover. These are my 

 reasons for thinking that Adiantum farleyense mil always be 

 a rare and choice plant. 



Another piece of advice is very good — viz., to have slate for 

 the plants to stand on ; and if anyone is under the necessity of 

 having open wood stages, let them be covered with common 

 roofing slate or a layer of cocoa-nut fibre refuse ; for if hot 

 pipes are beneath, it will be worse than the bottom heat " Ou) 

 Feiexd " speaks of. 



Another good hint is that with respect to potting, which 

 I find to be quite true. I have two plants in 2i pots ; one 

 is potted rather high, and it produces large strong fronds, and 

 has quite a crown or stool ; the other, which is potted low, 

 has the fronds much smaller and is spreading fast towards the 

 rim of the pot. Your correspondent's remarks on watering 

 are likewise truly practical — •" Careful, thoughtful watering is 

 the secret of success with other plants besides Ferns." 



I win here give a lew hints which must be strictly acted 

 upon if success is expected. Be sure and crock your pots well ; 

 let there be no worms in the soil ; be careful not to over- 

 water your plants, for if your drainage is defective your pots 

 will become waterlogged. If there bo worms in the soil they 

 will soon stop the drainage, and the soil will become sour. 

 Water should always be given by the same person ; for a man 

 becomes acquainted with the wants of all plants under his 

 care. I am certain that the treatment recominended by your 

 correspondent for farleyense cannot be beaten for all Adiantums. 

 There are also a few other Adiantums which when grown to 

 perfection are really magnificent. 



I wish that "Old Friend" would give us a little advice 

 respecting Pteris tricolor ; it is so seldom that we see a good 

 plant of it, but when it is so it is fit to shine in any collection. 

 — Jauxs R. Pocock, The Garden, BromhoruuQh Hall, Cheshire. 



JUDGING EOSES. 



Mr. Camu has brought this subject forcibly before your 

 readers, page 4.5y. As he justly states, hardly any two judges 

 ever agree as to the value of a certain number of Teas amongst 

 the Hybrid Perpetuals on the exhibit stands, and when we 

 hear that the stands would be made up differently to meet the 

 views of different judges, who should be such men as Keynes, 

 Paul, Cant, or Turner, the answer to his question comes 

 readily. This certainly should not bo. But how is it to bo 

 altered ? Mr. Camm's idea of a perfect box is to have a Tea in 

 each row (as I suppose) of a twenty-four stand, and no one 

 would surely question the enhanced beauty of the same by 

 their insertion. But it seems to me that in judging Hoses 

 taste in the arrangement of the stands should be the last 

 point considered. The object of Rose shows is, I take it, to 

 encourage the production of the finest possible individual 

 blooms. When, therefore, snch authorities as Mr. Camm 



quotes, are likely to have different opinions about the presence 

 or absence of Teas, I should agree with him in preferring to 

 see them excluded from the stands of Hybrid Perpetuals al- 

 together. It is certain, however, that we cannot lose these 

 most lovely of Eoses from the exhibition table, and now that 

 the varieties of Teas and Noisettes are so multiplied, would it 

 not be better for committees of Rose shows to offer separate 

 prizes for them ? Such an arrangement would very much 

 simplify the work of judges, and would also prevent the loud 

 questioning of their decisions, so frequently heard in the after- 

 noons of show days, oftentimes to the annoyance of visitors. 



This plan would also be likely to encourage the cultivation 

 of these classes of Eoses, as well as the production of new va- 

 rieties of better quality, so that in a few years we might have 

 our Tea Charles Lefebvres, Alfred Colombs, &c., in quantity. 

 The more the merrier. — F. W. Coopek, Huntingdon. 



Mr. Camu has started what ought to prove a very interesting 

 discussion. Many of your exhibiting readers will have felt the 

 same difficulty. Dare I venture a Tea Rose in that box or no? 

 It is to be hoped some of the leading judges will favour us 

 with some remarks on his article. On the whole I incline 

 against inserting Tea Roses amongst Perpetuals. One of the 

 most approved canons of judging gives substance, colour, size, 

 distinctness, and novelty, as the five principal points. A Tea 

 Hose could hardly help failing by comparison in substance and 

 size. Marechal Niel, Gloire do Dijon, and, perhaps, Devo- 

 niensis, being exceptions. But, indeed, it is almost impossible 

 to compare Tea Roses with Hybrid Perpetuals. It is something 

 like the old mathematical puzzle of having to multiply the 

 poker and tongs together, and then divide by the shovel. As 

 Mr. Camm remarks, they are infinitely the most difficult to 

 grow and to show, I incline to think that varying the situation 

 would best meet his second difficulty. Marechal Niel for ex- 

 ample on an eastern or western wall would be likely to come 

 in later than those on the south. I cannot but consider it a 

 subject of regret that there is not more opportunity for show- 

 ing Tea Eoses at the Crystal Palace Show. Except as Yellow 

 Roses they have but little opportunity of coming to the front. 

 — Alan Cheales, Brochham Vicanuje. 



FAILURE OF PEACH CROPS IN UNHEATED 



HOUSES. 

 Sevekal cases of the failure of Peach crops in unhealed 

 houses have come under our notice this season. Considering 

 the very sunless summer, and especially autumn, of 1872, in a 

 great many districts such a failure is just what might have 

 been predicted ; and any gardener who had it not in his power 

 to apply artificial heat to his Peach trees in the October of 

 1872, cannot reasonably be blamed for the want of fruit this 

 year. Under such circumstances, the fruit buds never get 

 properly developed, nor the wood ripened. The foliage clung 

 to the tree unnaturally late; and when the time of blossoming 

 arrived, not only were the blooms and their sexual organs weak, 

 but the whole trees were in such a condition that the blooms 

 were thrown entirely off before they set. This result is none 

 the less likely to occur to Peaches in spring, on account of 

 their being enclosed in a glass case, but the reverse. Hence 

 in come cases there were outdoor crops, while in unhealed 

 cases there were none or next to none. Trees under glass 

 are, from the effects of bright suns, more likely to be excited 

 at a pace which outdoor trees are not subject to ; and the more 

 violent the flow of sap, the wood-buds are more likely to take 

 the flow and start into growth, while as a consequence, and 

 at the same time, the flower-buds are actually thrown off 

 altogether, and the crops are thus lost. In the northern parts 

 of England and Scotland, where there aro less chances of 

 thorough ripening, late Peach-cases should have some meaus 

 of being artificially warmed, in order to ripen the wood in such 

 autumns as 1872, and of this year also, when we have had such 

 sunless and wet seasons. It does not matter how healthy tho 

 trees may be ; no power at the command of the gardener can 

 insure a crop if the buds and the wood are not, to say the 

 least, moderately well ripened. We saw several houses near 

 tho very centre of England, where strong-growing Peach trees 

 had not produced any fruit, and from no other cause than 

 that of the want of applying or having the power to apply, 

 fire heat to ripen the wood and "plump up" the buds. Aud 

 after the very sunless aud wet season wo have this year cx- 

 1 perienced over a great breadth of tho kingdom, if Uke results 



