October 10, I8«7. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIODLTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



2T3 



Of thesB permanency has been given to the first three only; 

 bat where utility is not an object, the others may be added for 

 variety's eake. The Grape in qnestion )« known in Franco 

 also by the names Gros Perlo and Panso ,T:mne ; but it is only 

 since I showed it in Paris tbreo years bro that it has become 

 popular. — H. Knioht, Pontchartrain {Scinr-ft-OUe). 



[The bunches which Mr. Knight exhibited of Chnsselas Na- 

 poleon at Paris were very large, as much so as the finest 

 bunches of Buckland Sweetwater we have ever seen in EnglaaJ. 

 Wo think ho is wrong in giving PauFO .Tanne and Gros Perlo 

 as synonymoa of the Chasselas Napoleon, the former being one 

 of the worst setting Grapes iu cultivatinn, not excepting the 

 Morocco ; and the latter is very deficient in flavour, a character 

 so at variance with Chasselas Napoleon. It is true there is a 

 great similarity between the three ; but as we have grown them 

 separately, wo have found them to bo perfectly distinct. — 

 Eds. J. or H.j 



CULTURE OF ROSES ON THE IIANETTI 

 STOCK.— No. 3. 



KEXrOVAL OF ROSES. 



WnHN' people cannot afford to manure Roses adequately, it 

 is a good plan to remove them annually to fresh ground where 

 Potatoes and Cabbages have been grown previously. With me 

 it is a rule to " let well alone :" hence I do not unnecessarily 

 remove plants. I always keep a large supply of different ma- 

 nures by me, and manure the Roses according to their indi- 

 vidual requirements, and according to their presumed ex- 

 haustion. 



In stronp; ground of a rich character, annual or biennial re- 

 moval of Manetti Roses is necessary to stop extra grov.'th and 

 blindness. The root-pruning produces what those exoollent 

 writers, Mr. Fish and Mr. Abbey, call " fibrous network." 

 Strong roots may produce wood, but you must have a network 

 of fibrous roots to produce flowers. The same is the case 

 with Strawberries. You must havo superficial roots besides 

 the perpendicular roots. In rich ground Mauelti Roses require 

 but little manure. The annual removal, however, would, of 

 course, stop the Rose from making its own roots, which matters 

 not ; for " own roots," when they become strong, will destroy 

 or deteriorate the Manetti roots. The same is the case with 

 Pear trees on the Quince stock. It Manetti or Quince roots 

 are required, in both cases " own roofs " must be kept cut off. 



^VIXTERING rL.iXTS. 

 Straw or litter arc the best frigi-domo for the roots. If these 

 and a few inches of wood are protected, zero can do no great 

 harm beyond killing the upper wood. I put the straw along 

 the line of Mauotti plants, and draw the envth over the straw 

 in much the same way as for Potato-pits, digging a deep channel 

 between the rows to draw the water from the roots. All my 

 Eoses wore served so last winter. The severe frost killed many 

 to the line of protection, but no farther. I cut down the in- 

 jured plants, and then put the straw over them, and the earth 

 over the straw, to shield them from the fierce wind-stroke, 

 which is most pernicious after severe frosts. I have now plants 

 12 feet high that were cut down to the level of the soil. After 

 the winter was over I levelled down the soil thrown up, and 

 well stirred the ground to promote root-action. In the north 

 of England I think it would be a good and safe plan to take 

 up all kinds of Roses iu November, lay them up " in ordinary " 

 by the heels, and place straw in severe weather over the 

 heads, stocks, and roots. It is necessary to give extra, pro- 

 tection to Tea Roses, and also to Tea-scented Noisettes. In 

 ordinary winters a little straw over the roots may be snflicient. 

 In frosts so severe that the thermometer falls to zero, or nearly 

 so, you can run your fingers through the straw into the earth up 

 to your knuckles, when beyond the straw line you can make no 

 impression with an iron bar. For delicate kinds a north wall 

 is not so dangerotis as a south wall by reason of radiation 

 under a south wall, which is very destructive to tender plants. 



TRAKSITIOX FROil iI.*.NETTI ROSES TO THOSE ON THEIR 

 OWN ROOTS. 



It this is desired, the plants must be earthed over the point 

 of union at least 2 inches, and be wet-mulched in summer, 

 and dry-mulched in winter — in the former case to prevent the 

 sun burning up the young rootlets, and in the latter case to 

 prevent the frost injuring them. The ground should not be 

 disturbed near the stock. It it is desired to multiply Roses on 

 their own roots, the Manetti Rose plants must be cut down and 



made to branch, and earth must be piled up around the stems 

 like a mole-hill, sulllciently high for the urunches to Etrike. 

 In three years they will he established Piosis on their own roots. 

 They should then be (•tripped off, and the Manetti Rose planted 

 again. The same msy be practised with Roses ou their own 

 roots. There is a great tendency in Slanetti Roses and Fear 

 trees on the Quince stock, to perpetuate themselves on their 

 own roots, but, in both cases, us iilrcady stated, when thece 

 predominate, they will, unless both roots are collateral, de- 

 teriorate the deeper roots of the alien stock. 



TOE STOPPING OF GRO.'S SUOOTS. 

 If the tree is complete, and in health, the groi-s shoots from 

 the base may bo cut out. 1 allow them to foi-m buds and 

 bloom, and cut away, after blooming, some of the inferior 

 "worked" wood. I call these gross shoots •' the repairers." 

 If they go blind, which ia often the case, I cut them to the 

 level of the plant. They will sometimes break and bloom. 

 That is not my chief oLject. My object in cutting them is to 

 consolidate their wood, and to enable the working wood to 

 bloom longer. Judgment alono can decide when and how this 

 sort of shoot is to be treated. If the worked v/ood has suffered 

 from chlorosis, it is essential to encourage these " gourmand" 

 shoots as repliicors of tho wood that has been injured, and 

 which eventually must be cut away. If not badly affected yon 

 may take your first crop of flowers off tho diseased wood, and 

 then cut it out, leaving the gross shoot the wholo force of the 

 stock for maturation. A terminal leaf is in some measure 

 equivalent to a bloom. If the wood is firm up to tlie terminal 

 leaf there is no necessity to cut it with a view of stopping the 

 sap back to complete tho lower wood of the felioot. 



As regards pruning, Manetti Roses require but little. They 

 should be pruned in the same way as establi-lied Hybrid China, 

 Hybrid Bourbon, and stiong-growiug Noisettes — that is, their 

 tops should be taken off to a good eye, and the lower wood 

 thinned out when it requires it, and the side shoots should be 

 shortened a little to a good eye. Observe, no Rose plant 

 should be pruned at the time of planting. 



M.A.KUliES. 

 I use pond mud mixed with cowdung — of this I have bought 

 tvm hundred loads — cow manure by itself, guano, soot, citro- 

 pbosphate (blood manure), superphosphate, and, in the dry, 

 chalky soil of Rushton, I used half-inch bones with success. 

 The land here is a moist sandy loam, a;id does not require 

 boues. I believe cowdung, farnivard manure, night soil, and 

 Peruvian guano to be the best. Pig manure is also very good, 

 but that goes for Potatoes and Cabbages here. 



I must now say a few words with regard to the strength of 

 manures. Guano should be sown on the land in winter, that 

 the rains may dilute the uric acid. If plants are manured with 

 guano during growiug time, it must bo greully diluted with 

 water. One handful of Peruvian guano to a stable-buclcelful 

 of water is strong enough ; more would probriblyburn the fresh- 

 made rootlets. Saltpetre and nitrate of soda are excellent to 

 produce healthy and verdant foliage. They are both well 

 suittd to dry lands. For pot plants saltpetre is excellent. One 

 t,ibIospoonful of saltpetre dissolved in a pint of water will 

 beautify the foliage of a pot Rose. Liquid manure diluted and 

 put on when the jdants begin to grow, is good, and wood ashes 

 spread in winter on dry ground, will keep the soil moist, as they 

 attract and retain moisture. I think a drct-siog of common 

 salt would be found beneficial to dry soils. If land is short o£ 

 vegetable matter, a crop of Turnips chopped and dug in. will 

 do much good. I may say. in fact, that anything which offends 

 the olfactories is good for the growth of Rij.-e3. 



After my remarkable first series of bloom here (Okeford 

 Fitzpaine), I gave my Roses a dressing of Peruvian gnano, and 

 nitro-phosphate, half and half, put on when I perceived the 

 rain coming. As soon as the rain was over I hoed the surface 

 of the soil, and great has been the result. The Eoses began 

 hero on the 8th of June, it ia now the 10th of September, and 

 they are magnificent. 



PEGGISO DOWN ROSES. 

 I have not practised this. I prefer standing bush plants, for 

 they can be kept cleaner, and more plants can be grown, as 

 there is more room overhead. Mr. Perry, of The Cedars. Bir- 

 mingham, I believe, has practised " pegging down " Rosea 

 with great success. If persons have only a few jibmls, .and wish 

 to ui.ike a greater .'•how o( them, I fauey espalier fashion, and 

 interlacing the brantUes, would be a good plan. By bending^ 



