340 



JOUIJNAL OF UORTICULTUBE AS'D COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



I May 16, 1867. 



to lie seen ; also fine Ijunobes of that bandsome-Iooking Grape 

 Gromier Ju Cantal, with its large amber-coloured berries, 

 mottled with light purplish browu. How unfortunate it is 

 that this handsome Grape has so little flavour to recommend 

 it, its only good quality consisting in its beautiful appearance. 

 Lady Dowue's and Black Alicante were most conspicuous for 

 the depth and richness of their colours. Judging from their 

 appearance, there were many bunches of Alicante in this 

 house that would weigh 5 or G lbs. each, and not a badly- 

 formed or imperfectly-coloured berry could be seen. There 

 were also some very fine bunches of Barbarossa in this house, 

 and Jura Black Muscat looked very promising ; the bunches 

 of the latter were jet black. Mr. Meredith told me that it 

 keeps well, and is likely to prove a valuable late Grape. In- 

 gram's Hardy Prolific Muscat was also in very fine condition ; 

 this is certainly a most valuable Grape. Snow's Muscat Ham- 

 burgh [Black Muscat of Alexandi-ia], grafted on Lady Downe's, 

 was remarkably fine. I noticed another seedling, a black 

 Grape ; the berries were very large, but as it was not nearly 

 rijpe I had no chance of tasting it. 



As I was leaving this splendid hiuse Black Alicante again 

 attracted my attention. Mr. Meredith here told me he had 

 kept it perfectly fresh and plump for nearly ten months. I 

 consider Mr. Meredith ought to have a medal of honour 

 awarded him for re-introducing this valuable Grape into notice. 

 He has been again successful in gaining the medal of honour 

 at the Brussels Horticultural Exhibition, and it is gratifying 

 to see the collection of medals he has had awarded him by the 

 Continental as well as English horticultural societies. 



There are at present six rows of four-inch piping in each of 

 the houses just referred to, but it ia intended to add more when 

 the Vines are properly established. Extraordinary provision 

 is made for outside borders to each house ; Mr. Meredith par- 

 ticularly insists on this point. The two houses are built 

 parallel with each other, and there is sufficient space between 

 them for a 10-feet walk, and an 18 or l2U-feet border for each 

 house. The site intended for the outside borders is at present 

 occupied by Strawberries. 



I must here correct a statement which I made in the second 

 column of page 261, that " each set of branches would have just 

 51 feet to travel from the main stem ;" this only applies to one 

 division of the house. The house is '2U2 feet long. Mr. Meredith 

 might plant Muscat Grapes in one division, and Hamburghs or 

 another black kind in the other. — J. Wills. 



ROSE PROSrECTS. 



A HASTT look-in upon my good friend at Okeford Fitzpaine 

 last month suggested naturally something about Eoses ; and 

 as I have had various communications from different friends 

 on the subject of their losses, a few words may not be uninter- 

 esting to the very numerous body of amateurs who delight in 

 the queen of flowers. Mr. liadclyffe is beginning to feel at 

 home, and is extending his operations. More walls are being 

 built, and, if I mistake not, we shall learn something from him 

 yet about fruit-growing. A large portion of his newly built 

 wall fell during the winter, and this has very considerably in- 

 terfered with his plans. As it was, however, I saw fine bloom 

 on some maiden Peach trees on the cordon system, and should 

 be glad if he be able to SECure fruit from them, as I am not 

 aware of such a feat having beeu yet achieved. His Straw- 

 berries were perfect, and if this lovely weather (May 3rd), con- 

 tinue, I think both he and all Strawberry-growers will have a 

 successful season. 



The effects of the frost, or rather the area affected by the 

 frost of last January, seems to have been very various, and to 

 have been in many instances quite diiiferent from that of .some 

 former ones. The valley of the Thames seems especially to 

 have suffered ; while the midland counties, as far as I can 

 learn, have not met their usual fate, frost being generally more 

 severe there than on the coast line. Hertfordshire also seems 

 to have escaped pretty well ; hut I must give it as my humble 

 opinion that we do not yet know tho extent of our losses, as 

 wood looks green, throws out a few shoots, and then begins to 

 die away. This is more especially the cose when, in cutting 

 the shoot, the centre or pithy part looks brown — an indication, 

 I fancy, that the frost has caught the Rose there. The losses, 

 too, are very great already. Thus, I know of one grower who 

 has lost two thousand plants of Marfchal Niel, suggesting, I 

 very much fear, that my early doubt as to its hardiness is too 

 Kkely to be realised. Then, I know another grower who has 



lost every dormant bud in his grounds ; and another who, on 

 a piece of five acres of rather elevated ground, has very few 

 left. 



Mr. Eadclyffe's Roses wore, as might well be supposed for so 

 experienced a grower, well protected. His plan is to spread 

 litter or straw over the roots (the plants being all on Manetti), 

 and then to earth them up as one would earth up Potatoes. This 

 must necessarily save the roots from frost, and also from what 

 he and I both find to be a gi-eat enemy — wind. Yet with all 

 this everything had been cut down to the snow line ; and 

 although his positive losses — the dead of his army, were few 

 in proportion to his stock, yet I am sorry to say his "nominal 

 list of wounded " went up to a very high figure. His fine 

 yellows were dreadfully cut up, and in some instances right 

 back to the very " bole" where there were some few signs of 

 life, while a large quantity of wood had to be cut out from 

 many of his finest plants. I do not think that much reliance 

 is to be placed on lists such as those furnished by a correspon- 

 dent in a contemporary as to the kinds of Roses that are hardy. 

 What he has found might be very right for his own district, or 

 his own garden rather ; but I should advise every one to go by 

 his own experience, see what is the character of his soil and 

 the condition of his plants, and then, as he finds they have 

 withstood or survived the winter, so let him be guided for the 

 future. I say condition of his plants ; for if one had been 

 removed in the autumn and another not, the probability is 

 that the former would have been comparatively uninjured, the 

 latter much cut up. Much has been said about Eoses on their 

 own roots, and the manner in which they have withstood the 

 frost : it may he so, but I have not found them do it better 

 than those budded low on the Manetti. 



On the whole, then, looking at the present state of things, 

 I somewhat tremble for our Rose prospects. I cannot feel that 

 we have a probability of seeing such grand shows as we have 

 had, and that many a rosery has been spoiled of its beauty. 

 This is one of the " chances of war," and rarely does a season 

 pass over that is not trying to some class of plants. The past 

 winter has been trying to a good many, but the lover of flowers 

 is not daunted ; he sets to work again with fresh vigour, and 

 hopes from the experience of the past to gain lessons for the 

 future. — D., Veal. 



THE EFFECTS OF THE SEVERE WINTER 

 AT MESSRS. IVERY AND SON'S, 



. DORKING. 



It was not till within the last three or four weeks that the 

 effects of the late severe winter, succeeded by the cold weather 

 of March, were made fully evident. It is now certain that the 

 injury sustained by exotic plants generally considered hardy, is 

 much greater than was at first anticipated, and that the losses by 

 death exceed those in any previous season within recollection, 

 not excepting the memorable winter of 1860-61. Providentially 

 the intensity of the cold was unequally distributed, arising 

 chiefly from the local circumstances of situation and soil in 

 connection with surrounding influences. Had this not been 

 the case — if the temperature had been uniformly so low as 

 registered in several places, many of our most valued orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs would have been exterminated. 



From the evidence already given in thefe pages it has been 

 seen that the readings of the thermometer varied very con- 

 siderably in different places. The variations were similarly 

 remarkable in this neighbourhood ; in my garden (Blechingley, 

 Surrey), one of Negretti k Zambra's instruments placed against 

 the east side of the dwelling-house, but not near any chimney 

 or anything likely to influence it from within, on the night of 

 January 4th-5th registered l'.l' of frost. In another garden, 

 about half a mile distant, in the vicinity of water, and lying 

 somewhat low, '25° of frost were indicated ; in a third, two miles 

 distant, with a heavier and more clayey soil, 31° ; while in the 

 valley of the Mole, at Dorking, ten miles distant, and in its 

 immediate neighbourhood, the temperature sank so low as to 

 range from G° to 12' below zero — that is to say, from 38° to 

 4-1° of frost. 



The effects, therefore, of the cold upon plants exposed to it 

 in each of the places referred to, as regards death and injury, 

 have been in proportion to its intensity or nearly so, and hence 

 at Dorkiug most severe. It is with feelings of sincere regret 

 that I have to report one of the most disastrous visitations 

 probably known. As above stated, the temperature in the 

 valley of the Mole sank so low as from 6° to 12° below zero on 



