Fobrnaij 1, 1877. ] ' 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



85 



in the antamn cauped you to put too low a price on them, I Bee 

 no reason why I should derive an advantage from the oiroum- 

 stau'ie, and therefore I request to be allowed to pay the worth 



of them. I have added £ to your account." 



I think you will agree with me that this is a fine spirit 

 rarely to be met with, and deserving of record; and I would 

 add that if all our business were carried on upon such honour- 

 able, liberal, and high principles as those displayed by our old 

 friend (who little thinks that we are writing about him), trade 

 would be far more honest, agreeable, and profitable. — A Seed- 



MKBCHANT. 



A GOOD OLD EOSE. 

 AEosE that is remarkable for the abundance and excellence 

 of its flowers when flowering with and among others of the 

 most select sorts ; for its earliness and lateness, or rather its 

 almost perpetual property of flowering ; for its free, abundant, 

 and wonderfully robust growth; for the large size and elegant 

 form of its foliage; for its adaptability to every form of culture 

 under which a Rose can thrive, and to every style of training, 

 to every position or aspect, must perforce make its way into 

 general favour. Such a Koee have I. Among standards none 

 are in such rude health, have such rampant growth, are clothed 

 with such handsome foliage — green and glossy even now in 

 midwinter— or bear such nuge clusters of large flowers all 

 through summer and autumn. Among climbers none are more 

 vigorous or cover a large area of wall space more quickly, con- 

 tinae in flower so long, or give fioe flowers upon all aspects, 

 north as well as south, as it does — one plant of it upon an 

 open west wall even now in .Tjnnary having several large 

 fully-expanded blossoms which would not disgrace a summer 

 bouquet; moreover it is equally "at home" upon stocks of 

 all kinds or its own roots. Who can tell me the name of my 

 Rose, or of any variety which they have found equal to my 

 description ? We have had a Rose election which has done, 

 and doubtless will continue to do, much good. Let us now 

 see if we cannot find out a few kinds of superlative merit in 

 every respect, and which are therefore as valuable for covering 

 the sides of a house, for planting in the Rose garden, for 

 forcing and general pot culture, as for furnishing cut flowers 

 for that stand of any number with which we always win the 

 first prize and cup ! Eave we half a dozen such ? I trow 

 not. I have only one. Who can me tell its name ? — Edward 



LnCKHURST. 



SPECIAL FLOWER SHOWS. 



Undeb the above heading at page 51 of this volume of the 

 Journal, Mr. Douglas quotes a passage from the Rev. J. B. M. 

 Camm's remarks at the late Rose conlereuco to strengthen his 

 argument that other varieties of florists' flowers besides Roses 

 have, and do still, support distinct shows. Alas ! that such 

 lovely, and I thought universally popular, flowers as Carna- 

 tions and Picotees, Ac, should need any special pleudiog. 

 To the following sentence, which has a second time appeared 

 BO prominently before the public, I must be allowed to demur, 

 as being contrary to facts :—" Country Rose shows generally 

 betray failure in some form or other; Hereford, for instance, 

 where the largest balance ever forthcoming was -id." These 

 words, which I well remember were spoken by Mr. Camm in 

 that happy jocular vein his friends know so well, and with 

 which our cloth, from honest old Latimer to Sydney Smith, 

 have occaeionally refreshed themselves and others ; but by 

 which strangers and others not quite bo conversant with my 

 clerical brother's hard-hitting //ijiuahitig phraseology, may very 

 easily be mitled. 



Amidst the wreck of falling Rose shows I turn with pleasure 

 to the last two published reports of the West of England and 

 Hereford Rose Show, which lie before me, and find that in 

 the past two years the Treasurer's balance in his favour to 

 be respectively £3 8s. 2d. and £14 10s. 6(i., while last year's 

 prize list (including cupsj was nearly £190. — HEBEFOBDeHiEE 

 Ikccmbent. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



In the front garden attached to Mr. Barron's residence 

 at Chiswick is growing a thrifty specimen of the Eucalyptus 

 OLOBCLUS. The plant has endured four winters. The extre- 

 mities of the shoots have been killed during past winters, 

 but on being pruned the main branches have grown again 

 freely. The plant or tree has received no injury whatever 



during the present winter, and is conspicuona from its large 

 and distinctly-coloured foliage. We never saw a Blue Gum 

 tree more hardy-looking and exuberant than this young 

 specimen. 



The Bournemouth Winteb Garden, which was recently 



opened, is an imposing glass structure, and was erected by 

 Fletcher, Lonndes, & Co., 13a, Great George Street, West- 

 minster. 



We are informed that the height of Wellingtonia at 



Cotlands, Sidmouth, is 42 feet, the circumference of its stem at 

 its junction with the ground being 10 feet 4 inches, circum- 

 ference of lowest branches 80 ftet. The sizes of other trees 

 which have been forwarded to us are as follows : — A tree at 

 Killerton 44 feet high, circumference of stem 10 feet ; at Polti- 

 more a tree is GO feet high ; a tree in the cemetery at Bath is 

 40 feet, and one at Beauport near Battle 40 to 50 feet. 



We have received from Mr. Arthur Perkins, Park 



Nurseries, Coventry, cuttings from young Vines which were 

 planted in May, 1875. The wood sent of Madresfield Conrt, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Lady Downe's Seedling, and Black 

 Hamburgh is exceedingly strong, also well matured, and 

 affords conclusive evidence that Vines may be well grown ia 

 " unprepared borders." Excellent Grapes can hardly fail, 

 being produced by canes of such superior quality. We should 

 be glad, however, to know what Mr. Perkins means by " un- 

 prepared borders." What is the nature of the soil and sub- 

 soil, and what stimulants have been afforded the Vines? 



At the spring exhibition of the Royal Horticultural 



Society held last year at South Kensington forced plants OP' 

 Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum vulgare), which had been grown 

 at Chiswick, were mucb admired. This may be an opportune 

 period for directing attention to this valuable old plant as 

 being the time for potting the crowns for early flowering. The 

 crowns at Chiswick we noticed the other day are just starting 

 into growth. After being potted they are placed in a warm 

 dark place until growth fairly commences, when they are re- 

 moved to the light. It is very important as the growth advances 

 that the plants be kept as near to the glass as possible, to keep 

 them as sturdy as is contibtent with their nature. When 

 flowering, their delicate light green foliage and elegantly arched 

 shoots laden with white flowers are highly effective. As ar- 

 ranged on stages the plants show to much greater advantage 

 than when growing in the garden, where the flowers are neces- 

 sarily much hidden by the foliage. The plant is worthy of 

 being forced by ail who possess crowns and have the means oi 

 forcing them. 



" I WAS agreeably surprised the other day," writes Mr. 



Luckhurst, " when looking over a bed of the Leamington Broc- 

 coli to find a goodly number of it fit for immediate use, and to 

 see from the appearance of the remainder that a succession 

 may be depended on from this one bed for some time to come. 

 This early maturity is, of course, owing to the mild weather; 

 and even in this exceptional stato of things I am glad to find 

 this excellent variety retains its peculiar property of coming iu 

 gradually, precisely as it does in ordinary seasons, when, as 

 has already been toUl, I have cut from the same bed excellent- 

 heads in March, and continued doing so till June." 



We are informed that the Richmond (Surrey) Show, 



which is announced to be held on June 28th, is expected to be 

 on a larger scale than the last two successful exhibitions. 



At all times the Orchids at Gunnersburv are worthy 



of note and inspection. Even when the plants are not flower- 

 ing they are attractive from their glossy cleanliness and ex- 

 uberant health. At the present time the principal display is 

 afforded by a row of forty plants of Phalsinopsis, principally 

 P. Schilleriana in variety. The plants are in baskets, and 

 their effect, as may be imagined, is very striking. Other 

 Orchids in flower are Saccolabium Harrieonianum, Odonto- 

 glossum Bictoniense, seven vigorous spikes; 0. Alexandia, in 

 superior varieties ; Lselia anceps Dawsoni, so pure and yet so 

 rich; Cypripedium Hookeri, fine alike from its flowers and 

 marbled foliage ; and still more beautiful in flower is 

 C. Parishii. Orchids which are showing their spikes are 

 Odontoglossum Andersonianum, which has perfected a wonder- 

 ful growth, and will shortly have fifty-seven flowers open on 

 one spike; Cymbidium eburneum, ten spikes ; Aiirides Veitchii,. 

 Odontoglossum caudatum, &c. In this collection Angrceoum. 

 sesquipedale produced seventeen flowers last year, and th& 

 beaulilul Odontoglossum vexillarium upwards of forty flowers. 

 Mr. Richards and his foreman have just season to be proud o£ 



