228 



JOUENAIi OF HOETICOLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEBENEE. 



[ September 24, 1868. 



rose and copper, fine form, medium size, full. Opens shyly ! " 

 I do not know this Rose. Buy Madame Margottin. 



Pernet describes his Eose, Madame de Eothschild, as "preaque 

 pUine." It has been much puffed up by those sanguine rosa- 

 rians whose signal attribute is that of deceiving (unintention- 

 ally), the Eose purchasers of the kingdom. I never recom- 

 mend Boses fully that I have not bought, or would not buy. It 

 takes three years to prove a Eose fully. Persons go to large 

 establishments and view Eoses under glass, and then give a 

 character to the Eose that leads the uninitiated to think that 

 the plant is grown out of doors, and, that where so grown, it 

 will be the same fine Eose. The initiated know better. People, 

 whether they buy or accept plants, should be most scrupulous 

 in their recommendations. They are never given with a view 

 te deceive, but are the expressions of kindness and respect. 

 Purchasers of novelties can do no better than put themselves 

 in the hands of our first-class nurserymen. They know but 

 little, still, more than we know, about novelties. 



I have these Eoses on trial, only just come — Eeine du Midi, 

 Prince Humbert, Monsieur Noman, Franpois Treyve, Louis 

 BuUiat, Madame de Eothschild, Merveille d'Anjou, Marie 

 Bady, Miss Ingram, Madame Barriot, Cure de Charentay, Marie 

 Baumann, and others. Of them in due time I will give an 

 acconnt. 



" Devoniensis " says, " I think that Horace Vemet is quite 

 above the common run of novelties." I differ. I have four 

 plants which have not grown well ; the petals are deep and fine- 

 coloured, but there are not enough ranges, and the flower is 

 crenulated, waved, or rough at the edges. It is the same colour 

 as Fisher Holmes, which, also, though beautiful in colour, is not 

 full enough. Thorin is fine, but has not yet been full enough. 

 It is a good grower. " D.," of Deal, comes on the 23rd of Sep- 

 tember, and I shall show him some good Eoses. 



I close with one word more about Charles Verdier. On the 

 6th of August, when I bought my dormant buds, and also some 

 plants, at the Dorset Nurseries, Blandford, I told the foreman 

 that it was first-rate in the light line. He said it would not 

 open well. I told him it was from want of water. As I said 

 before, the whole line " stood fast." This morning at the 

 same time that I received the letter of "Devoniensis," the 

 foreman's changed opinion came to hand. " Some short time 

 since (.July 6tb), you asked me my opinion of Charles Verdier. 

 I was not able then to give an opinion of its merits, but I am 

 quite sure if you saw the splendid blooms of it now out, you 

 would pronounce it first-rate. It is 4 inches across. It re- 

 sembles Abel Grand, but is fuller and more cupped." I bought 

 seven plants of Abel Grand on the Manetti stock, ou August 

 6th, and on the 9th of September it had dropped its leaves, 

 made new shoots, and formed buds the size of a nut. I will 

 show these to " D.," of Deal, on the 23rd. Quick work ! 

 Hurrah for Manetti 1— W. F. Eadclyffe. 



WORK FOR THE 'WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Manures. — Take every opportunity of converting all refuse 

 vegetable substances, scrapings of roads, cleanings of sheds, 

 &c., into rich dressings for the garden, by watering with the 

 liquid that distils from Melon grounds, dunghills, &a. New 

 manures may be useful as auxiliaries, but there is nothing pre- 

 ferable for the production of good medium-sized high-flavoured 

 vegetables to old hotbed dung, and the decomposing heap of 

 those substances which can be collected in a garden. Weak 

 solutions of guano, superphosphate of lime, &c., frequently 

 applied, are found very serviceable to strong growing plants 

 in pots. Cucumbers in boxes, &c., but the same apparent bene- 

 fit is not the consequence of their application to crops in the 

 open garden, though Cauliflowers are considerably improved, 

 especially by guano, and Celery is rendered of a deeper green 

 colour by the application of nitrate of soda, but in size and 

 flavour it is not superior to that grown in the usual manner. 

 However concentrated the strength of these manures, it must 

 be evident that whatever their chemical influence, they can 

 affect the mechanical texture of the soil but little, and hence, 

 for rendering loese soils more retentive, and stiff soils more 

 open, the old system of manuring must ever maintain a great 

 superiority. It is true a similar mechanical effect might be 

 produced by a proper apphcatiou of lime, chalk, marl, and 

 in extreme cases of clay or sand ; but these operations involve 

 both trouble and expense. Except the usual course of salad- 

 ing, there is very little sowing to be done for some time, and 



as soon as the spring Lettuces and late Cauliflower plants are 

 pricked or planted out, little more will be needed in the way of 

 planting for a long time, except among the market gardeners, 

 who will still plant out a large breadth of plants for late CoU- 

 uwrts. If, therefore, a few Endive plants are kept blanched, 

 and the Celenj rows are not allowed to go too long without 

 earthing-up, you may turn your attention to forwarding work 

 that will save time in spring. The cropping book will show 

 what plots want trenching, and to what depth ; never trench 

 twice the same depth. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



It is not too much to say that young fruit trees should never 

 rest more than two years without being taken up and replanted 

 nearer the surface, till they are twelve or fifteen years old. 

 After they have attained a medium size of growth, the inter- 

 vals of transplanting may be extended to three or four years. 

 This is much better than allowing them to run half wild in the 

 first instance, and then have to use severe and unnatural 

 means to correct them afterwards. Nonpareil and other tender 

 Apple trees infested with canker or otherwise unhealthy, may 

 be improved by being taken up and replanted in fresh soil, 

 using some turfy compost about their roots, their young growth 

 being pruned-off two-thirds of its length, and they should be 

 firmly tied up to stakes till they have a fresh hold on the soil. 

 Early autumn pruning is necessary for the health and well- 

 being of delicate fruit trees, not excepting even the Peach. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Every week now tells more or less on the appearance of the 

 flower garden. Leaves from above and worms from below, 

 with short days and long cold nights, will keep people busy 

 here until frost. Many of the early kinds of Tulips and Nar- 

 cissus are now beginning to grow, and therefore to keep them 

 out of the ground any longer will injure them. As, however, 

 it is impossible to plant them permanently until the autumn 

 plants are removed from the beds, it will be found a good plan 

 to place them upon an inch or two of finely sifted leaf mould 

 and sand, and to cover them several inches deep with old tan 

 or leaf mould. In this situation they will make roots, and as 

 soon as the beds are ready for their reception they may be re- 

 moved to their proper positions with the soil adhering to their 

 roots. The same observations apply to all sorts of bulbs or 

 tuberous-rooted plants that are desired for early-spring decora- 

 tion, as, for instance. Anemones, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Hy- 

 acinths, Jonquils, and Crown Imperials. Continue at every 

 favourable opportunity to pot-off Carnation layers ; let the 

 grass or leaves be dry, for when they are wet with rain or dew, 

 the soil, which will sometimes lodge in the axils of the leaves, 

 however carefully they may be handled, is difficult to be re- 

 moved, and if not cleared out will prove detrimental to the 

 plant during the winter. The layers must be put in a close 

 frame for a few days till they have again struck root. The 

 seedling bulbs of Tulips, when very smnll, are best in the 

 ground, and small offsets of choice sorts had also better be 

 planted. Any offsets of Auriculas, which may not have been ' 

 ready earlier in the season, must now be removed, planting 

 carefully round the rim of a 48-sized pot ; water to settle the 

 soil to the roots, and place in a situation free from drip or 

 heavy rain. Continue to make the beds of Pansies for next 

 year's blooming, and propagate by slips all that it is desirable 

 to increase. Seedling Polyanthuses may still be pricked-out, 

 to become established before winter. Compost heaps should 

 be turned, and all insects carefully picked out ; a small quan- 

 tity of quicklime will prove beneficial if added to the decayed 

 turf intended for Tulips. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The Chrysanthemum will soon require the shelter of the 

 greenhouse, particularly the early kinds, and some of the later 

 sorts should be left out as long as a mat or two can secure them 

 from the frost ; this will prolong their succession. They will 

 require some stakes ; but avoid the exhibition plan of staking 

 them, which, although necessary for bringing the flowers to 

 view altogether at one time, is most unsightly for general pur- 

 poses. As little water as possible should be scattered in the 

 conservatory for the next ten months, as this dull season is 

 enough of itself to damp off the flowers without such aids. 

 Slight fires will also be necessary during the day if the house 

 shows signs of dampness. This house and tlie late vinery 

 should now be managed nearly alike. There are two varieties 

 of Bignonia jasminoides in cultivation, one of which is a very 

 shy bloomer, and ought to be discarded ; the other is the finest 

 of our hardy greenhouse cUmbers. Cuttings of the latter may 



