Beptombor 5, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUEK AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



IK'J 



tho amount of rain which lias fallou in Kent may not have been 

 igenerally oqiialled in uthor parts of the Idngdoui, yet it may be 

 BO in anotlier year. 



Commencing in the first jiliice with the plants most capable 

 of enduring rainy weather, it will be Ronerally admitted that 

 Oiiphoa strij,'illosa stands pre-eminent, its jiendant flowers seem 

 to bo im])roved in colour by each shower; Fuchsias in like 

 manner do not suffer, and most flowers of a pendant character 

 are protected in a measure from tlie influence of rain, and con- 

 sequently escape. The sanu; cannot be said of those (,'rowing 

 horizontally, for I know of none that suffer more than Salvia 

 patens, in which the footstalks of tlie flowers seem unable to 

 bear the increased weiRlit of the bloom wlieu loaded with mois- 

 ture, and it consequently falls off; but it is the flowers present- 

 ins their ]n-incipal front upwards that are in general injnred by 

 heavy rains. By these, (ieraniums of most kinds are injnred in 

 the petal, and though the blooms do not fall off like those of 

 the Salvia, they hang down in liruiK(>d and disfigured masses. 

 All the flowering Iciuds of the Zonale family are liable to this, 

 and blooms that have only been o]ien two or three days fall 

 after heavy rain ; even the smnll-petalcd ones of the Noseg.ay 

 class sirfler equally with the more improved varieties. I need 

 hardly remark that the variegated section are exempt from this 

 drawback, a!id, on the contrary, are often improved by rain. 

 Amongst the latter class the variety showing most vigour is tho 

 Golden Ivy-leaf, which looks better than in any previous sea- 

 son. Next to (ieraniams, the Calceolarias suffer most, espe- 

 cially tliose of whicli the flowers become filled with water. 

 These all fall off when so charged, but the blooms of most of 

 the Calceolarias when they become what may be called perfectly 

 ripe are easily shaken off by rain ; on the contrary some of 

 the varieties endure the autumn rains unscathed, and the best 

 of these is C. amplexicaulis. Verbenas suffer less from heavy 

 thimder showers than from a prolonged wetting, the latter 

 seems to injure the outer edge of the jietal, and it withers and 

 hangs down. Lobelias withstand rain well and certainly do 

 better in wet weather than in a continued dry season, while 

 one of the best flowers in this respect, though collecting water, 

 is the Ageratum, which does very well in damp weather ; and 

 Petunias are not by any means tho worst. (Jazanias we all 

 know shut up to escape it, but French and African Marigolds, 

 as ivell as the other members of their family, withstand rain 

 pretty well. Helichrysums suffer fi'om it to some extent, but 

 Asters and Stocks hke it better than weather of an opposite 

 kind, and the same may be said of Dahlias, the latter, however, 

 growing nuich taller. Nierembergias seem also to like a wet 

 season, but the plant which enjoys rain almost every day is 

 Alousoa Warczewiczii, which in a dry season bears no com- 

 parison with what it is in a wet one. Some other plants 

 might be added to the list of sufferers, as Tropajolums, &;c. 



It must be remarked that although the flowers may either 

 suffer or benefit as described above, the character of the plant 

 is much altered in a wet season. At the present time I have 

 some Tropa-olums with the stems touching or lying on the 

 groimd, while the upper part of the foliage is 2 feet high, 

 completely concealing the flower. In a dry season, on the con- 

 trary, the latter would overtop the other, this is the difference 

 which rain and growing-weather make. Geraniums, too, are 

 more productive of leaves and stems than of flowers, and the same 

 remark holds good as to many other jilants ; Dahlias are often 

 fully one-thu'd higher ; and in some there is a laxity of bloom, 

 in Gerauimns especially. Calceolarias, on the other hand, 

 produce more bloom by increased gi-owth, so that if that growth 

 can only be effected early enough in the season bloom is sure 

 to follow. Salvias, and in fact most plants also become rank, 

 and when so the number of flowers in proportion to the size of 

 the plant is small as compared with what it is under other cir- 

 cimistances; on the other hand, some plants grown for their 

 foUage, as Perilla and Cerastium, enjoy the moist weather, and 

 bear the cutting and trimming that is necessary all the better of 

 the rain ; Coleus Vcrschaffelti and Amaranthus, however, like 

 simny weather best, and most of annuals in like manner do 

 best under such circumstances. It is hardly necessary to 

 remark that the time when the greatest profusion of bloom 

 may be expected is after a fortnight or so of dull, dry, mild 

 weather, when there has been sufficient rain before the setting 

 in of that period to satisfy the wants of the ]ilant. Persons 

 visiting gardens at such times must not expect tho profusion 

 which then presents itself to be permanent, neither must they 

 ascribe the want of it, under contrary circumstances, to 

 unskilful management ; for with all our forethought and con- 

 trivance Nature will always assert her claim to some dominion 



over her subjects, and however we may attempt to overcome 

 her, the results of a wet season wiU always bo different from 

 tiiose of a di-y one, and to mitigate the evils of both is what we 

 ought to aim at. — J. Bouson. 



NEW ROSES. 



Ir was anticipated some time ago that the fine seasons of 

 the two or three jiast years would be productive of great 

 numbers of seedling Hoses. From the infomiation received 

 from various quarters the anticipation is likely to be fully 

 realised. It is quite natural that the raisers of seedling Eoses 

 should be desirous of putting forw.ard their productions. It is 

 quite right that their merits should be recognised ; but the ex- 

 perience of the past shows that the im]u-ovc!Eents effected in 

 the " queen of flowers," are gradual, and that out of the great 

 number of varieties annually sent out very few retain a place; 

 for a length of time. A word of caution to our Bose friends 

 will not be deemed out of jilace. They Vvill do well to be care- 

 ful in their selection of new kinds, and not to slight the in- 

 foi-mation that appears in these columns from time to time 

 from various sources. 



Among the earliest announcements are those of M. Eugene 

 Verdier, of Paris — a name that has acquired honourable dis- 

 tinction among rosarians. Making a slight allowance for 

 differences of climate and soil, M. Verdier's descriptions have 

 proved truthful as regards the kinds he has hitherto offered, 

 andrehance may bo jilaced upon his selection. It should also 

 be remembered that to M. Verdier we are indebted for Prince 

 Camille de Eohan, undoubtedly the best dark Bose yet sent 

 out ; also for Madame Charles Wood, Duchesse de Morny, 

 Eushton Eadclyffe, Madame Victor ^'erdier, H. Laureutins, 

 and other line varieties. He also sent out, but did not raise 

 Marechal Niel, the greatest acquisition to our yellow Eoses 

 since the appearance of Celine Forestier, and promising to 

 surpass all that we yet possess of that colour. 



The following are M. Verdier's announcements for the next 

 season. The translation is made from his own circiilar. The 

 first two are Bourbons, the remainder Hybrid Peiq^etuals : — 



Julius Ccpsar, very vigorous, with stout darlc-greon branches; 

 thorns almost straight, strong, and blackisli ; leaves composed 

 of five broad and thick leaflets, delicate gi-een ; flowers large, 

 about II) centimetres (1 inches) in diameter, in clusters of 

 from three to eight, very full, well fonned, beautiful deep rose 

 cerise. 



Madame Charles Baltet, seedling from Louise Odier, very 

 vigorous, branches robust, distinct green, thorns strong, 

 straight, and reddish ; leaves composed of live bright green 

 leaflets ; flowers large, about 9 centimeteres in diameter 

 (3 J inches), in clusters of from four to six, perfectly imbri- 

 cated ; beautiful fresh delicate rose. 



Alha Mutabilis, seetUing from Jules Margottin, very vigorous, 

 with brownish-green branches ; thorns long, straight and 

 blackish ; leaves composed of five bright-green leaflets ; flowers 

 large, about 9 centimetres in diameter (3i inches), ixiil, white, 

 tinged with rose, becommg completely shaded with rose inthe 

 course of expansion. 



Charles Eonillard, very vigorous, with straight dark-gi-een 

 branches ; thorns few, straight or nearly so, reddish ; leaves 

 composed of three to five leaflets, deep gi-een : flowers large, 

 about 10 centimetres in diameter {■! inches), of the inost per- 

 fect form, full ; beautiful delicate rose with brighter centre. 



FUher Holmes, very vigorous and free-blooming ; branches 

 dull green ; thorns short, straight, and yellowish ; leaves com- 

 posed of five dark-green leaflets ; flowers large, about f) centi- 

 metres in diameter (34 inches), full, imbricated hke a CameUia ; 

 magnificent scarlet red ; very fragrant. 



Jo/;» Gricr, very vigorous, with dark-green stout branches; 

 thorns strong, slightly curved, yellowish ; leaves composed of 

 live apple-green leaflets ; flowers large, from 8 to 9 centi- 

 metres in diameters (3J to 3.J inches), full, well formed, globu- 

 lar, very fragrant ; beautiful clear red or dark rose, reverse of 

 petals silvery. 



Jean Lamhrrt, vigorous, with dark-green branches ; thorns 

 numerous, straight, and yellowish ; leaves composed of five 

 dark-green leaflets ; flowers extra large, about 12 centimetres 

 in diameter (ij inches); flame colour, shaded fiery red; the 

 buds are often extraordinary, and resemble a pigeon's egg. 



Mdlle. Marfinerite Dnmhraiv. seedhng of Bose de la Eeine, 

 very vigorous, with straight bright-green branches ; leaves com- 

 posed of five to seven delicate green leaflets: flowers extra 

 large, from 12 to 14 centimetres in diameter (4; to oi inches). 



