358 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



October 31, 1865. 



tore, no amount of atmospheric heat seeming to injure it. It 

 is rather liable to the attacks of insects, particularly the green 

 fly, ■which attacks the young shoots, and the tree must be con- 

 stantly searched to discover these pests ; they are generally 

 found under the young leaves or on the flower-buds. Tobacco 

 water is, I think, the only remedy. 



As an ornamental tree the Maugosteen is unrivalled : the 

 blossoms, too, are invaluable tor dressing ladies' hair, or for 

 bouquets, as they last for many hours without fading, and give 

 a beautiful and refreshing scent, somewhat resembUag the 

 Stephanotis. There is a variety gi'owu in Borneo with white 

 flowers remarkably fragrant, -but I beheve it has not been in- 

 ti'oduced as yet into England. 



I had intended saying a few words about the Durion and 

 Anona. both of which I have fruited, hut will postpone what 

 I have to say until next week. — J. H. 



ROSES IN GROUPS. 



An excellent practical article with the above heading ap- 

 peared in the .Journal of May 23rd, of the present year, from 

 the pen of Mr. Abbey. Although the distinguished rcsarians 

 appealed to for the information sought have not rephed, the 

 subject is sufficiently important not to be allowed to drop, 

 especially as the copious rains that have fallen since the heat 

 and drought of September, have rendered the soil highly 

 favourable for the fonnation of sxich groups. The few sug- 

 gestions now offered are not presumed to satisfy the inquiry, 

 for the conditions attached to it are too stringent to be literally 

 fuliUled, yet the time is not far distant, judging from the im- 

 provements that are gi'adually being efl'ected, when a sufficient 

 variety of Roses will be in cultivation to answer the require- 

 ments Mr. Abbey has specified. Already we have lands of the 

 highest merit, which, as Mr. Eadclyffe tridy says — " It will 

 take half a century to beat." The possession of these has 

 created the desire for more of the same excellence. In time 

 we hope they will appear. 



The directions for preparing the beds, given in the article 

 above alluded to, are simple, but at the same time indispen- 

 sable to secure good growth and free blooming. '■ The ground 

 should be well drained, deeply dug, and liberally supplied with 

 manure." And in after-times, if the manuring is continued 

 with occasional mulching to admit free action of sun and air, 

 and watering in very ilry weather, now and then with manure 

 water if obtainable, the beds will last for years. A plant or 

 two may die if too much neglected, but this is a contingency 

 not Ukeiy to happen if well-estabhshed strong plants are put 

 in at iirst. 



The best form of the plants intended for gi'ouping, especially 

 on light soils, is undoubtedly those budded on the Manetti 

 stock. Mr. Abbey says tnJy — " The ilauetti after two or 

 thre'e seasons does not cause trouble on accoimt of suckers, 

 and is never half so bad in this respect as the Dog Rose." The 

 SOU of my garden is of the Ughtest, and I experience this truth 

 constantly. In the present year I have not had twenty suckers 

 from 1.50 Manetti Roses, while the briar Eoses have been a 

 source of continual trouble on that account. My first Manetti 

 Eoses, planted five years ago, have not sent up half a dozen 

 suckers in the whole time ; they are still in a most satisfactory 

 state of health and vigour. Even on heavier soils the Manetti 

 is not unfavourable for gi'ouping. In the eaiiy part of the 

 summer of the present year, my good friend Mr. Goddard, gar- 

 dener to H. Eannerman, Esq., of Hunton Court, near Maid- 

 stone, pointed out two groups which he had formed, and which 

 were on the Manetti ; they were then just coming into bloom, 

 and for brilliancy of colour, freshness of foliage, and other good 

 qualities that we like to see, they were very evidently superior 

 to any in the garden on the briar, of which there are a con- 

 siderable number. They were also quite equal in bloom, and 

 superior in vigour to tliose on their own roots, although 3Ir. 

 Goddard has for some time past successfully propagated and 

 grown Eoses on their own roots, and gives that form the pre- 

 ference. It should be remembered that in putting in Manetti 

 plants in light and deep soil, from 4 to 6 inches below the 

 point of union is not too much. 



The conditions which Mr. Abbey insists upon as being re- 

 quisite in Eoses for grouping, may be thus summed up : — 

 1, They must have good flowers. 2, They must be profuse 

 bloomers. 3, They must have free and healthy foliage, and be 

 of strong and \igorous habit, but not rampant. All rosarians 

 are agreed that the above qualities are always desirable, and 



when any appear possessing them in a greater or less degree 

 they are pronounced Al. A supplementary negative condition 

 is added to the above. " Those that are inconstant, or those 

 that only open occasionally and produce few blooms, or more 

 imperfect than perfect ones, are useless." Such are General 

 Washington, Sceur des Anges, and in some seasons La Eeine, 

 Souvenir de la Eeine d'Augleterre, and others of that class, 

 which, beautiful as they are when they do come, cannot yet be 

 dispensed with as exhibition flowers. They must be omitted 

 in grouping on lawns. " A combination of hardiness, dwarf 

 habit, profuse foliage and bloom is most wanted :" therefore, 

 only such as possess these quahties should be planted ; for a 

 group on a lawn must be necessarily conspicuous at all times, 

 more especially when in flower, and this must be more or less 

 for five months of the year. Most people would prefer variety, 

 but it is not yet possible to furnish even a limited variety 

 possessing the requirements to the letter ; hut it is quite pos- 

 sible to form a group that shaU be good and pleasing. The 

 best I ever saw was formed and planted by Mr. Eadclyffe, at 

 CritchiU, the seat of H. C. Sturt, Esq., in Dorsetshire. This 

 gi-oup consists of more than one hundred plants all on the 

 Manetti stock, and comprises the Hite of the Hybrid Perpetuals. 

 It is highly admired and gives a very attractive feature to the 

 beautiful gi-ounds at CritchiU. The plants are arranged with 

 the most vigorous in the centre, and the dwarfer kinds round 

 the outside. 



In foi-ming a group of Eoses on a lawn, the situation, size, 

 and shape of the bed must influence the arrangement of the 

 kinds planted. If the bed is a small circle, oval, or rectangle — 

 for simple figui'es are always the best — the varieties selected 

 should be of uniform habit, and it situated apart, dwarf and 

 compact-growing kinds are preferable. If the bed is large and 

 not reqiured to be viewed at a glance, it will be well to plant 

 strong-growing kinds in the centre with dwarfer ones towards 

 the outside, as is done at CritchiU. If the bed is only to be 

 looked at from one side, it will evidently be the best plan to 

 plant the strongest kinds at the back and the less vigorous 

 towards the front. 



As regards the kinds suitable for this style of planting, my 

 own idea of a small bed would give a decided preference to 

 one kind to each bed, if several small beds are to be formed, 

 because we possess Eoses that fiUly come up to the standard 

 recognised by iVir. Abbey, and I think correctly. Such is 

 Charles Lefebvre, which has eminently every desirable point 

 of exceUence, and not inferior to it is Senateur Vaisse ; CecUe 

 de Chabrillant must also claim a place, after the other two 

 only in not being quite so free-blooming in the autumn months. 

 More vigorous and sturdy in habit, but, nevertheless, more pro- 

 Ufie is Jules Margottiu, our old favourite. Caroline de Sansal 

 is also well adapted for the same pni-pose. A bed of either of 

 these is sure to be attractive, and in the case of the two first- 

 named grand. Effective gi-oups of a single variety may also 

 be planted with General Jacqueminot, Duchesse d'Orleans, 

 Marcchal Taillant, Prince Camille de Eohan, and Madam© 

 Boutin. The last two, however, do not bloom quite so freely 

 here as on hea\'ier soils. 



I subjoin two lists. The first contains kinds that are either 

 natm-ally dwarf or may be kept so by a judicious use of the 

 pruning-knife. Their height should not be aUowed to exceed 

 2 or 2i feet. The second Ust consists of more vigorous va- 

 rieties, which should be allowed to grow to the height of 3 or 

 4 feet as may be required. They will do better suppoi-ted by a 

 neat stake of wood, or stiO better by a slender iron rod painted, 

 or covered with pitch. Green paint seems the most appro- 

 priate. Both lists contain some varieties that would not be 

 considered good enough ?or exhibition flowers, but they com- 

 pensate for this defect, if defect it is, by blooming freely. 

 There are none inserted bat what have been proved here, hence 

 it may seem that there ar«' amissions ; to supply these must be 

 left to the judgment of those who may avail theraselves of 

 these suggestions. The kinds are arranged according to colour, 

 the lightest being first. 



No. 1. MademoiseUe Bomnaire, Caroline de Sansal,. Duchesse 

 d'Orleans, Cceile de ChabTiUant, John Hopper, Baron GoneUa, 

 Louise Odier, Colonel de Esugemont, Catherine Guillot, Alpa'ide 

 de Rotalier, Gloire de Vitry, Triomphe de Paris, Francois La- 

 charme, Senateur Vaisse, Charles Lefsbvre, Eugene Appert, 

 Geant des Batailles, Duthess of Norfolk, Cardinal Patrizzi, 

 and Empereiir de Maroc. 



No. 2. Lordse Darzens, Acidalie, Anna. AlexieS, Duchess of 

 Sutherland. La VUle de St. Denis, Jales MargotSin, Madame 

 Clemeuce joigneaux, Maiame Charles- 'Wood, Madame Charles- 



