304 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I April u, xm. 



on lenvps or litter before lie returns the earth njjainst the 

 stock and Imil. Wien lie i-iita away the stock, and the shoot 

 grows, he mny then close the soil CArofiiUy against the shoot, 

 covering the "point of union at least 2 inches. Nino inches 

 from slip to slip, and 2 feet between the rows, are sufficient 

 room for simple propagation. The closer the plants are to- 

 gether the better they grow in hot, dry weather. In the au- 

 nmn they can be removed. 



As regards the scarcity of the Manelti stock, I believe that 

 to be a"fact. Some years back Sir. Cranston told me, "1 

 have 20,000 Manetti Roses. I want 100,000 stocks. If I had 

 them budded I could sell them." In these parts Manetti Hoses 

 have entirely superseded the Briar Roses. I hear from Mr. 

 Taylor, of Fencote, Yorkshire, who lives in the fine vale of 

 Mowbray, that the Manetti Roses beat the Briar Roses. Of 

 course, I know that the Briar fails oftentimes from persons 

 being ignorant of its requirements, and that in first-rate Briar 

 land. The same miiy be said of Manetti llnso failures. I be- 

 lieve, at present, there arc very few real rosarians. The fact 

 is, they are general florists, and take care of nothing. Their 

 floral establishment is a " curiosity shop." For strong, deep, 

 unctuons, well-drained clays, and rich deep loams, the Briar is 

 still a first-rate stock. For careless and ignorant people, in 

 any kind of land, the Manetti Roses are the best, for if they 

 are free growers they will make a better fight against ignorance, 

 neglect, and the various shocks of time. 



I have no prcjiulices on any subject. Sfy future garden is 

 Buited to Briar Roses, and I have just planted 120 stocks. In 

 autumn my Manetti Roses, Briar Roses, and Roses on their 

 own roots, will be moved into that land, and, of course, I do 

 not expect my experience to remain exactly the same ; but, 

 whatever the alteration may be, I shall make it public. 



I would advise all the readers of this Journal to keep their 

 Stocks well watered before budding, if the weather is hot. Then 

 the hotter the weather is (l tie a leaf over the bud) the qiiicker 

 is the union. Early in the morning, or in the evening, in hot 

 weather, is the best time. I sometimes after budding pour a 

 little water over the bud. I budded my Briars this season in 

 intense heat, and hardly any failed. I think people cut the 

 slits for the reception of the bud imnecessarily long. Half an 

 inch is long enough. — W. F. Radcltffe, Tarrant Ruslttoii. 



THE COILING OF VINES AGAIN. 



I H.u-E been interested with the recent discussions on the coil- 

 ing of Vines. When two such mighty gladiators as Mr. Rivers 

 and Mr. Thomson cross swords it must be on some important 

 matter, and some important facts must be elicited in their dis- 

 cussions. One scarcely knows which the more to admire, the 

 home thrust of the one or the skilful parry of the other. There is 

 a possibility of both being right, and I as an on-looker think 

 BO. In offering an opinion, however, I know how dangerous it is 

 for pigmies to interfere in the battles of cranes for fear of utter 

 annihilation, or at least a fillip of chastisement ; and a young 

 practitioner of a score years' standing ought to think before 

 indulging nn opinion, lest a ponderous piece of experience of 

 four score, with its accumulated inertia, should send him with 

 one bound back to begin a second novitiate ; but fools some- 

 times step in where angels fear to tread, and I do so on the 

 strength of one piece of experience which I have to produce, 

 since the opinions of others seem to be invited. 



Last vear, in February, I had ten excellent pot Vines left of 

 different sorts, with canes (i or 7 feet long, in 10-inoh pots, 

 with fine plump eyei on the 3 feet at top. I determined to 

 have them fruited' to stand on the table : so the pots were 

 plunged in a spent bark-bed near the glass, the rims just 

 covered, and about 3 feet of the stems laid down on the sur- 

 face of the tan, and just covered over for the sole purpose of 

 hiding that part of the stem and pot. The top 3 feet was 

 passed through the hole of a six-inch pot, which was made 

 to stand on the surface of the tan, the pot filled with soil, a 

 stake with cross pieces applied to the Vine to keep it upright, 

 and so the Viuf s were started. Throughout the summer many 

 were cheated into the idea that the Vines were gi-owing entirely 

 in the six-inch pots until undeceived. The Vines broke well, 

 and showed well for fruit, and all went well until about the 

 second swelling, when away went the Vines into strong growth, 

 the berries ceased to swell satisfactorily, and they were long in 

 ripening ; in fact, they became useless for ovir purpose, they 

 continued to grow so determinatcly and so gross. They were, 

 however, cut over at the surface of the bed, and removed with 



the small pots. The 10-inch pots, with the 3 feet of layered stem, 

 were left in tlie bed until this spring, when, on removing them, 

 the cause of the gnjss growth of last year, though well known, 

 was doubly apparent. The whole length of the stems was 

 found to bo densely fringed with roots striking horizoDtally 

 into the old tan, and when drawn out resembled immense oen- 

 tipedes ; the old routs in the pots did not seem to have made 

 any further progress, and really seemed as if they had been 

 dormant. I think when these new roots from the layered stem 

 came into action in their imlimited pasturage, that then the 

 Vines started into woody growth, and the old and fniit-giving 

 roots were superseded, and the successfol iinishing of the fruit 

 completely frustrated. 



Now, although the layering of the Yine in the tan may at 

 first sight seem analogous to the coiling of the Vine in a pot, 

 still the result might have been di£ferent. Had the Vines bieen 

 merely coiled round the surface of the large pot they would have 

 rooted centipede fashion, but would have only had tho original 

 potful of soil to root and feed in ; still I should be shy to allow 

 tho new roots to interfere with the action of the old in perfect- 

 ing the crop of fruit. This is, however, the point where it will 

 be interesting to know the result of Mr. Rivers's experiment. 



In my case the Vines rooted freely all along the stem, but 

 then they wore only just covered with the tan, and I am satis- 

 fied tlint they would not have done so if covered H or 10 inches. 

 I think there is no doubt but the contact with the influence of 

 tho atmosphere was the cause of their rooting so profusely. 

 It is often seen in striking Roses or Geraniums, or even Wil- 

 lows, that the part in the soil may die or d.amp off, but a whorl 

 of roots is produced at the surface, and this invariably happens 

 when the soil is too wet or close, so as to exclude the air ; beat 

 has, apparently, not by any means so much to do with the 

 matter. 



I am interested in this discussion, as, at the opening of it, 

 I had just laid down some three-year-old Vines across an inside 

 border from back to front to fill up some vacancies, but merely 

 pegging them on the surface. They are making roots freely, 

 and the Vines are growing strong ; I fear I shall not have well- 

 finished fruit from them, but that I anticipate. — A. Pkovinxiai.. 



KOYAL IIORTICULTUR-^ SOCIETY. 



Aprii, IVth. 



Floiul CoMMTrTF.F. — Mr. Murdt'Il. gardener to J. C. Pirkersgil], 

 Esq., exhibited two plants of Kmmpferia ovalifolia noticed last veelc ; 

 and seedlings of Myosotis from Messrs. Haage & Schmidt were again 

 placed bf^forc the Committee, but not in a condition to form any idea 

 of their merits. Mr. Hopwood. Cheltenham, sent two seedling Cine- 

 rariiis — a white one, jiunied Virgin yneen, and Chancellor, a rosy 

 pcqtle. Mr. AViUiams. Finchley, exhibited two neatly-arranged 

 baskets containing cut flowers of two seedling TropmoUims. Attrac- 

 tion, if of good nud dwarf habit, is a Tcrv promising flower, deep 

 yellow with scarlet markings at the base of the petals : Beanty, the 

 other was a pale yellow variety. A special certilicate was awarded for 

 the simple, yet pretty, arrangement of the flowers. 



Messrs. Veit^h sent a verv- interesting collection of plants coutaia- 

 ing Orchids, Azaleas. Rhododendrons, Anthurinms. Arc., which re- 

 ceived a special certiticate. The Orchids were particularly tine. Among 

 them were some yen,- superb specimens of Trichopilia suavis, T. snavis 

 superba. and T. crispa. The Committee recommended these Orchids 

 OS worthy of the Lindley Medal, which was granted them by the 

 Council. ' In the collectioii of plants we noticed a very biaulifnl hardy 

 ■Inpancso shnib, Raphiolenis ovala. It had been before the Com- 

 mittee when first introilnced. and received a label of conmicndation. 

 Now that it has bcrn better grown it proves itself to be n first-class 

 plant ; it has not been seen before in snch perfection. The white spikes 

 of its 8weetly-scent<!d flowers make it veni' attractive ; the folinv'e id dark 

 green. This is a plant which mnst find its way into every garden as 

 soon as it is known. Mr. Hull sent several interestiui; plants. Among 

 them wore Asjiidistra HieboUli. a hardy variegatcdfoliaged plant, the 

 same as Aspidistra lurida varicpata ; Camellia tricolor inibricata plena, 

 a small, prettv. striped flower ; Nidularia Pinelii. very similar to other 

 Nidulnrias ; Pitcairnia tabnUfomiis ; and Psyc hotria macrocephoU. 

 The Inst-nanjed plant was much admired. Some donbt, however, 

 existed as to its haring received any previona award. Shonid it not 

 have done so, it will be dnly noticed at the next meetinff. It is a very 

 beantifnl plant, sending np large masses of pure white flowers from 

 amidst its large green leaves. Mr. Salter. Hammersmith, sent a 

 very beautiful seeillmg Camellia, Princess Mary, flower bright red, 

 excellent f.rm. and fine dark foliage. For this a first-class certificate 

 was ftwanle.l. Mr. J. Cox, gardener to W. Wells. Ksq., Kedleaf, 

 bronght cut specimens of Rhododendron Aucklandii and K. eampylo- 

 carpnm. one of the Sikkim varieties, an early- flowering kind, vitk 

 pule Ulac flowers. A special certificate was awarded it. 



Mr. Edmonds, gardener to the Dowager Duchess of Sntherlaod, 



