E78 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



t Oclobw 7, last. 



places in open conntry diatricta Lave bat little iJeaof Ibe dirt 

 adhering to every braccb and eboot of a plant growiof; wbere 

 sittcke prevails, and, I may add, even farmiDg crops Lave in 

 some degree the black stamp oj the place Ibey have been grown 

 i«. Haymaking ie an employment which proiiueea but little 

 dirt on the clothing of those engaged iu it, and the tame may be 

 said of harvest work; in fact, the handling uf ebeaves of corn 

 has been sapposed to have a cleansing eflcct on the clutbiug, 

 bat the reverse ia the case in the smoky districts ; there, both 

 hay and com impart their sootiness to the garments of those 

 handling them. In families, also, when that evil day to the 

 male portion of the commnnity comes round^the wa-bing- 

 day, the prevalence of blacks creates no slight amount of iiriiu- 

 tion to the lady of the house, and consequently difoomfort to 

 all others, all owing to that everlasting smoke. This impiirts 

 its blackness to everything around, not omitting the animal 

 creation, for do not the sheep in the London parks look smoke- 

 stained ? 



With regard to mitigating the evils resulting to vegetation 

 from smoke, I fear nothing can be done except abating the 

 nniaanco at its source, in other words consuming the smoke 

 where it is created. Most likely this will be more strictly en- 

 forced where deleterious substances are manufactured, but even 

 there it is difGcult to obviate all mischief. Many years ago it 

 was thonght that very tall chimneys would carry the obnoxious 

 gases so high as to become harmless by the time they reached 

 the surface again, but this was found not to be the case, and 

 otfaer remedies had to be applied. Possibly some chemist among 

 year readers may sugt^est cheaper and more effectual modes of 

 parifying the fumes from manufactories, as the evil requires 

 te be remedied as much as the deposit of sewage iu certain 

 places. Let as great a complaint be made of smoke and a 

 Temedy will follow. 



In conclusion I would advise those planting groups of trees 

 aod shrubs in town squares and gaidens to make sure of per- 

 fect drainage ; indeed, a diy, sandy, or gravelly soil would seem 

 best, for plentiful washings of water would do no harm to 

 the roots ; and as the water-supply of towns is generally so 

 ample as to admit of a bath being frequently given, much good 

 will result, especially if large quantities of water can be used 

 without soddening the ground, which would be the case if the 

 soil were too stiff. A good washing now and then might 

 enable many evergreens to thrive which now will not do so, but 

 it is vain to expect they will compare with those grown under 

 more favourable circumstances. Ouce let the smoke nuisance 

 be abated, and a better state of things will f jllow. — J. R. 



NOTES ON ROSES— THE MANETTI STOCK. 



I OFPKR a few notes on the Roses in cultivation here ; but 

 before doing so, a question havinqr arisen in yuur pai^es about 

 the Manetti stock, the editorial request must take precedence. 



My Hoses are known in this neighbourhood, and the reason 

 they have become so is, I suppose, that th>'y are sufficiently well 

 grown to attract attention; but the mode of growing them has 

 really been the cause of their receiving the notice bestowed upon 

 them, and this is due to the Manetti stock more than any other 

 assignable reason. The soil is of the lightest description ; and 

 the attempt to grow Roses upon it successfully, or rather satis- 

 factorily, after several years' trial with the Dog R se as a stock 

 — that is, as standards of whatever height, resulted in disap- 

 pointment. Hence followed the wish lo try .=ome other method, 

 and for the last eight years the gradual substitution of the Ma- 

 netti for the Rriar has, with very few drawbacks, more than 

 an.swcred the expectation formed of it. 



The question of Manetti versiix Briar has been so frequently 

 ventilated in these pages, that it is with some surprise that I see 

 it again brought forward. The short reply of Mr. Radclyife in 

 page 247 literally contains multum inparvj. There is no need 

 to repeat more than an emphatic endorsement of what is there 

 stated. The Manetti stock is not only not an imposition, hut is 

 also a great boon to rosarians who have light and poor soils in 

 ■which to cultivate their Il<)ses ; otherwise they must give over 

 the attempt, the propagation of Roses on ihcir own roots being 

 s» slow ad uncenain as to deter the most persevering. If the 

 Manetti stock has proved successful in a commercial point of 

 view, it is owing to the increasing confidence in it, and the grow- 

 ing appreciation of its merits; and it is not t"0 much to say that 

 at least the majority of those who have adopted it with success 

 ■will ever regard with the highest respect the name of .Mr. Rivers 

 ■who introduced it, and of Mr. Radcl) ffe who has so long and 

 ably urged its adoption. 



In giving a few joltings on Coses, chiefly of the older kinds, I 

 shall omit mention of nrany varieties which arc now thought not 

 above mediocrity, but which, noverthelesH, I have not yet suflfi- 

 ciently hardened my heart to * ist out. This jtrocess of harden- 

 ing, 1 suspect, is wiih many of us somewhat slow, and with me 

 it is a one-sided process too; for however slack I am in rooting 

 out plants that have cost some amount of care and yielded only 

 a moderate degree of gratification, but which after all are below 

 our st-vndard of excellence real or ideal, I am apt to complain 

 loudly to some of oar principal Rose nursorjmen of their over- 

 crowded catJilogues. 



A Rose that produces, season after .wa.'on, under all circum- 

 stcnccs, an abutidant or fair supply of bloom of good colour, form, 

 and size, with a vigorous habii of growth combined with hardy 

 constitution, must be marked first-ntc. Such are Charles Le- 

 fcbvrc, Jules Margottin, Gloire do Dijon, and Celine Forcstier; 

 and very closely following them, for it is difficult to draw a sharp 

 line of demarcation, are Sonateur Yaisse, Madame Victor Verdier, 

 Mareihal Vuillant, M-arie liaumann, and Prince Camille de 

 Rohan. These I rank as th; very best of Roses on account of 

 their const^incy every year. .Senateur Vaissc docs not grow so 

 strongly as Madame Victor Verdier, but is splendid in colour, 

 and scarcely surpa-ssed in form. Nor is Princo Camille de Rohan 

 so perfect in form and habit as could be wished— in fact, it ia 

 rather slovenly in the latter respect. Gloira de Dijon and Celine 

 Foreslier grow best on the Driir; all the rest have been far 

 superior on the Manetti slo k, altLoujh Charles Li febvre, Marf- 

 chal Vaillant, and Madame Victor Verdier will make good heads 

 as standards even in this light land. 



Those Roses of the Remontant class (Hybrid Perpetuab), 

 which are c instant every season, arc still f w in number ; and if 

 the abovenamed are not all — and they arc not — it will at least be 

 conceded that they are the best. Very many that have proved 

 good in one season too often show defects in the succeeding one ; 

 and some disappointment has be^n occasioned this year by several 

 prominent failures, as Alfred Colomb. Marguerite dc St. Amand, 

 John Hopper, Pierre Netting, and Leopuld Premier. Another 

 year will probably remove the disappointment, and they will 

 again hold a first place. Not quite so variable, but still showing 

 evidences of changcableness, are Camille Bcmardin, Maurice 

 Bernardin, Beauty of Waltham, and Adolphe de Kolhachild, all 

 of which I rank among our best crimson 8 arlcts. 



Of the darker crimson Roses, none hav; been more beautiful 

 in rich glowing colour this year than Lord Macaulay, Horace 

 Vemet, Duke "f Wellington, and Xavier Olibo. The first two 

 might aim st be ranked among the very best, being quite lull and 

 of fine form, in addition to having intense colouring. The other 

 two are remarkably attractive, but not quite full , and Xavier 

 Olibo has here frequently been rough and unfit for the exhibition 

 stand. Somewhat inferior to these, but yet good, have been 

 Jean Cherpin and Souvenir de Comte Cavour, -while Due de 

 Cazes and Monsieur Boncenne of like colour have been utter 

 failures. 



Duchcsse de Caylus and Exposition de Brie have been the 

 best of what may he called the crimson carmines ; the former 

 rather small but of exquisite shape ; both are tolerably constant 

 during successive seasons. Madame Caillat and Dr. Andry have 

 been invariably good, but appear rather dull in colour by the 

 side of the brilliant kinds named abive. Ant/une Ducher baa 

 not at all realised the pompous description of it when first sent 

 out. Thorin, too, is surpassed by others of its ccdour. 



In no strain of colour have shortcomings been more conspi- 

 cuous this season than in the rose-coloured varieties. Comtesse 

 de Chabrillant, La Ville de St. Den 8. Comte de Nanteuil, and 

 Gh ire de Vitry have not expanded their blooms with the certainty 

 that has hitherto characterised these kinds, although considered 

 among the be.st of their colour. John Ilnpper, as before men- 

 tioned, has too often put on a rusty coat, which spoiled its good 

 looks. Madame Fillion is a brilliant Rose when it can be grown, 

 but here it fails, it will not grow. Two indifferent blooms from 

 three plants in one entire season are not enough to satisfy the 

 most moderate rosarian. Anna Alexieff is a very pretty garden 

 Rose that blooms abundantly, and has this year maintained its 

 character. I still keep Madame Hector Jacquin on account of 

 colour and distinctness of form, although detective in some re- 

 spect! — for instance, not being sufficiently remontant. 



Of light pink Hoses, Mdlle. Thir^se t-evet has -been superb. 

 I have not had it long enough to pronounce a decided opinion, 

 but apparently it bids fiir to rival Marguerite de St. Amand, 

 unless this bcauly should prove more constant than she has this 

 year. Charles Verdier will not open. Charles Rouillard and 

 Comtesse de Jaucourt are worthless in this light soil, a'though 



