42G 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



C Jane 3, 1875. 



blooms as have never been seen since 1871 on any amateur's 

 stands. 



Let anyone, then, who thinks that to grow prize blooms they 

 must bud their own stocks, lookout for his Roses at the shows 

 this year, and compare them with the nurserymen's maidens. 

 The year I won two firsts io the only classes I showed at the 

 Crystal Palace was 1872, when I did not possess a maiden 

 plant, and since I have budded my own I do not think my 

 blooms have been so good. 



X am not writing this ia the interests of nurserymen, but 

 simply to open a question which I think will interest all lovers 

 of the Rose. Indeed I believe the nurserymen (though greatly 

 against their interests) will almost to a man condemn my pro- 

 position. Bat why will they do this? Simply because they 

 have nothing to do with cut-back plants; they know very little 

 of them ; their object is to sell all their stock year by year, 

 and they will at the close of a season even sell at a sacrifice 

 rather than not clear their ground. Mr. Walters of Exeter at 

 the close of the season sells splendid Manetti plants at 5s. a 

 dozen. The nurserymen then show entirely from maiden 

 plants, and they speak according to their experience. But let 

 anyone walk down a line of Roses at one of our nurseries in 

 Jane or July, and see what a lot of coarse bad blooms there 

 is, redeemed only by a few magnificent blooms here and there. 

 I venture to say that he will see far more bad blooms there 

 than he will in his own or any other amateur's carefully 

 tended rosery. 



Then the advantages of growing cut-backs are numerous. 

 In the first place you are doing good to some of the best fellows 

 that ever walked, I mean the large Rose nurserymen. You 

 fceep their trade going like a house on fire, and doing good to 

 others should be one great principle in all that appertains to 

 the queen of flowers. Secondly, you save space and time to an 

 enormous extent. Let anyone look at the space, say, that a 

 thousand or two thousand Briars take up in a nursery, and 

 then look at the time those take before they give you blooms. 

 They are planted in November, and it is not till Jane or July 

 in the second year that your Briars become Roses. Thirdly, 

 then the failures. These represent in amateur collections a 

 very large per-centage of the whole ; while, on the other hand, 

 one of our large nurserymen rarely sends out any but strong 

 plants, which nearly always do well. Fourthly, then there is 

 the weary labour of budding, of tying, untying, rubbing out 

 the wild growth, tying up the young growing shoot, the expense 

 of the bast, the disappointment of some of your choicest Roses 

 being destroyed by the wind in spite of all your efforts. Lastly, 

 the late development of these maiden plants. The Crystal 

 Palace fixture is often too early for the maidens, never for the 

 cat-backs. 



These and many other reasons cause me to recommend cut- 

 backs to all whose space is the least limited, who want quick 

 returns for their money and care, and who want to compete at 

 the early shows. If you have space and unlimited money at 

 command, then go in for both kinds so as to secure succession ; 

 but if you are obUged to choose between one or the other, 

 grow cut-backs. 



I am writing this in the hope of its eliciting discussion and 

 any amount of contradiction. " I likes to be despised " in 

 Rose matters, so long as my despisers know anything about 

 the matter; but what I like much better is to see any subject 

 connected with the Rose discussed in the columns of our 

 Journal, which I consider is the greatest friend that the queen 

 of flowers possesses. I know that there are a vast number of 

 your readers who look out week after week for articles or letters 

 on Rase culture, and that the more men read the more they 

 aultivate Roses. — John B. M. Cajim. 



KOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



June 2nd. 

 CoNSiDEBiNG all the surrounding circumstances — the real im- 

 pediments, the hard sayings, the failures of the minor shows, 

 the unsympathetic tone existing, it is a matter of surprise that 

 there is a show at all to report. ** Great " only in name was 

 the general prognostic of the principal display of the season, 

 and it was never expected that for quality or extent the exhi- 

 bition would be worthy of its designation as the " Great Sum- 

 mer Exhibition of the Royal Horticultural Society." Still the 

 display is a good one, the quality of the plants sent being more 

 noticeable than the quantity. They were staged in the two 

 conservatory corridors, and were the objects of generally favour- 

 able criticism. The plants exhibited for Mr. Bull's prizes were 

 estensive and valuable, and as being the introduction of one 



firm in the course of three years speak volumes for English 

 commercial enterprise. Referring to the classes we find several 

 empty, but those occupied generally contained good plants. 



In the class for twelve Orchids Mr. Djuglas staged bright, 

 healthy, well-bloomed plants of Cattleya Warneri, Dendro- 

 biums Farmeri, Bensoniie, and nobUe ; Lielia purpurata, Cypri- 

 pedium spectabile, Phalajoopsis grandiflora, Masdevallia Harry- 

 ana, and Oacidiums papilio, ampliatum major, and phymato- 

 chilum. The first prize was awarded to him. 



Mr. Douglas also exhibited in the opan class, and had the pre- 

 mier award. His group consisted of Orchis foliosa, exception- 

 ally fiue; Dendrobium thrysiflorum, noble spike; Masdevallia 

 Whitbourniana, very bright; Cypripediums spectabile and bar- 

 batum, L;elia purpurata, &c. Both these were clean bright 

 groups. 



For twelve new plants, Orchids excluded, Mr. Bull had Phyl- 

 lotioaium Lindeni in fine form, capital examples of Pritchardia 

 grandis, and Kentia Mooreii, Anthurium crystallinum, Dra- 

 caenas, Crotons, and the beautiful Fern Pleocaemia Leuzeana. 

 Mr. Williams had two noble weeping tree Ferns, Cyathea Burkei 

 and Alsophila Williamsii, a large Ficus Parcellii, Dracsenas, 

 Crotons, itc. 



For eight greenhouse Azaleas (nurserymen), Messrs. J. Ivery 

 and Sou, Djrking, staged densely-bloomed pyramids, 4 feet 

 high, of Flag of "Truce, Reine des Pays Bas, Chelsoni, Forget- 

 me-not, Tricolor, Charles Encke, Oracle, and Madame de Can- 

 naert d'Hamale. This was the only collection in the class, 

 and was worthy of the first prize awarded. 



For six Azaleas (amateurs), Mr. Ratty, gardener to K. Thorn- 

 ton, Esq., Sydenham Hill, was the only exhibitor with the same 

 immense pyramids which he exhibited at the Palace. Criterion 

 is fully 6 feet in diameter at the base ; Burlingtonia, a beautiful 

 deep pink, is a globe G feet over ; while Estranei, Iveryana, and 

 Gledstanesi are considerably larger. They had the first prize. 



For fifteen Azaleas (open), the first prize was awarded to 

 Messrs. Ivery & Son, who had plants varying from 18 inches to 

 3 feet in diameter, and closely bloomed. The most striking 

 were Mars, Iveryana, Duchesse Adelaide de Nassau, Surprise, 

 Grand Crimson, very beautiful; Fanny Ivery, and a seedling 

 with a singular mixture of white and scarlet blooms. This was 

 a well-grown and highly attractive group of plants. 



For twenty fine-foliaged plants in pots not exceeding 12 inches 

 in diameter Mr. Bull exhibited a bright and beautiful group of 

 medium-sized plants, of which Paulinia thalictrifolia, Croton 

 Weismani, Dracajnas regiua and Goldieana, and Paudanus 

 Veitchii were remarkably well grown. The Palms also were 

 good. Smaller plants were staged by Mr. WiUs, of which 

 Sphosrogyne latifolia, Aralia fastigiata, Zamia Lehmanni, 

 Xylophylla latifolia, Dieffenbachia nobilis, and Terminalia ele- 

 gans were very ornamental. Mr. Aldous also exhibited, and had 

 the third place. F'or nine fine-foliaged plants (nurserymen), 

 Mr. Wills exhibited a large Pandanus Veitchii, Phormium 

 tenax variegatum, Encephalartos villosus, Dieiienbachia, Dra- 

 Cienas, etc. — a very good group. Mr. Aldous competed, but his 

 group was deficient in bright colours. 



For twelve Palms in 8inch pots (open), Mr. Bull exhibited 

 bright glossy plants, of which Verschaileltias melanocha;tes 

 and splendida, D;i'monorops palerabanicus, Cocoa Weddelliana, 

 and Hyophorbe Verschaffelti were the most noticeable. Mr. 

 Wimaett, however, was first with larger but not such choice and 

 attractive plants. In the class for six Palms (nurserymen), Mr. 

 Wills had large plants but deficient in lustre, but merited the 

 first prize which was awarded them. For six Crotons (open), 

 really excellent plants were staged by Mr. Bull of Weismanni, 

 Youngii, volutum, undulatum, spirale, and majeslicum. These 

 were fiue in health and good in colour. Twelve Dracjenas and 

 Cordylines (open), Mr. Bull had healthy and well-coloured plants 

 in 12-inch pots, varying from 2 to 5 feet in height, of D. Baptistii, 

 Chelsoni, F'raseri, regina, Mooreana, triumpbaus, Shepherdi, 

 Weismanni, rex, magnifica, amabilis, and the distinct and 

 effective species Goldieana. Smaller but equally well-condi- 

 tioned plants were staged by Mr. Wills of the above-named 

 sorts, with the addition of excelsa, Macleayi, very dark ; Guil- 

 foylei, Kniorkiana, Youngii, and Dennisonii. Probably no finer 

 plants than the above have ever been exhibited. 



In Class 3U, six new plants, Orchids excluded, Mr. Bull staged 

 a rich group, amongst which Blandfordia princeps was conspi- 

 cuously beautiful. He had also quaint Pilocerus, Lomaria Do- 

 broydensis ; Dracirnas canescens, bright green and white, and 

 Goldieana; Anthurium Scherzerianum album, and Palms in 

 variety. 



Six Lilies (open). — Nice plants were staged by Mr. Bull o^ 

 Auratum, Tigrinum splendens, pyrenaicum, Szovitzianum> 

 davauricum erectnm, and bulbiferum umbellatum, and a first 

 prize awarded. This was the only entry in this class. 



Twelve hardy perennials (open).— Mr. R. Parker was first with 

 fiue specimens of Lupines, Pteonias, double Pyrethrums, .tc. A 

 smaller but a very nice group comiug from Mr. Dean, Ealing. 

 Hardy plants were not staged so well as at previous shows. 



For twelve hardy Ferns (nurserymen), Messrs. J. Ivery & Son 



