December 31, 1874. ) 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



587 



imperiftl visitor was not in time for it. Assuredly it would 

 have had a special notice in the Shah's journal, unless, indeed, 

 he had thouRht it ri^ht to imitate the founder of hia faith and 

 abstain from the visit, on the same principle as Mahomet, who 

 is said to have refused even to look down upon Damascus, 

 saying that only one paradise was allotted to mortals, and that 

 he, for his part, would not enter upon his here ! 



In this little work of ninety-one pages will be found every 

 ■direction that can possibly be required. The explanations are 

 much assisted by well-executed woodcuts. Though a book of 

 now some standing, it is so well written-up to the present day 

 that we observe in the Rose catalogue even some of the coming 

 Boses for the spring of 1875, notably those two from Waltham, 

 with regard to which we have had the gratifying announcement 

 •that Mr. W. Paul considers them the finest he has ever been 

 able to introduce to the public, the Queen of Waltham and 

 the Star of Waltham. In the closing portion, to which wo 

 have already alluded, will be found a most amusing and yet 

 strictly scientific autobiography, written by one of those 

 plants of Mr. Paul's which have Royalty for their patrons and 

 admirers, and illustrated as it goes along with some very 

 effective and instructive little drawings. 



We now refer shortly to the general contents. Mr. Paul 

 begins by affirming thiit to have Roses all the year round is 

 ■quite practicable if we grow them in pots. " Three sets 

 of plants (only) are requisite to accomplish this. The first, 

 which are grown out of doors or in a cold pit, will flower from 

 May till November ; the second, which are retarded, will flower 

 from November till February ; and the third, which are forced, 

 ■from February till .Jane." He proceeds then to tell how to 

 retard and how to force. There are some excellent remarks 

 upon choice of varieties, and on the characteristics of those 

 best suited for pot culture. These he defineg as — 1, Elegance 

 of Habit; 2, Contrast of Colour; 3, Abundance of Bloom; 

 4, Former Outline ; 5, Duration ; and G, Sweetness ; while the 

 quality of duration is explained as holding " the flowers in 

 perfection for some days — a most necessary thing, since to ob- 

 tain a number of flowers on one plant in all the various stages 

 of bloom at a given time is one great point the cultivator of 

 Eoses in pots for exhibition should never lose sight of." 



Lists of the best climbing and forcing varieties are supplied 

 with a fullness which leaves nothing to be desired ; while at 

 the same time we have laid down that most important and 

 often overlooked principle in Eose-growing, " that it is better 

 to have one first-rate Rose growing in two positions, than a 

 greater variety comprising kinds of inferior merit." Without 

 some such guidance, as that which is here oiifered, the first few 

 years of an exhibitor are really mainly taken up with finding 

 out what will not answer, and what to get rid of. 



On page 38 we have a list of yellow Roses. What is a yellow 

 Rose? has often been queried. Here we are told by the Royal 

 Botanic Society, and the list has been corrected so as to take 

 in those of the present day. 



The enemies, again, of pot Eoses are enumerated. We are 

 forearmed against the caterpillar : " When the buds first 

 break, and continually after, the plants should be keenly sought 

 over to destroy the grub and caterpillar, which travel from 

 shoot to shoot, eating-out the growing points. Some of these 

 are mere threads in appearance, and can scarcely be detected 

 till some mischief is done. A finely-pointed knife or a large 

 needle is the best instrument for this purpose." The aphis or 

 green fly is next discussed, and here we cannot forbear from 

 quoting wholesale from the autobiography. It is only fair to 

 begin ab ovo. The favourite of Royalty begins life as " a cut- 

 ting:"— 



"In about eight days the juices exuding from the top and 

 bottom of my stem had formed a callus, and a few days later 

 white porous roots began to form, with spoiige-iike points, that 

 sucked up the moisture from the soil." 



A few months elapse, and now the cutting is in the forcing 

 house, a sprightly young plant. 



"Everything around me was so neat and comfortable that I 

 began to think I had arrived at the summit of plant happiness, 

 ■when suddenly there came — from where I know not — a minute 

 insect, the colour of my leaf, which caused me great pain and 

 annoyance. At first I looked upon her as a mere visitor, at- 

 tracted hither by the warmth and comfort of my dwelling; and 

 though it was irritating enough to have her stalking over the 

 still delicate membrane of my leaf, this I might have borne on 

 account of good nature. But alas ! I soon found that not only 

 had she made up her mind to dwell on my leaves, but also to 

 live on my juices. Puncture after puncture was made ■with 



rapid succession, and soon a host of young ones rose to join in 

 the attack. A few days only had elapsed since tlie appearance 

 of the first of this numerous race ; but their voracity was so 

 great that my roots could not meet the demand thus made upon 

 them, [n vain I twisted my leaves ; the more languid the 

 supply the more violently did they suck my juices, and my 

 health began to decline; when one day the door opened, and 

 John, whom I had not seen for some time, came hobbling in 

 with a stick. With a single glance of the eye he saw how the 

 case stood, and forgetting his rheumatism, he dropped his crutch, 

 and bopped out of the house, shouting, " Jacob — green fly — 

 tobacco!" 



One other extract must be made, for it bears upon one of 

 the special questions of the day, which has more than once 

 been hotly contested in these columns, and that is the com- 

 parative merits and demerits of the Mauetti. That delightful 

 old John is discussing it with a younger gardener. It is not 

 hard to gather from their conversation what is our author's 

 opinion : — 



" John.— Does it not grow well ? 



" Simon. — Yes, too well. It grows so well that there is now 

 nothing but itself in the way of Roses left in the garden. 



" John. — But are not the young plants fine ? 



" SistoN. — Yes ; fine the first year, but seldom afterwards. 

 With us ground shoots spring up in quicker succession, and ten 

 times more numerous, than from the Dog Rose ; and no amount 

 of watchfulness on my part could prevent the exhaustion and 

 death of the sorts budded on it. 



" John. — The stock has been successful, then, if the aorta 

 budded on it have failed ? But do they not say it is more excit- 

 able than any other stock, and that Roses break and blossom 

 earlier on it ? 



" SisfON. — Excitable! yes. Last spring my Boses broke a 

 fortnight earlier than other people's, and ■were frosted in con- 

 sequence, while theirs remained unscathed. But if you would 

 hke to try it I will send you some. 



"John. — Thank you. I have already tried it. Iwantedacon- 

 firmation or contradiction of my conclusions, and your opinions 

 are in exact coincidence with my own. It may do well under 

 special circumstances, but it is not the stock for general use." 



With this we unwillingly take our leave of a most agreeable 

 mixture of the ntile with the dalce. A famous physician, 

 when asked by his patients what course they were to pursue 

 after leaving him, is said to have answered invariably, " Buy 

 my book !" We would say the same to all who have thus far 

 accompanied us, There is no better two-shillings' worth — Buy 

 the book ! 



THE LUCY GEIEVE PEAE. 



It happened very long ago, 



How lung? — we scarcely seem to know — 



A fair younR child, in joyous glee, 

 Flack'd with daring little hand 



A ripe Pear from a tree ; 

 And ate the mellow fruit ehe chose 

 "With all the zest which childhood knows, 

 But marvelled in its inmost core 



Some dark brown pips to see; 

 And marvelled more to hear it told 

 That each email pip, so plump and bold. 



Might yet become a tree. 

 Then thoughtfully she pondered long 



How this thiu^' could be so. 

 And lastly in a put of earth 



A tiLy seed did sow. 

 That seed became a living plant, 



And claimed her ■williau' care, 

 "While promit-os were kindly made 



With friends its future fruit to share. 

 In time the plant became a tree. 



With foliage bright and fair — 

 The child a merry little maid. 



In favour everywhere. 

 Afiection cherished still the tree, 



Which cold and storm could brave, 

 But long before it bore a fruit. 



The maid was in her grave. 

 And when at last it ripened fruit, 



And they who well do know. 

 Declare, on England's fertile soil 



No richer e'er did gr^iw; 

 And say how that a fruit so fair 



Its raiser's name hhould bear, 

 And be hereafter always koowu 



Ab little Lucy's Pear. 



Gardex Labels. — I have seen the different letters in *' our 

 Journal " respecting garden labels, and amongst others the 

 suggestion respecting China labels (the names being printed 

 by the manufacturers). It struck me, however, that enamelled 

 iron, such as you see now at most railway stations in the 



