iebniary 10, 1870. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



115 



Some persons say no amatear ought toprane his own Roses, 

 as they do not like to out away promising buds. There are 

 exoeptioaa to all rules. Thinning-out and removing all old 

 and weak wood is, on the whole, more important than pruning- 

 back strong wood ; in fact, last year I left some La France 

 Roses, which began to push early, quite unpruned, and I had 

 some remarkably fine blooms from them, but then the growth 

 was strong, and there were no feeble shoots. 



Roaes on Manetti bear cutting-back far more than standards, 

 because the object is not so much to produce symmetrical 

 heads as to obtain good blooms. As a rule, so long as the 

 Manetti stocks have good roothold no one need be afraid of 

 outting-back too severely. I have had my Roses too often out 

 down by frost to the snow line, and make all their growth 

 from apparently barren eyes or below the ground, ever to be 

 afraid of severe pruning. Last year, for instance, the frost of 

 December Slat, 1874, and January Ist, 1875, killed my Cfiline 

 Forestier In every case down to the ground, but I never saw 

 much more vigorous growth than every plant made. Many 

 others were severely injured, but, with rare exceptions, all 

 Roses pushed vigorous shoots from below the snow line. 



I can fully appreciate your correspondent's admiration of 

 Alfred Colomb and Annie Wood. They are two really first- 

 olass Roses, though Alfred Colomb is the most certain and 

 best opener. Still, Annie Wood ia not far behind, but Abbe 

 Brammerel will, I fear, disappoint him on second trial. The 

 petals are coarse and rough, and the outline uncertain, though 

 it may eventually prove a better garden Rose than I give it 

 credit for. It will never earn many laurels on the exhibition- 

 table. 



This winter which has shipwrecked many weather prophets 

 who ventured to predict an arctic winter of unexampled 

 severity, will, I fear, be likely to prove a treacherous one, 

 and uuleaa we have a backward February and March, spring 

 flowers will be too forward, and fruit blosaoma will have 

 to contend against the uncertain weather of April and May. 

 With us in Yorkshire the last week in May is too often the one 

 which plays havoc with fruit proapeote. I have known even 

 in the midland counties Potatoes with young tubers fit for 

 the table out down and blackened with a single night's frost 

 the first week in Juno. 



Ireland may be free from these sudden variations ; still it is 

 better to try and guard against them by pruning-back sufficiently 

 so as to prevent the early growth at the end of unpruned 

 shoots being relied upon for blooms. Apparently this year the 

 Continent is bearing the brunt of the winter, and the south 

 of England^south of the Trent — has been colder than the 

 north, the average of Stornoway far warmer than Paris, and 

 Valencia in Ireland warmer than Biarritz. — G. P. P. 



"WAR "WITH INSECTS— VENTILATION. 



Most wilHngly do I confirm what Mr. Taylor has stated on 

 page 86, that the best antidote or preventive against insects ia 

 careful ventilation, low night temperature, and a moist genial 

 atmosphere. Under such conditions red spider and other 

 pests are comparatively innocuous, for the plants or A'ines 

 which they attack are, under the above conditions, rendered 

 invulnerable by the stoutness of their healthy foliage. 



It is possible that some situations are more favourable than 

 others to the increase of red spider, yet I think that the prac- 

 tice referred to would keep it outside the houses. 



I have grown Vines in a dry district for many years, and on 

 the border adjoining the vineries I have seen the French 

 Beans literally devoured with spider, but I am not conscious of 

 ever seeing an insect on the Vines or on the plants, including 

 French Beans, in the vinery, yet I seldom syringed the Vines, 

 but treated them precisely as detailed by Mr. Taylor. 



A night temperature of 50' to 55' by fire heat, followed by a 

 day temperature of 90° by sun heat, with proportionate mois- 

 ture, were the conditions that I preferred. The Vines had then 

 a good " grow " by day and a good " rest " at night, and were 

 kept healthy and clean. 



Of vital importance is early ventilation. If the admission of 

 air is unduly delayed no amount of opening the lights will 

 prevent the thermometer from rising to unpleasantly high 

 figures. 



As an example of the power of early ventilation I may quote 

 a ciroumstanoe which bears on this matter. My neighbour 

 erected a vinery at considerable cost, but was very nncomfort- 

 able as to its being insufficiently ventilated. It was not 

 possible, he said, even by opening the lights and doors, to keep 



the thermometer below 120°. I visited his house, and found 

 that with the fullest admission of air the thermometer was 

 really at 110°. Suspecting the reason I requested the owner 

 to meet me at 5 a m. the next morning. We found the ther- 

 mometer at fi'3°. I at ones slightly opened the lights, and a? 

 the temperature showed signs of rising I opened them further. 

 At six o'clock it was 63°, at seven 65°, at eight 68°, at nine 7.5°, 

 at ten 79°, at eleven 81°, at twelve 84°, at one o'clock 86°, and 

 at two o'clock at 89°. It did not rise beyond that until the 

 house was finally closed, when, with a sinking sun, it was de- 

 signedly permitted to rise to 93°, with every part moist. 



The thermometer outdoors was 2° higher than on the day 

 preceding and when with the doors open the vinery was at 

 110°, but now during a hotter day, by early and careful venti- 

 lation, it was kept below 90° with the doors closed. 



That was a conclusive lesson, and from that day to this I 

 have never heard the owner of the house complain of ine fficient 

 ventilation, but he has for some years produced splendid crops 

 of Grapes, and no red spider. 



The practice referred to of a high day (by sun) and a cool 

 night temperature is but a lesson from Nature, when during 

 the bright and often hot September days and chilly nights not 

 only Celery and Cabbages, but Vines on walls, and Cucumbers, 

 and Vegetable Marrows on ridges, are in their zenith of luxuri- 

 ance, and literally outgrow the red spider. 



I have only one boast as a gardener, and that is that I have 

 had the charge of vineries for twenty-one years, and I have 

 never been troubled with red spider, and have seldom syringed 

 the Vines. Simply as avoiding even the semblance of egotism 

 I request the Editors to withhold my name.— Yokkshhieman. 



OLD TKEES. 



I AM amply compensated for venturing to write on this 

 subject by the salutary suggestions and praotioil remarks 

 which my letters have elicited, and when I find Mr. Hobaon 

 regarding me as too " radical," and "Wiltshire Rector" con- 

 sidering me too " conservative," I accept them as good proofs 

 that I hold no extreme opinions, and am not likely to ad- 

 vocate " dangerous innovations." 



I have no pomological fancies — no pet theories to establish 

 — but desire to see useful fruit culture extended, and old as 

 well as young trees respected and tended. Miniature trees 

 under finger-and-thurab government are beautiful, and also 

 in a measure profitable, but to produce the tons of fruit neces- 

 sary to supply the masses, the air above as well as the earth 

 beneath must be utilised. Large trees, even if old, must not 

 be hastily sacrificed before young trees are established, which 

 in too many instances has been tantamount to " killing the 

 goose laying golden eggs." 



I would now refer briefly to two letters appearing on page 

 92. I will take the last first. "J. J., Lancashire," makes 

 use of the expressive vernacular " buckheaded." He is a 

 radical both in words and action, and has proved what I have 

 proved repeatedly, that it is often more profitable to " buck- 

 head " a tree than to uproot it, and also, as I have found, 

 than to merely "top" it. He has made clear what I at- 

 tempted to explain, and his practice is worthy of notice. 

 " J. J." haa " never before written on any subject and does 

 not know the names " of many ornamental plants. He can, 

 however, write clearly on useful subjects, and I for one should 

 be glad for him to write again, not because he agrees with me, 

 but as being able to give practical information on a matter of 

 importance — the useful supply of hardy fruit. 



I now turn to " Wiltshire Rector." Our friend ia right 

 that my loss from young trees was principally by growing too 

 many kinds, and I mentioned it as conveying an ustful 

 leaaon. Had the whole consisted of either Manx Codlin or 

 Dumelow'a Seedling (mentioned by "J. J."), or any other 

 approved free-bearing sort, without doubt I should have saved 

 half of my £40 fine. 



The Rector wishes, what all rectors should desire, to see 

 useful fruit trees in cottagers' gardens. It is a most worthy 

 wish, and I am acquainted with not a few of the clergy who 

 have endeavoured to carry so laudable an idea into effect. 

 From long residence in the country I have found how much 

 cottage homesteads have been prized which contained useful 

 fruit treea. The tenants of such have been regarded by their 

 neighbours as either fortunate or favoured, and as being th'i 

 holders of prizes. Such tenants seldom emigrate or clamour 

 for reform. Fruit trees are magnets binding a man to his 

 home, and if that home ia one which he cherishes, he will 



