May 25, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



401 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day I Day 



ol I o( 

 Month Week. 



MAY 25—31, 1876. 



Tiverton Show cloaes. 

 Qiiockett (Microscopical) Club at 8 p.m. 

 Royal Botanic Society at 3.45 P.M. 

 Sunday afier Ascension. 



Koyal Aquarium — Summer Exhibition. 



Royal Botanic Society— Promenade at 3.30 p.m. 



44.0°. 



Piom obserrationa taken near London daring lorty-threo years, the average day temperatore ol the week is 67.7°; and its night temperature 



CULTUBE OF HOSES IN POTS. 



■ EEHAPS there are no gardens of any pre- 

 tensions in Bi-itain but contain Eoses. It 

 is pleasant to tliink about them, and more 

 pleasant stUl to commit one's thoughts to 

 paper and to know that tliey will be printed 

 and carefully read by a large number of 

 those who love Eoses. Mr. Camm and 

 many more correspoudents disoom-se most 

 pleasantly about Eoses for the flower garden 

 and Eoses for exhibition, Eoses on their own 

 roots, Eoses on Briars, and Eoses on the Manetti. I have 

 read very nearly all that has been written about them, 

 and though there has been some difference of opinion the 

 differences have always been pleasantly expressed, and in 

 all things there is a greater desire to arrive at the truth 

 than to upset the arguments of an opponent. It is very 

 pleasant too to stand by and admire the beautifully 

 arranged boxes of cut Eoses set up in their groundwork 

 of fresh green moss, the united skill of amateur and pro- 

 fessional gardeners combined with boundless enthusiasm. 

 And many eager admirers resolve that they will have just 

 such Eoses in then- own gardens next year. 



In our uncertain climate and with unsuitable soil Eose 

 culture out of doors is not without its difficulties, and this 

 year, with a keen east wind blowing for three weeks or a 

 month about the beginning of May, the Eose leaves, 

 which have a beauty all their own, look very deplorable, 

 and the show for flowers is anything but promising. We 

 may soon have favourable weather ; warm showers and 

 western winds would work a marvellous transformation 

 in the Eose garden. In the meantime those who grow 

 Eoses in pots are independent of any weather, and what 

 a splendid object a well-grown pot Eose is ! the leaves 

 full-sized, healthy, and free from any trace of insect pests. 

 But of course it is not given to ordinary mortals to pos- 

 sess such jilants as are annually exhibited by Mr. Charles 

 Turner of Slough and Messrs. Paul & Sons of the Old 

 Nurseries, Chesiiunt ; theii- Eoses are grown for exhi- 

 bition, and they do show right well what Eoses may 

 become under skilful culture. At Loxford H.all, where 

 my lot is cast, it is trying work to grow Eoses out of 

 doors. They have been tried on all sorts of stocks, in- 

 cluding then- own ; the ground has been trenched and 

 manured, loam has been brought a long distance for 

 them, and still they refuse after a time to do well. In 

 pot culture it is different. 'With us the Eose does well 

 in pots, and we can meet other growers on more equal 

 terms. 



I am quite ready to acknowledge the m.agnificent 

 appearance of the large specimens one sees at exhibitions, 

 but they are not more beautiful than nice healthy young 

 specimens grown in S-inch pots : this last may be in the 

 possession of the humblest owner of a greenhouse, and 

 may be cultivated successfully by those who have not 

 had the chance of a professional training. The first thing 

 is to obtain the plants, and they are certainly cheap 

 enough. It says a great deal for the skill and enterprise 

 No. 791.— Vol. XXS., New Sekies 



of British nurserymen to tell that all the newest and best 

 Eoses can be bought from them, healthy plants in 5-inch 

 pots, for the small sum of Ss. each. They are worked on 

 the Manetti stock in forcing houses early in the year, and 

 are in fine order by the first week in May. "Well, then, 

 the plants may be obtained from any respectable nursery- 

 man at once. By this time the pots are well filled with 

 roots ; if they arc in 5-inoh pots let them be potted into 

 well-drained 7-inch pots. 



Nest in order is the potting material : its main con- 

 stituent should be the top spit of an old pasture, and it 

 ought to be taken from a clay land, and should be cut 

 and placed on a heap at least three months before using 

 it ; to this add about one-sixth part of leaf mould and a 

 fourth part of decayed manure ; if convenient add an 

 8-inch potful of crushed bones to each barrowload, and a 

 little sand to keep the compost open. In potting see 

 that the compost does not get mixed with the drainage ; 

 this is easily prevented by placing some clean fibre over 

 it first. The plants should be quite moist at the roots 

 before potting them, and they may be dewed overhead 

 with the syringe to prevent them from flagging. It is 

 not likely they wiU flag if the operation of potting is 

 carefully performed. I rather dew overhead than water 

 at the roots for the first day or two. As a rule the plants 

 will not suffer for at least twenty-four hours after potting, 

 when water may be apphed to the roots through the 

 rose of a fine watering pot. After the end of May the 

 plants are quite as well out of doors as inside, except 

 Tea Eoses, these are best kept in well-ventilated glass 

 houses all the year round. 



The principal enemies of pot Eoses are mildew and 

 green fly. Orange fungus I had but once on a few plants 

 that were bought-in from the nursery. As soon as it 

 was perceived I had the affected parts cut out with a 

 sharp knife and the whole lot of the plants dusted with 

 flowers of sulphur. This was just before the fall of the 

 leaves ; after they were all removed the plants were 

 placed in a house where they could be kept dry, and this 

 pest has not been seen again. Mildew is also destroyed 

 by dusting with sulphur ; and green fly, when the plants 

 are out of doors, by laying them on their sides and 

 syringing the leaves with soapy water to which a httle 

 tobacco liquid has been added. 



The plants should not remain out of doors in a wet 

 district after the end of September ; here they remain 

 to the end of October, and do not receive any injury. 

 The pots may be placed close together in a cool house 

 where ah- is freely admitted, or if this is not available 

 they may be placed in an open shed. Those plants that 

 it is intended to force early should be pruned as soon as 

 the leaves fall, and I always take care that before prun- 

 ing them they are dry at the roots ; if so, they will not 

 bleed. The first lot may be started early in December, 

 beginning with a night temperature of 40 and not riting 

 higher than this until the buds are well started. Ihe 

 plants ought to be quite close to the glass, and the tem- 

 perature may rise after the leaves are formed to 55" or 

 G0° graduaUy, say at the rate of 2° or o° more each week. 



No. 1413.— Vol. LV., Old Sebxes. 



