418 General Notices. 



about an inch thick over the roots, and althougli the roses to which tlie lat- 

 ter method was adopted, appeared to have suffered most from frost, tliey,in 

 reality," were the least injured, which was clearly proved, in the ensuing 

 summer, by their growth being, upon the whole, more vigorous than the 

 others, particularly the bottom shoots and suckers. I account for this latter 

 plan proving best, from the circumstance of the two former harboring too 

 much damp, which is more destructive to the roots than moderate fiost. 



The aspect in which these roses are grown to the best advantage, ap- 

 pears to depend entirely upon the season. If placed facing the south, (be- 

 ing so excitable,) they are more apt to grow during warm winters and early 

 springs, and which renders them liable to be cut off by frosts ; in such a 

 case, the south is a bad aspect; but if, on the contrary, the winter is cold, 

 there cannot be a better. For average seasons, however, I think, against 

 or near a west wall, is the best situation, as it is, to a great extent, pro- 

 tected from the north-easterly winds, and catches but little of the early 

 spring sun, and, when they do, it is not till late in the day, so that, should a 

 frost have occurred in the night, the thaw will necessarily be more gradual 

 than in a southerly or easterly situation, an item to which too much atten- 

 tion cannot be paid. 



These roses seem to receive great benefit from the application occasion- 

 ally of weak guano-water. I have also tried super-phosphate of lime, but 

 upon these soft-woodfed sorts it does not appear to have much or any effect, 

 although on the hard-wooded kinds it may be most, beneficially used. 



These roses are often grown to great advantage, budded either on the 

 Wild-Briar or the Boursault, for, although they are sometimes liable to fail- 

 ure, still, when they do succeed, they prove very beautiful. 



For pot-culture, the Tea China roses cannot be. too strongly recom- 

 mended, as they are so grown, with the greatest ease, to perfectit;n, taking 

 care that the soil used is rich and open, (turfy,) and that good drainage be 

 provided. Indeed, I think many of the more delicate, weak-growing varie- 

 ties, such as Elisa Sauvage, &c., are suitable only for pots, as in the ojien 

 borders they are often subject to failure. The comparatively hardy and 

 vigorous varieties, such as Devoniensis, Comte de Paris, Josephine Rlalton, 

 Bougere, &c., cannot be too numerously cultivated, or too sliongly recom- 

 mended for growing in beds or otherwise, more particulaily the first-named 

 one.— {Gard. Chron., 1847., pp. 467, 468.) 



Vine Borders. — Having already passed my opinion in favour of concreting 

 the bottom of vine borders, perhaps I may be permitted to speak in delence 

 of concreting their surface, though 1 have no personal experience of its good 

 results. As we cannot command the sun's powerful exhalations in all sea- 

 sons, or give them, the crevices of the rock for their pasture, we must sub- 

 stitute something else ; but is it not wrong to call concreting the surface of 

 the borders a new practice? The material may be ; hut everybody knows 

 how well vines grow, and bear, with their roots under flag-stones, and I 

 have no doubt but many of your readers may remember Preston Hall Gar- 

 dens, in Mid-Lothian, (the scene of Mr. Hay, the late garden architect's 

 first labors,) where there was a range of houses between three and four hun- 



