THE GENESEE FARMER. 



219 



Cairtea' Drpartment. 



TREATMENT OF CLIMBING ROSES. 



There is now "arose tree in full bearing" at Whiteslown, 

 Onoi(ia<:ounty,, wliicli measures 43 feet in height, and bears 

 upon its branches 700 roses and 200 half developed buds. 

 .So says the IJtiea Gazette, and challenges the world to equal 

 this floral wonder. 



The above we have seen in several papers. We 

 have no disposition to beat anybody, but we think we 

 have some roses that are line for their age. Run- 

 ning up the fr;jnt of our cottage we have three 

 Creeping or Running Ro.ses, that during tlieir .season 

 were much admired by alt who saw them. Passers 

 by would stop and wonder, and many were the in- 

 quiries made "where such roses could be had." — 

 Many applications have wo had for "slips" and 

 " roots," as though they were some peculiar and rare 

 sorts. Our answer invariably was, " You can get 

 them at any of the nurseries for two or three shil- 

 lings each." Persons who undoubtedly had seen the 

 same kinds a thousand times, and perhaps had them 

 in their own garden, would often exclaim, "I never 

 saw such roses." One of them is the common Red 

 Boursault, or MuUijiora, as it is commonly called ; 

 one the Qunai of the Belgians, a white Ayrshire 

 Rose ; and the otlier the (^u,een of the Prairies. 

 They were planted in the spring of 1848, though so 

 late as to make but very little growth tliat summer. 

 In the spring of 1849, strong shoots started from the 

 roots, when we cut away all the old wood and pre- 

 served four or five of the strongest shoots, carefully 

 training them to the house. The growth of these 

 young shoots was from twenty to twenty-five feet — 

 the shortest growth was twenty feet — .some of them 

 going to the roof of the house, and hanging pendant 

 from the cornice, appearing like drooping roses. — 

 Thus the house was nearly covered with strong, 

 straight shoots, which blossomed this year very 

 abundantly. The idea of counting them would have 

 been almost a hopeless task. As fast as the flowers 

 faded they were cut away, and now vigorous shoots 

 are being thrown out, some of which we shall pre- 

 serve, to extend to the cornice those shoots that did 

 not reach it last year. Some of the side shoots we 

 shall train where they are required to cover the entire 

 front, wiien tliey will be shortened ; others we shall 

 cut away altogether. There was nothing remarka- 

 ble about the treatment of these roses. When they 

 were planted, we made a large hole and filled up the 

 greater part below and around the roots with turf 

 from an old pasture, which we intended should rot 

 and form a good mold for the roots by the time they 

 extended to it. ' We then placed the roots in the hole 

 and filled up with fine garden mold. Since that time 

 we have supplied them with manure from the hen- 

 house. Ill the spring, when we saw the buds put- 

 ting out so liberally, 'fearing they would tax the 

 strength of the plant too much and not liking to thin 

 them, feeling it would be the worst of sacrilege to 

 destroy so beautiful a flower in the bud, we manured 

 them liberally with liquid manure, made by putting 

 something like a peck of hen manure in a barrel, 

 about the size of a flour barrel, and filling up with 

 water. This stood about twenty-four hours, being 

 several times stirred, when it was freely applied to 

 the roots. This was in just the condition to be taken 

 up by the roots, and the plants were thus enabled to 

 bear thousands of beautiful blossoms without over- 

 taxing their energies and injuring their growth. 



ENGLISH LADIES' SPORTS 



Wb have occasioually spoken of the advantages of 

 out-door exercise in securing health and happiness, 

 and endeavored to excite in our fair readers a love of 

 nature. Those who really love nature wjll often be 

 found in her temple — they will worship her there. 

 We have often, too, spol|(n of the custom of English 

 ladies, who pride themselves on their skill in culti- 

 vating fruits and flowers, rearing poultry, inc. We 

 have recently met with an article in an English paper 

 which we thought we might copy to advantage, 

 as illustrating the facts stated. But we have not 

 spoken from the opinions of others, nor from news- 

 paper reports, as we have told only what we have 

 seen for ourselves. 



Bantams — Sport in the Drawing Room. — On Satin-day, 

 the 1st of December, Beacon Lodge, the residence of Mr. 

 and Mrs. Berkeley, was opened for the reception of visitors 

 to witness a show of beautiful bantams, the property of the 

 Marchioness of Hastings and the Hon. Mrs. Berkeley, for a 

 prize. The smallest bird to be adjudged tHe winner. Ti'hree 

 two years old hens to be shown by each lady. A diminu- 

 nitive hen, weighing only nine ounces anil three quarters, 

 the property of Hon. Mrs. Berkeley was adjudged the win- 

 ner. Among the guests who partook of the hospitalities of 

 the table, were the Marchioness of Hastings, and Capt. 

 Yelverton,-Col. and Mrs. Clinton, Maj. and Miss York, &c. 



The variety of Bantams exhibited is not stated, 

 but we suppose it 

 to be the Sebright, 

 as we believe it is 

 the Emallest and 

 most beautiful yet 

 known, a very fair 

 rcpre.sentation of 

 wliich is given in 

 the engraving. — 

 Tliey are named 

 after Sir J. Sr- 

 13RIGHT who is said 

 to have originated 

 the variety. Dix- 

 on gives the fol- 

 lowing musical de- 

 scription: "pretty, 

 certainly, and very 

 smart, but shame- 

 fully forward in his 

 ways. His coat is of a rich brownish yellow, almost 

 every feather is edged with a border of darker hue, 

 approaching to black. His neat, slim legs are of a 

 light lead color; his ample tail is carried well over 

 his back. He is upright as a drill serjear.t." 



Manners or American Ladies. — At the late great 

 Fair of the Royal Agricultural Society, held at Exe- 

 eter, Enghnd, as is usual on such occasions, a num- 

 ber of of shows and exhibitions of various kinds were 

 present, to take advantage of the facilities afforded to 

 make a little money by the gathering of so great a 

 crowd. Among the rest was a Troupe of American 

 lady Equestrians. Some of the editors, it appears, 

 gathered from the exhibition some new ideas of the 

 manners and customs of American ladies, not yet in 

 tlie books. The following extract is from the fVest- 

 ern Times: 



We hope that these fair equestrians are not a sample of 

 the riding habits of the fair ladies of America, for it would 

 be very alarming to see a lady spring upon the back of a 

 horse and gallop, all standing, through the streets of New 

 York — and yet a traveller endeavored to assure us that that 

 was the general custom of the American ladies. 



