54 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[April, 



THRUSHES. 



" When fair Aurora blushes, 



Ami ekiee are serene and clear, 

 The Linnets, Larks and Thrushes 

 With music delight the ear." 



The TuKDiD^E, or Thrush family, is a pretty 

 numerous one, and includes some genera and 

 species that have never received the distinc- 

 tive name of " Thrushes ;" therefore, to apply 

 the term lltnisli, in a general sense, to a bird, 

 may mean a Robin, a Bluebird, a Kuby- 

 crowned Wren, or a Water Ouzel, as well as' 

 the true Thrush ; and formerly the Catbird 

 and the Mockingbird belonged to the same 

 family, and, judging by similarity of form 

 and song, they seem to be nearer allied to the 

 family of Thrushes than some of those inclu- 

 ded at jjresent in it. 



The term Tnrdus, from whence the family 

 name of these birds is derived, literally means 

 a thn(sh; but the common name of Thrush is 

 not applied to all, even in the genus Tunhis, 

 of which the common robin is an example. 

 We have about twenty species belonging to the 

 Thrtish family in the United States, (eight of 

 which belong to Lancaster county,) and nine 

 of these have received tfie common name of 

 Thrush. All these birds are good "iusectors," 

 and laws ought to exist, and be enforced at all 

 times, against their destruction. Some of 

 these bii ds, especially when young, are es- 

 teemed good game birds, and this is particu- 

 larly the case with the Robins. (Planesticus 

 mujrutorius. ) Great bundles of these birds 

 may often be seen garnishing the 

 doors and windows of fashionable 

 restaurants, notwithstanding the wise 

 laws enacted by our Legislatures for 

 their protection and preservation. 

 This bird is an almost universal favo- 

 rite, and it is beginning to increase 

 very rapidly, and is re-establishing its 

 confidential relations with the human 

 family, where these laws are re- 

 spected. 



The Thrushes sometimes migrate 

 northward ju'ematurely, and we have 

 on several occasions seen great Hocks 

 of Wilson's Thrush [Txirdus fusces- 

 cciis) overtaken by a " cold snap " in 

 the month of March, and perish by 

 hundreds. When rearing their young, 

 they devour enormous quantities of 

 insects and their lariw, daily, al- 

 though litter in the season they be- 

 come voracious " berryers," and this 

 fact is considered sufficient in the minds of 

 some to engage in their destruction. 



The songs of these birds are varied and cheer- 

 ful, and the first liird-music that we became 

 familiar with in the days of our youth, and in 

 after years we recall them with feelings of 

 pleasure, and when we hear them we are irre- 

 sistibly carried back in memory to 

 "The light of other days." 



Although free growers, they do not require 

 evere pruning. The old "four-seasons" rose 

 of the gardens is a type of its varieties. 



S. ceutifoHa, the hundred-leaved, Provence 

 or cabbage rose, is a native of the Eastern 

 Caucasus. The sepals or calyx leaves in this 

 species are not reflexed ; the flowers are mostly 

 globular in form, with large petals, very 

 double, and somewhat drooping, the flower 

 stems not being as strong as in most of the 

 other species ; they are generally exquisitely 

 fragrant. Among the many varieties ot this 

 species is a section of very dwarf growth and 

 free habit of blooming. This species has been 

 largely hybridized with other species, and a 

 very "large number of garden varieties pro- 

 duced. According as to wliat they were 

 crossed with does their habit of growth take 

 its character ; some are very vigorous, and 

 should be pruned but little ; others are more 

 delicate in growth, and require close pruning. 

 They all require rich soil and high cultivation. 

 The old cabbage-rose of our grandmothers' 

 gardens and the moss-rose belong to this sec- 

 tion. 



R. galUra, the French or officinal rose, is a 

 native of France, Italy and Caucasus. This 

 rose is of very robust growth and erect habit. 

 The flowers are generally high-colored, large, 

 very double, and borne on stiff, erect foot- 

 stalks, hut do not have the fragrance of the 

 hundred-leaved rose ; but this is increased by 

 drying, while that of the damask rose is al- 

 most destroyed in that process. Nearly all of 



THE CULTIVATION OF HARDY ROSES. 



There are over two hundred species of the 

 rose described in botanical works, but our al- 

 most innumerable garden varieties have been 

 obtained from only a dozen or fifteen species, 

 which, by cultivation, by hybridizing and 

 croSs-breeding, have produced almost endless 

 shades of color and habit of growth. As much 

 confusion exists in the nurserymen's cata- 

 logues as to their proper classification, we will 

 notice some of the leading species from which 

 our garden varieties have originated, giving 

 their most striking peculiarities. This will 

 enable amateur growers to determine which is 

 the most proper of the different modes of cul- 

 tivation, which we shall describe, to apply to 

 the varieties they may grow. 



Rosa daniaiicena, the Damascus or damask 

 rose, is of Syrian origin. All of this tribe have 

 rough spiny shoots, leather-like leaves, and 

 long reflexed sepals or calyx leaves. They 

 have a robust haliit of growth and large 

 flowers, mostly in the lighter shades of red. 

 It is from this species and its varieties, 

 crossed with others, that the so-called hybrid 

 perpetual or remontant roses were derived. 



the hardy variegated roses are derived from 

 this species. All the varieties from this siie- 

 cies require high cultivation and liberal prun- 

 ing. 



R. spwosissimn., the Scotch rose, is a native 

 of Scotland, Caucasus, and many parts of 

 Europe. It is a dwarf, compact-growing 

 bush, with creeping roots, and very spiny, and 

 the double-flowering varieties were formerly 

 much grown in our gardens, but are now sel- 

 dom if ever seen, it having gone out of fashion, 

 which is to be regretted, as it came into bloom 

 very early in the season, and was exceedingly 

 fragrant, with flowers rather small, but 

 globular and very double. It requires very 

 little pruning, and will thrive in poor, sandy 

 soil where other roses will not. 



R. alba, the white rose, is a native of the 

 central i>arts of Europe, and is also found in 

 Cochin China. The foliage of this species has 

 a glaucous appearance, as though covered 

 with a fine gray powder ; the shoots have 

 scarcely any spines. There are no high- 

 colored varieties of this species. They are 

 mostly of moderate growth, and require rather 

 close pruning. 



R. ruhiginosa is the sweet-brier rose, of 

 which there are several doul)le varieties, some 

 of which have quite high-colored flowers. 



R. hitca is the yellow rose of the north of 

 Italy ; of tliis there are three double varieties. 

 The well-known Harrison's yellow is one of 

 these, and is easily grown. The Persian yel- 

 low requires to be budded on a sweet-brier or | 

 Manettii stock to succeed well. It does best 

 in a rather moist, poor soil, and should not be 

 much pruned. There is another double yellow . 



rose, from Syria or the Levant, known as R. 

 md})hurca, which is scarcely worth growing, as 

 it seldom opens its buds. 



R. alpinu is the BoursaiUt rose of our gar- 

 dens ; it is a native of the Alps and the south 

 of France. It is a sort of half-nmning rose, 

 with long, flexible red shoots, and is well 

 adapted for training against fences and out- 

 buildings. It will grow in almost any soil, 

 and re()uires but little pruning except short- 

 ening back a little. 



R. ruhifvUa is otir well-known prairie rose. 

 Its varieties are all strong growers, but should 

 be but moderately pruned. 



R. arvenxis, the Ayrshire rose, is a climbing 

 rose of rapid growth, very hardy, and will do 

 well where other roses will scarcely grow. 

 The varieties of this species are well adapted 

 for covering yiaXls, arbors and similar struc- 

 tures. 



From these different species, crossed and re- 

 crossed with each other, have originated va- 

 rious classes of hybrids, which have been 

 classified as follows : 



Hjibrid Prorence Roses. — These are derived 

 from the Provence and French roses. Gen- 

 erally they produce large, well-formed and 

 very fragrant flowers, and are strong growers ; 

 hence they are very suitable for growing on 

 poles or pillars. They only produce flowers 

 once in the season. They are of easy cultiu'e, 

 and should be but moderately pruned. 



Hybrid China Roses. — These are derived 

 from the Provence and French roses, crossed 

 with the China, noisette and tea- 

 scented roses, but in so doing have 

 lost the ever-blooming character of 

 the last. They are very vigorous 

 growers, and make suiierb pillar 

 roses, having flowers of large size, 

 fine form, very full, and of exquisite 

 coloring. They require to be weU 

 thinned otit in pruning. 



Hybrid Bourbon Roses. — These are 

 obtained from the Provence and 

 French roses, crossed with the Bour- 

 bon rose instead of the China or tea- 

 scented. They are remarkable for 

 the exquisite form of the flowers, 

 some of which are elegantly cup- 

 shaped, and have greater substance 

 of petals than the hybrid China. 

 They are also more abundant bloom- 

 ers ; the foliage, too, is heavier and 

 stronger. They require to be very 

 closely pruned. 

 Hybrid Perpetimls, or Remontcmts. — These 

 are derived from all sorts of crossing and re- 

 crossing, until it is diflicult to tell definitely 

 from what particular species they were de- 

 rived. It is a misnomer to call them perpetu- 

 als in this country, for unless the parentage 

 of the damask or four-seasons rose predomi- 

 nates in them, they do not produce flowers 

 more than once a year. When that parentage 

 predominates they will produce flowers a sec- 

 ond time toward the autumn. Owing to their 

 mixed parentage, they vary much ui regard to 

 hardiness, habit of growth, mode of flowering 

 and requirements of cultivation. Some re- 

 quire close pruning, and othors should be 

 pruned but slightly. 



Damask perpetuals have a large infusion of 

 parentage from the China rose. They are of 

 moderate growth, very fragrant, of a very 

 bushy habit, and do better when grafted than 

 when on their own roots. They require a 

 very rich, rather stiff soil and close in'uning. 

 Perpetual Scotch roses are hybrids between 

 the Scotch rose and the damask perpetuals. 

 Only two or three really good sorts have been 

 produced ; these commence blooming early in 

 the season, and under proper treatment will 

 produce flowers at intervals until October. 



Perpetual moss-roses are derived from the 

 Provence moss-roses crossed with the four- 

 seasons rose. They are but poor growers, and 

 require very high cultivation, rich soil and se- 

 vere pruning to make them succeed well. 



Almost ail the roses imported into this coun- 

 try from Europe are budded on the sweet- 

 brier or Manettii stock, as this gives them a 

 stronger growth. What are called standards 



