] 32 Floricultural Memoranda. 



roses always appear to me to have the prettiest eflfect when 

 budded on neat stems, varying from 1 ft. to 4 ft. in height : they 

 are more easily removed, are nearer to the eye, and their per- 

 fume is more readily inhaled. They will soon get over the 

 habit of throwing up suckers, which with some is an objection, 

 if care is taken, when they are removed, to disbud the lower part 

 of the stem, and to take off those roots which seem to have a 

 tendency to throw up suckers. When thus treated, they form 

 pretty compact heads, and yet not lumpish, if properly pruned. 

 We shall soon have as many roses in November as we used to 

 have in June : some recent additions to our perpetual roses from 

 France are likely to prove extremely valuable. I hope next 

 summer to send you a new descriptive catalogue of roses, more 

 worthy of attention than my last, which, I should tell you, was 

 also my first. 



Pillars of Roses. — One of the prettiest floral fancies of the pre- 

 sent day is that of forming pillars of roses. These pillars consist of 

 roses trained on iron stakes, from 12 ft. to 15 ft. high, well 

 painted ; and they form the most durable, as well as the most 

 picturesque, objects in garden scenery. During the ensuing 

 summer, I intend to make an accurate list of all the Noisette 

 roses that are suitable for training in this mode. These, with 

 some of the He de Bourbon varieties, added to the already 

 numerous and decided climbing roses, will make a magnificent 

 display. Merely to show how a heap of clay may become a 

 mount of beauty, I last spring levelled and made circular a large 

 quantity of white and blue clay, dug from a pit to contain water : 

 on this, with a small portion of dung and pit sand to each plant, 

 I planted some of all the hardy climbing roses. The effect is 

 now beautiful ; and another summer it will be a mount of rose 

 pillifrs, each from eight to ten feet high. 



The best Stocks for Roses. — A prejudice is often found to exist 

 against budded roses, and this has arisen principally on account 

 of improper stocks being used. Most decidedly, roses never 

 bloom so finely as when budded, and the most proper and durable 

 stock is Rosa, canina, with its varieties; while Rosa, arvensis is, 

 perhaps, the worst. In our nursery we have a great variety of 

 soil in a small extent of ground. We have fourteen acres of 

 strong dark clay ; secondly, and within ten yards of the clay, 

 seven acres of sand ; and then eight acres of fine soapy loam, 

 and at a short distance rich loose black vegetable soil. I need 

 not say, all this is very convenient ; in our clay dressed with 

 sand, roses grow to admiration ; and you will think I pursue my 

 (genus) Rosa with some ardour, when I can assert with safety 

 that this season we have 25,000 rose stocks, budded and to bud, 

 exclusive of our numerous China roses and roses upon their own 

 roots. In truth, from June to October, the air of our nursery 



