THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



2G5 



grower." And this is written after forty years' culture 

 by the most successful raiser of the day. I should 

 not be surprised if it is grown for another twenty 

 years to come. Sarah Payne is, as before stated, a 

 pink and purple bizarre ; and although the class has 

 received of late, and is yet receiving, fine additions, 

 it is still largely shown. Thirty-five years ago Mr. 

 Dodwell described it as follows : — " For refined tex- 

 ture and colour it leaves nothing to be desired. Well 

 done and at its best it would grace the finest stand 

 of flowers imagination could paint. The petal is 

 of medium breadth, and very smooth ; colour delicate, 

 sometimes deficient of bizarre, but always rich ; the 

 white exquisite." To-day Mr. Dodwell endorses this 

 by stating that "the variety lives and fully supports 

 its old renown. In its way, I believe, as with 

 Admiral Curzon, it will never be surpassed." B. D. 



The aspect of many Rose gardens does not at the 

 present time present a scene of loveliness. Mildew 

 and orange fungus have been very prevalent this 

 month (August), and the consequence is that most 

 of the bushes are partially denuded of the leaves ; for 

 the effect of both of these pests is to cause the leaves 

 to fall. Looking at my own garden I find green 

 tops to the shoots, but lower down the leaves are 

 all gone. I know that the advice is often given, not 

 to leave the dead foliage about, as it may propagate 

 the malady for another year. The same advice is 

 given as to the Potato haulm, but I have never yet 

 learned that in either case it acted as a preventive ; 

 however, if people think it may be of use it does no 

 harm, and at any rate prevents an untidy appearance. 



Thinning Out the Shoots. — I believe this to be an 

 excellent plan. The general plan of pruning now 



Fig. 31.— pentstemon rotundifolius : hardy perennial: flowers dull red. (see r. 861.) 



Roses. 



AUTUMN WORK IN THE ROSE GARDEN. 

 There is a pretty strong feeling amongst the 

 general public who grow Roses, that there is little to 

 be thought of with regard to them after the bloom- 

 ing season is over, and that they may be safely left 

 to themselves. Nothing can be wider from the mark 

 than this, whether a grower be an exhibitor or not. 

 I have always held that as the exhibitor has by 

 experience gained the knowledge of the system by 

 which he believes he can secure the best flowers, so 

 the lover of the flower who does not exhibit may 

 very safely follow out bis plans, even if he does not 

 carry them out to their fullest extent. The 

 exhibitor does not leave his Roses to themselves 

 when the season is over, but wisely takes such steps 

 as may ensure him, so far as he can, a good bloom 

 for the next season. 



adopted is that of thinning out the old wood, and 

 depending on the vigorous shoots of the present year 

 for the bloom of next. Now that old wood is of no 

 use, the general plan has been to leave it until the 

 spring, and at the time of pruning cut it out ; but 

 why leave it until then ? It will absorb a certain 

 amount of the vigour of the plant which might well 

 be spared ; in fact, why not do with it as we do with 

 our Raspberry canes ? We know that the fruiting 

 canes of the present year are of no use to the plant, 

 and so we cut them away, and leave the new 

 canes to get more light and air, to absorb the vigour 

 of the plant, and to ripen better for next year. I 

 believe that it will be equally wise to treat Roses in 

 the same way. Cut out all the wood that you 

 could cut out in the spring, and let that on which 

 you depend for next season have a better chance, 

 more and more light, more of the sun's ripening in- 

 fluence, and all the vigour that the plant can give 

 them. I feel convinced that no one who adopts this 



plan, whether he be an exhibitor or not, will have 

 cause to regret it ; moreover, he can leisurely do it, 

 leaving only the pruning, in its strictest sense, to be 

 done in the spring. 



Staking. — Wherever Roses are well grown, and in 

 suitable soil, they will have thrown up by this time 

 long and vigorous shoots: some of these will carry a 

 bloom at the point, and others not. There are some 

 varieties which always bloom in the autumn, and 

 others only occasionally so ; but whether these 

 shoots are flowering or not, they ought to be staked 

 and tied, and in doing this care should be taken that 

 the stake be as long as the shoot, or otherwise it is 

 very apt to get snapped off. When the time and 

 trouble necessary for this cannot be given, in default 

 of a better plan the shoots may be somewhat re- 

 duced in height, but in every way staking is the 

 better plan. 



Manure. — It is too soon to think of putting 

 manure on the beds, but it is not too soon, or too 

 late, to give liquid-manure. It is generally believed 

 that this is only of use for the development of the 

 bloom, and that when that is over, it may be aban- 

 doned, but this is not the belief of many Rose 

 growers, who prefer more liquid and less mulching. 

 Thns, I was at a celebrated Rose grower and ex- 

 hibitor's the other day, who rejoiced in a large tank 

 well-filled with astounding eaie de Cologne, which 

 he told me would, in the course of a few weeks, be on 

 his beds, a good dose being supplied every week ; his 

 contention being that the autumn rains would wash 

 it down to the roots, increase their action, and 

 so communicate fresh vigour to the plants. The 

 Roses are gross feeders, and will take much strong 

 stuff. 



Alterations. — It is of'course too soon to make altera- 

 tions, but not too soon to project and make arrange- 

 ments for them. It will by this time be pretty evi- 

 dent to the Rose lover what flowers he will discard, 

 and what varieties he will introduce into his garden, 

 for the knowledge he has picked up in various ways 

 during the season will now be brought into practice ; 

 only let him beware of thinking' that, because 

 he sees a beautiful Rose at an exhibition 

 he ought to procure it ; let him enquire about 

 its constitution, and if possible see it growing ; 

 for there are some, to grow which only entails 

 disappointment. If you read in any catalogue 

 "moderate" or "does best on maidens" you may 

 rely upon it that, unless you are a grower of some 

 experience, you had better " have none of it." There 

 are a few things to be borne in mind in this select- 

 ing. If you live in a cold climate or unsuitable 

 soil, do not get your Roses from a warmer climate. 

 You will get, no doubt, magnificent plants, but they 

 will feel the change, and bring you disappoint- 

 ment. Then about the Manetti — the seedling Brier 

 or Brier cutting is gradually pushing the Manetti 

 out of the field. Exhibitors will not discard it, as 

 it pushes the Roses into bloom in time for early 

 shows ; but the amateur will do better to avoid it. 

 It is very apt to throw up underground shoots, and 

 these are too often looked upon as belonging to the 

 Rose itself and are left on, and so ultimately over- 

 power it, and a flourishing bush of Manetti replaces 

 the Rose. Some say, if you can do so, select 

 your own Roses, and mark them in the nursery ; I 

 hardly think that this is needful. Rose nurserymen 

 are mostly careful to send out good plants, and I 

 think that they may be safely trusted ; still, if this 

 is to be done at all, it is much better to wait until 

 planting time has arrived, and then not only select 

 but bring away your plants. [The Manetti cuttings 

 should be made and prepared like Gooseberry 

 cuttings— that is, all the buds visible on the part 

 which will be under the soil should be taken out. Ed.] 

 The Rose grower need not spend an idle autumn ; 

 he has to keep his beds free from weeds, to watch 

 for all suckers and underground shoots, and cut 

 them away, and to see to the various matters 

 mentioned' now. He will not mind the trouble, for 

 he knows no excellence is to be attained by any royal 

 road, but by earnest and painstaking efforts. Wild 

 Base. 



