536 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[November 16, 1888. 



excellent stock for Teas. At any rate, another 

 possible explanation might be, that the Manetti as a 

 stock is short-lived, and unquestionably in many 

 soils and situations perishes after two or three years ; 

 many hybrid perpetuals budded on it appear to thrive 

 continuously because in that time they are able to 

 establish themselves upon their own roots and are 

 independent of the stock ; but the Tea-scentt?d Roses, 

 not so readily converting themselves into own-root 

 plants, must needs perish with the stock. 



Perhaps, however, the difficulty arises from some 

 inherent lack of sympathy between stock and scion, 

 just as some fruit trees will grow on certain stocks 

 for a year or two, and then fail altogether, although 

 it is not at all apparent outwardly in what way the 

 stock on which failure ensues is less well adapted to 

 the scion than the stock, which eventually becomes 

 the supporter of a continuously fertile tree. The 

 point is one which, in all probability, must remain a 

 matter of speculation, since nobody any longer 

 grows Teas on Manetti, and therefore direct obser- 

 vation is impracticable. 



The importance of keeping he essential qualities 

 of vigour and a good constitution prominently in 

 view in making a selection of varieties for a small 

 collection cannot well be over-estimated, but con- 

 sidering that Jean Ducher possesses these qualities 

 in a marked degree, that it is a most free and per- 

 petual bloomer, large and constant in form, and that 

 for the last half- dozen years it has always been one 

 of the most prominent and magnificent of its class ; 

 until, in fact, the past season, when practically none 

 of the Teas except Madame Lambard were seen to 

 conspicuous advantage — it might have been thought 

 that " Wild Rose " would have found it in his heart to 

 include it even in the most select list, especially 

 when it is seen that he recommends so difficult an 

 opener as Etoile de Lyon, such a victim to mildew 

 as Madame Cusin, and two such moderate growers as 

 Souvenir de Paul Neron and Sunset. 



Etoile de Lyon is a very beautiful Rose when at 

 its best, and the habit and striking red foliage of 

 the plant render it attractive even when not in 

 flower, until mildew, to which the variety unluckily 

 is prone, appears ; and there is little question that 

 it is also the finest yellow Rose next to Marechal 

 Niel for cultivation under glass. But out-of- 

 doors, although a careful cultivator will get a 

 fair number of good blooms during the season, he 

 will find that they take a considerable amount of 

 '■' getting" ; and many are the complaints of growers 

 as to the number of unopened buds that are liable to 

 disfigure the plants. The petals are very numerous 

 and very thin, so that in case of wet they stick 

 together, and it is probably the fact that the variety 

 is one of those for which our climate is not 

 sufficiently hot and dry. If a poll could be taken of 

 growers who have cultivated both Jean Ducher and 

 Etoile de Lyon, say for three years, as to which of 

 the two they would discaid if it were necessary to 

 give-up either, it would probably be a very safe 

 prophecy to make, that it would not be Jean Ducher 

 that would be dismissed. 



" Wild Rose " says he writes for beginners, but as 

 many people begin Rose-growing with a view to ex- 

 hibiting, it will at all events be as well to point out 

 that for many years Jean Ducher has never failed to 

 be among the twelve Teas most frequently exhibited 

 with success (in several seasons being almost at the 

 top of the list), a distinction attained but once by 

 Etoile de Lyon, which, as a general rule, is exhibited 

 successfully just about half as often as Jean Ducher. 



The flowers of Madame Cusin are very beautiful 

 when grown under glass, but out-of-doors the colour 

 is not always so pleasing, the foliage is small and in- 

 significant, and the plant, not over-vigorous or free 

 at any time, gets smothered with mildew. It might 

 well be replaced in a small collection by Ethel 

 Brownlow, a flower somewhat similar in form, but 

 more pleasing in colour, a handsome plant, resisting 

 mildew, and an exceedingly free and perpetual 

 bloomer. 



Etoile de Lyon might be replaced by the strangely 

 neglected Amazone. which is invaluable either for 



exhibition or for cutting in all seasons ; some culti- 

 vators have called it thin, but when it is generously 

 grown it is certainly not so, and it is one of the 

 richest of all the yellows, giving exceptionally fine 

 flowers in autumn. 



Souvenir de Paul Neron, one of the loveliest of all 

 Roses, is certainly not a good furnishing plant, the 

 leaves being small, and set at long intervals upon 

 the stem, while it is the experience of many rosarians 

 that it is a slender grower, and very difficult to get 

 the blooms of any size. There is no Rose exactly 

 of its colour or character to take its place, but for 

 freedom and constancy a useful substitute might be 

 found in the charming Souvenir de Gabrielle Drevet, 

 which is quite ever-blooming and always attractive 

 in form and colour. 



If " Wild Rose's " beginner be an intending exhi- 

 bitor he will do well to avoid Sunset, and instead to 

 plant Erancisca Kriiger, a beautiful Rose, somewhat 

 analogous in its shades of orange and coppery-yellow, 

 most constant in form, and a vigorous grower, 

 flowering freely early and late. If only buds for 



is vigorous and most handsome, clothed with 

 abundant foliage which is almost evergreen, and it is 

 a most reliable autumnal ; the flowers, produced in 

 the utmost profusion, are unique in form and colour, 

 approaching more nearly than any other Rose to 

 that of burnished copper, lighted with touches of 

 nankeen-yellow and apricot. In fact, Ophirie is 

 almost an ideal pillar Rose, the growth not being 

 inordinately long, being always a dense mass of 

 foliage, which, resisting mildew, continues green and 

 bright, while the plant produces its trusses of charm- 

 ing flowers until cut off by winter frosts. 



Whatever varieties may be planted, however, 

 there is no question that Tea-scented Roses should 

 be cultivated everywhere. They are essentially the 

 universal Roses ; they will grow on hot gravelly 

 soils where other Roses will scarcely live through a 

 year ; magnificent plants may be seen in the deep 

 sandy' peat where Rhododendrons luxuriate, but 

 where the most careful cultivation of hybrid per- 

 petuals results only in comparative failure ; and yet 

 all they want to thrive in perfection on strong heavy 



Fltt. 75.— BEGONIA BOMVIEXSIS : FL0WEU3 SCAHLET. FlG. 76.— BEGOXIA VEITCHII : ELOWEES BED. 



(THE PROGENITORS OF THE TUBEROUS BEQONIA. SEE P. 534.) 



bouquets or cutting be wanted Madame Charles is 

 more beautiful in colour than Sunset, whose chief 

 value is as an early forcing Rose to supply abundant 

 buds for buttonhole bouquets soon after Christmas. 



There is one other Tea which may confidently be 

 recommended as a good grower, producing both in 

 summer and autumn consistently fine flowers of 

 pleasing flesh-colour with yellow and rosy tints : it 

 is called Comtesse de Panisse, and is not nearly so 

 much grown as it deserves. 



That in his selection of the six best climbers, 

 " Wild Rose " should include Madame Eugene Ver- 

 dier is a cause of surprise, for beautiful and distinct 

 as is the rich chamois-yellow colour of this Rose, yet 

 the growth is not particularly free or vigorous for its 

 class ; it gets badly cut back in the winter by frost ; 

 the few flowers do not open until extraordinarily late 

 in the season ; and, in spite of the cultivation of 

 about a dozen plants ever since the variety was sent 

 out — that is to say, for five or six years — I have not 

 yet obtained a first-rate bloom, nor seen one at an 

 exhibition, nor in anyone else's garden. As far as my 

 experience of it goes, this variety has one recommen- 

 dation only — that of distinctness of colour. On the 

 other hand, why should not the beautiful Ophirie be 

 recommended for universal cultivation ? The plant 



land is to have it well drained, in order that their 

 roots may not lie wet in winter. Under these cir- 

 cumstances let everyone be enjoined to plant Teas — 

 the best varieties if possible, on seedling Brier stocks 

 if possible (at any rate, to begin with), in a good 

 situation and soil if possible — but, any way, "plant 

 Teas!" Theta. 



CHISWICK. 



The latter part of your leading article last week 

 brings under the attention of the horticultural world 

 a question of vital moment to the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society, the solution of which cannot be for a 

 moment deferred — I mean the future destiny of the 

 Chiswick garden. 



It is impossible, however, to plunge into the dis- 

 cussion of this matter without ascertaining, by a 

 reference to the past, the present actual position of 

 affairs. For many years past the primary element 

 in the work of the Chiswick garden has been the 

 supply of decorative plants for the conservatory 

 and grounds at South Kensington. I do not mean 

 to say that its proper functions have been alto- 

 gether neglected, and it is to the credit of Mr. 

 Barron that every year much useful work has 



