March 21, 1865. ] 



JOITRNAIi OF HOETTCTJLTUEE AlfD COXTAaE GARDENEE. 



233 



LA CONSTANTE STEAWBEEEY. 

 The drawbacks to La Constante Strawberry, as stated by 

 Mr. JRaddyffe, resolve themselves into these : — 



1. It is not sufficiently hardy. 



2. It does not produce runners enough. 



3. The runners not being produced till after fruiting, 

 cannot be used for autumn planting. 



4. In summer the leaves are scorched by the sun. 



5. The fruit is ripened simultaneously, and 



6. "Wlen ripe it must be gathered at once, and eaten im- 

 mediately. 



If any of these objections were founded on] facts observed 

 in different situations. La Constante would not be worth 

 retaining in cultivation. As to the hardiness of the plant 

 there is only one opinion, and that is in conformity with 

 Dr. Koden's ; besides, the plants have stood the test of the 

 severe winter of 1S60-61. 



As regards the second point, it was settled fifteen years 

 ago, and the principle then laid down is recognised as correct 

 — that to send out runners moderately, and to do so after 

 the crop has been gathered, constitute two of the greatest 

 merits which a Strawberry can possess. If the runners are 

 not fit for planting in the autumn of the year in which they 

 are produced, they are left round the plants to gain strength, 

 and are in the best possible condition for planting in the 

 following ilarch or AprO. If carefully planted in spring, as 

 many good fruit can be depended on from them in the follow- 

 ing July as from any other variety planted in autumn. If 

 the above assertion appears doubtful to any of your readers, 

 I will give them twenty-nve runners of La Constante if they 

 will defray the expense of carriage, which would not amount 

 to more than from Is. to 3s. according to distance. 



During the ten years in which I have grown La Constante 

 I have never observed, either here or elsewhere, that the 

 leaves are liable to be scorched by the sun, and such a pecu- 

 liarity has never been remarked by any of my correspon- 

 dents. But if the leaves have been anywhere found to bum, 

 I believe the cause to have been ill-timed watering, or 

 planting and transplanting without having first removed 

 the ball of earth from the roots — a matter of such ele- 

 mentary importance as only to require mention. 



Does the fruit of La Constante ripen all at once ? The 

 contrary is the fact; for it is weU known to Strawberry 

 growers that the bearing of this variety lasts from a fort- 

 night to five-and-twenty days, and that the last-gathered 

 fruit are as fine as the first, if in dry weather the plants are 

 well supplied with water. 



The siith objection rests on no better foundation than the 

 five preceding it. There does not exist, so far as I am aware, 

 a Strawberry of which the fruit vnll keep so long as that of 

 La Constante. It is precisely on account of its continuous 

 bearing and long keeping, that experienced growers near 

 Brussels have planted it largely for supplying the market. 



If any of your readers who has grown La Constante for 

 two years does not agree with what I have stated in this 

 article, by making his conclusions known, he will, I think, 

 render a service to Strawbsrry-growers in general, and con- 

 tribute to the solution of the (juestions which have been 

 raised. — J. de Joxghe, Brussels. 



CLIilBIXG DETONIENSIS AJSB EOSE SPOETS. 



It would seem that a few more remarks are needed to 

 satisfy the minds of some of your readers that the climbing 

 Devoniensis E-ose is really something distinct from the old 

 well-known variety. Owing to a supposition, arising out of 

 a letter from Bath in youi- columns, that it is the same 

 grown under certain conditions, I have had a package of 

 fifty-two plants returned to me. 



I must adhere to what I have already stated that I have 

 proved it to be a most distinct sport, now thoroughly fixed, 

 from our old friend and tavourite, and of so distinctive a 

 character as to be honestly called the Climbing Devoniensis, 

 if a Devoniensis may be so called which equals Cloth of 

 Gold in vigour of growth and habit of climbing, with the 

 hardiness of Gloire de Dijon or a Hybrid Perpetual. 



It is interesting to trace the origin of the sport, and I 

 was not aware that it could be done until I read Sir. Pavitt's 

 letter in your paper. I am, therefore, most happy that he 



should have the credit, according to hiis statement, of 

 having obtained the sport from the Celine stock. The his- 

 tory of the Eose as far as I am concerned is simply this : 

 During a journey on Eose business in some of the neigh- 

 bouring counties I found that several gardeners possessed 

 what they called a strong-growing Devoniensis. I did not 

 visit Bath in my rambles, nor have I the pleasure of knowing 

 ilr. Pavitt personally, but hearing that he had some stock 

 of this strong-grower, and being particularly interested in 

 the Devoniensis Eose, I sent to purchase soma buds from 

 him, wishing to prove it for myself, not however with the 

 idea of anything distinct. Many of the buds failed, but 

 out of the living ones about two-tMrds came not distinguish- 

 able from the old variety, the rest assumed a very distinct 

 and remarkable habit. These were again very carefuUy 

 budded on suitable stocks, and I scon perceived their 

 decidedly running character which has been again improved 

 by budding. 



And now a word on its hardiness. Out of a piece of more 

 than 3000 buds and shot plants, though they have been many 

 times covered with ice dm-ing this late most inclement and 

 tryinc season, and buds of Sfarcisse and others have been 

 killed near them, I cannot perceive the slightest injury 

 inflicted on one of them by frost. 



Although I have myseH budded many thousand Devo- 

 niensis on the Celine without such a result, I cannot but 

 feel gratified that this magnificent climber has been obtained 

 from that stock, which I was the first to prove an excellent 

 one for budding upon more than twenty-five years since, 

 and to introduce publicly for tiat purpose, challenging Mr. 

 Elvers to try it against his Manetti stock. Though the 

 Manetti has proved so invaluable, yet the Celine is equally 

 so for Noisettes and some varieties. 



A few years back I obtained a sport from EUse Sanvage, 

 Tea, by budding it on the CeUne, the shoots came from 

 3 to 4 i'eet in length and were fixed. The foliage and buds 

 were exact counterparts of the parent, but without the 

 beautiful orange-coloured centre so charming in Elise Sau- 

 vage, so that we subsequently decided not to work it. 



"While on the subject of sports it may be interesting to 

 mention that in the year 1840, observing a running or barren 

 shoot on a plant of the old Aimee Vibert Xoisette, I imme- 

 diately budded it on the CeHne and fixed it, and I had the 

 pleastire of first sending it to Mr. Elvers as a cUmbing 

 Aimee Vibert, which character it has since maintained. 



In closing I would earnestly impress on my brother Eose- 

 oTowers and budding friends to see that they work the 

 Hybrid Perpetuals only from flowering shoots, as there is a 

 tendency, now that class of Eoses is so luxuriantly grown 

 on root stocks, to throw them into shy autumnal bloomers 

 by budding from excessively long or barren shoots. — Henkt 

 CtTETis, Torquay. 



NFilBEE OF TTOEKING HOUES FOE 

 GAEDE^'EES. 



TTiLL you inform me the number of hours' work per day 

 that a master has a right to expect of his gardener ? I hold 

 that ten hotLre' work per day during the summer months, 

 say from 6 o'clock a.5i. to 6 p.3i., with two hours for meals, 

 is not too much when we consider the short days during 

 winter. — TV., YorJcshire. 



[We agree with you that from 6 A.3r. to 6 p.m., with 

 two hours for meals, are very good hours dtudng the summer 

 months. If the gardener lives at a distance from his work, 

 forty minutes maybe required for breakfast instead of thirty 

 minutes, and the same for tea — say breakfast at 8, dinner 

 one hour, at 12, and tea at 4. In many cases where the 

 gardener has to go a distance, he foregoes the tea, or takes 

 something to eat with him, and perhaps a glass of beer 

 instead. Though we say this much, we would advise every 

 gentleman who has a gardener worth keeping, not to be too 

 particular at all times as to these hours. A gardener who 

 sees that things require to be done wiU not be watching for 

 the clock to strike 6 ; he vrill rather feel annoyed that the 

 time has gone too qtiickly, and to keep things right will 

 often work much later, and come earlier in the morning too. 

 There are many things which are better done in the cool of 

 the evening and the haze of the early morning ; but if a 



L 



