112 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 8, 1878. 
the age of thirty-three years. Mr. Talbot has three daughters, 
the second of whom is married to J. Fletcher, Esq.. of Salton Hall 
near Edinburgh.—A. PETTIGREW, Castle Gardens, Cardiff. 
DISBUDDING ROSES. 
In the Journal of Horticulture you most kindly admit 
letters upon all subjects. As an old Rose-grower I am, of 
course, most interested in those that are written on the subject 
of the queen of flowers. Everyone has, of course, a right to 
his own opinion—chacun a son gotit; but I hope that it will 
not be thought very presumptuous in a poor old fogey if he 
takes the liberty of disagreeing with your correspondent 
“"A.C.” on the subject of disbudding Roses. He states in his 
letter, published by you August Ist, that “Since the Rose show 
month my Roses have been doing exactly as they like.” So 
have mine, and a jolly time they seem to have had of it. I do 
not like only to write what my experience of letting my 
beauties alone is, but beg to enclose you, for the advantage of 
your numerous visitors, two trusses that I cut off one plant of 
Mrs. C. Wood (one has eighteen, the other twenty-one buds), 
also a single truss of La France with twenty-nine buds. I 
send them (as samples of what a Rose show might be if carried 
on under the suggestion of “A. C.” 
_ Though very near the threescore years and ten I still look 
with much pleasure on the lovely forms around me, and 
confess that the Lesbias of the present day are, perhaps, 
sometimes a little tightly laced, but I think that the Norah 
fashion (of course I only compare them in the way of Roses) 
gives rather a confused idea (vide trusses sent), of what beauty 
is ; but if the world at large would consent to an exhibition of 
Lesbias and Norahs I would willingly agree, if considered com- 
petent, to be one of the judges, and a friend of mine whois 
reading this over my shoulder says he will also be a judge, 
and if we do not agree can call in some other old woman to 
give her casting yote—AN OLD RosE-GROWnR, 7. F. 
Not too frequently nor too plainly has “A. ©.” denounced 
the plan of disbudding Roses that is now so common. To 
produce the grand blooms that win cups: at exhibitions dis- 
joudding is imperative, as the prizes are awarded to the most 
perfect individual blooms that can be produced, and not to 
_ “trusses,” as the blooms are anomalously and officially de- 
scribed in the schedules, ; 
It is rare indeed to see a naturally grown and beautiful 
truss of Roses ata Rose show. Grandeur of isolated blooms 
prevails there, but it is a formal artificial kind of beauty that 
does not display the Rose in its natural state of loveliness. 
The present system of Rose exhibiting must continue, no other 
plan can supersede it ; but it would be just as well to call the 
blooms by their right names. Yet, as so timely suggested by 
“A. C.,” cannot supplementary classes: be made for exhibiting 
Roses in trusses—that is, a stem containing as many blooms 
and buds as the exhibitor chooses to stage? Boxes thus filled 
would afford a delightful change from the present monotonous 
—grandly monotonous if you like, but still monotonous—aspect 
of Rose shows ; and the trusses, real trusses, would afford by 
far more truthful and correct ideas being formed of the several 
varieties than does the present system of exhibiting only highly 
fed and isolated blooms. 
In regard to Roses and Rose-showing it is well to bear in 
mind that by far the greater number of visitors who are 
admirers and growers of the flower are those who wish to see 
the varieties exhibited so as to show their natural characters. 
Not one grower of Roses in ten grows them on the disbudding 
system so as to produce a few grand blooms for exhibition, but 
they grow them for producing trusses for beautifying their gar- 
dens and adorning their homes. 
The two systems referred to are essentially distinct, and the 
blooms produced by one mode and the trusses by the other 
cannot compete in the same class. Let blooms be called blooms 
and trusses trusses, and let classes be formed accordingly, and 
Rose shows will be more varied, interesting, and instructive. 
—OCCASIONAL EXHIBITOR. 
THE FLORA OF CYPRUS. 
SPEAKING of the flora of Cyprus Drs. Unger and Kotschy, 
in their work “ Die Insel Cypern,” say :-— 
“Tn Cyprus prairie or meadow land does not exist; the 
“Ackerland’ takes the place of it. After the rains, but only 
for a short time, cereals give a satin-like green to the land- 
scape ; and among them grow a profusion of flowers ; but these 
artificial rather than natural fields fade more quickly than the 
flowers, and scarcely last a few weeks beyond the last spring 
rain. There is only one small corner of the island where the 
vegetation resembles ours. The great heat of the summer 
destroys all the tender plants ; only those plants survive which- 
through their anatomical construction or hard substance, or 
in consequence of growing near water, can resist the effects of 
the heat. 
“There is great resemblance in the vegetation throughout 
the island to the Mediterranean. In February and March 
there is on all the river edges a profusion of Lilies; in April 
and May on the land side is one carpet of flowers. During 
the heat, however, the land assumes a yeHow tint. Pine 
forests abound, Olives, Myrtles, and Laurel trees. As far as 
the island has as yet been explored we know that there are 
a thousand different sorts of plants. No eastern island can 
show such a rich forest growth as Cyprus. 
“The Pinus maritima in Cyprus covers the hills and moun- 
tain regions to the height of 4000 feet as one of the commonest 
trees. The Pinus Laricio, which covers all the heights to 
4000 feet above the sea, rises on the western mountains of the 
island to 6000 feet, and gives it a dark appearance from the 
sea. The wild Cypress (Cupressus horizontalis) is the third 
tree which grows commonly in the eastern part of the island 
and in some places forms by itself entire woods. On the 
whole of the northern chain of mountains this wild Cypress 
grows often to the height of from 2000 to 3000 feet above the 
sea. Great forests of wild Cypresses must also have covered 
the whole of the south of the island, as also a shrub, the 
Juniperus phoenicea, In the north several varieties of Oak are 
found, and throughout the island the Arbutus abounds; the 
Carob tree and Olive flourish on the banks of all the rivers 
and up to an elevation of 1000 feet above the sea.” 
HAMPTON COURT GARDENS. 
THE floral embellishments of the public parks in the vicinity 
of the metropolis constitute an important feature of their 
attractions: Artistic merit of the highest order is exemplified 
in those parks, and skill both in the culture and arrangement 
of plants and flowers is strikingly displayed by the several 
managers. 
Although situated at some: distance from the metropolis, yet 
Hampton Court may be said to belong to the Londoners ; it 
really belongs to all, for the palace and gardens are free to 
all comers on six days out of the seven. The gardens:indeed 
are open on seven days, but the State apartments are closed 
on Fridays, a fact that visitors occasionally overlook and con- 
sequently. experience some disappointment whem they arrive 
at this celebrated place of public resort on that “unlucky day.” 
Such: disappointment, however, as that experienced by some 
visitors on Friday last is, it is hoped, not common. A gentle- 
man from Australia had been hoping to see the State rooms 
all his life and that day afforded him the only opportunity for 
doing so, as he had to sail the next day for the Antipodes. 
But the rule was inexorable; the apartments were “closed 
for cleaning,” and the journey of sixteen thousand miles ended 
by an outside view. ‘The visitor bore his disappointment philo- 
sophically and did not fall into the vulgar error of abusing 
the porter. It was slightly different with an American visitor 
who was placed in the same predicament, and who with cha- 
racteristic cuteness “guessed his house was cleaned every 
morning slick, and was always ready for visitors, and guessed 
if that house was in his country it would be ready too.” It is 
well, therefore, that gardeners and others whose primary 
mission is to inspect the grounds and flowers should not 
deprive themselyes of a rich supplementary treat by commit- 
ting the same error of selecting Friday for a visit. Yet while 
visitors arrive from all countries, it is naturally the Londoners 
who are represented in the greatest numbers, the attendance 
last year numbering upwards of 200,000. 
Although somewhat early in the season the flower beds are 
about in full beauty. The plants were good to begin with, 
were planted closely, and have grown freely: hence their 
present satisfactory condition. The aspect of the grounds 
from the west front of the palace is one of unmistakeable 
erandeur. The three splendid avenues of Elms converging to 
the centre of the terrace; the fountain in the centre in its 
bason 130 yards in circumference and its 120 jets ; the smooth 
expanse of lawn with lines of yenerable Yews and Hollies, some 
of them enshrouded in Iyy; and the large, numerous, and 
