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238 
fw. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ September 26, 1878. 
I saw on the wall of John Fletcher, Esq.. of Sunbury, and all 
the trees in his garden reminded me of “Hesperian fables, 
true, if true here only,” and I felt some perplexity as to 
whether the palm should be adjudged to the soil of Borden or 
of Sunbury as more eligible for fruit trees. I must not omit 
to mention the very fine crops of Peaches and Nectarines both 
under glass and on the open wall at Heywood near Maiden- 
head, the seat of Beaumont Hankey, Esq., whose gardener, 
like Oliver’s in “ As You Like It,” is one of the antique world, 
who sweat for duty, not for meed. The old school is after all 
a very good school, whether of wines or gardeners, not only as 
regards satisfactory results, but also of devotion to their em- 
ployers’ interests—H. W. HODGSON. 
CLIMBING ROSES FOR CONSERVATORY. 
A READER, “ VERAX, Manchester,” requests information as 
to the best six climbing Roses for covering a conservatory roof, 
the varieties to be of varied colours, and sorts that will pro- 
duce large quantities of flowers for sale. 
This I consider a question of considerable importance, not 
only to market flower growers but flower growers generally. 
In the first place there is no style in which Roses can be grown 
to be seen to greater advantage than when climbing up walls, 
pillars, and roofs ; and secondly, they produce far more blooms 
when so grown than by any other mode of culture. A number 
of good climbing Roses constitute one of the greatest treasures 
any person who grows flowers can possess, and for all kinds of 
decoration no flowers are more valuable. 
“ VERAX” intends planting Maréchal Niel and Gloire de 
Dijon, as two of the six which are wanted. No better could be 
selected, and of the two I give preference to the Gloire. It 
must be admitted it will not bear the slightest comparison with 
Maréchal Niel when this Rose is in full bloom, but for produc- 
ing an all-the-year-round supply of fine fragrant blooms I con- 
sider the Gloire unsurpassed. With private growers two of the 
Gloire should be planted for every one of the Maréchal, but 
for market purposes I think this arrangement might be slightly 
altered. As a rule Rose blooms will only pay in the market 
from November until May as grown under glass, and there is 
no time they pay better than during February, March, and 
April. This is just the time when Maréchal Niel can be had 
in profusion and in its unequalled beauty. A valuable quality 
possessed by this grand Rose is that it will grow and bloom 
freely and fine on the back wall of a lean-to house, even when 
shaded by Vines or Peaches.- In this way it might be grown 
with much more profit than it often is, as there are many 
empty walls about both market and other gardens which 
might be filled with it. Gloire de Dijon does not succeed so 
well on a partially shaded back wall, and it is always more 
liable to become infested with green fly than any other Rose 
which we have grown. 
In addition to the two named I would advise ‘‘ VERAX”’ to 
plant Cheshunt Hybrid (cherry carmine), Niphetos (beautiful 
white), Belle Lyonnaise (deep canary yellow tinted with 
salmon), Céline Forestier (very fragrant, fine bright yellow), 
and if a Rose is wanted to produce exquisite buds Madame 
Falcot, which is a very deep yellow or kind of bronze, and a 
continuous and exceedingly free bloomer. 
In the culture of these Roses it is not advisable to restrict 
them in growth too much; in fact to do them justice and allow 
them to produce large quantities of bloom, closely training 
them to rafters in a conservatory is not the surest way of 
securing the best results, and the Roses should mot be made a 
secondary consideration to the plants that may be underneath 
them. No other flowers will pay either public or private 
growers better than Roses, and whatever else may be neglected 
they should haye the treatment theyrequire. In training them 
they need much more room to extend their branches. They 
will flower fairly well when tied to pillars or rafters for deco- 
rating the house in which they are growing, but to secure 
thousands of blooms for sale the best way is to cover the roof 
with a light wire trelliswork, the same as is done for Vines, 
and train the shoots of the Roses all over it. Many kinds of 
plants, such as Ferns, Camellias, and newly potted plants 
generally, will grow very well under this trellis, for Roses do 
not shade so much as Vines. Whichever way the Roses are 
trained the shoots must not be crowded, at the same time no 
more pruning should be done to those I have named than will 
just prevent them from doing this. Cutting out a few of the 
weak shoots and any strong old branch about this time of the 
year is all the pruning ours receive. Plenty of rich material 
is requisite for them to grow in, and a free extension of the 
branches just suits Maréchal Niel: indeed this applies to all 
climbing Roses with which I am acquainted. Strong loam 
well enriched with cow dung, and plenty of good liquid manure 
when growing and flowering, suit them admirably. Plants 
in pots may be planted now or at any other time dumng the 
year; others had better be left until they are at rest before 
they are dug up and replanted.—M. M. 
AMERICAN MOTHER APPLE. 
HAVING seen the above Apple recommended I purchased 
trees of it, and am now disappointed with their produce. The 
fruit is small, yellow, and by no means good. Can IJ have the 
true variety? I send you a specimen.—L. L. D., Ozon. 
[You have not the true variety. {Twenty years ago we 
described the American Mother as one of the best of autumn 
Apples. It originated at Bolton, Massachusetts, and was intro- 
duced to this country by Mr. Rivers of Sawbridgeworth. We 
then advised that care must be taken not to confound this 
yariety with those that bear the same name in this country. 
Fig. 37.—American Mother Apple. 
There isa ‘“ Mother Apple” grown in some of our cider dis- 
tricts, a little ovate yellow fruit, having the unpalatable flavour 
of a Bittersweet ; and then there is the Oslin, which in some 
parts of Scotland is called * Mother Apple.” Both of these 
are perfectly distinct from that which is now under consider- 
ation, and which was therefore called the “ American’ Mother 
Apple. 
Eiruit above medium size, conical, uneyen, and undulating 
on its surface, and generally higher on one side of the crown 
than the other. Skin golden yellow, covered with patches and 
streaks of crimson on the side next the sun, and strewed with 
russet dots. Eye small, closed and tapering, set in an open 
basin. Stalk half an inch long, very slender, inserted in a 
deep cavity. Flesh yellowish white, remarkably tender, crisp, 
and breaking, very juicy, sweet, and with a balsamic aroma. 
‘The outline and description will enable the true variety to 
be recognised. | 
POTATO DISEASE AND ITS PREVENTION. 
THE following suggestions for checking the Potato disease 
have been addressed by Mr. G. H. With, F.R.A.S., to the tenants 
of the Hereford Society for Aiding the Industrious :— 
The yearly destruction of our Potato crop, and the great 
loss of food which follows, render it absolutely necessary that 
some plan for checking and, if possible, rooting out the disease, 
should be tried without delay. After giving a good deal of 
attention to the subject I offer these suggestions, with the full 
belief that, if they are carefully followed, results will be 
