252 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



f September 21, 1876. 



them into groups of pink, &o., in variety the result ends in 

 incongruity. These remarks must be taken as not applying 

 to lines of one kind in borders, or beds of one kind in a bed ; 

 the effect of these will be equal to that of any other mode, but 

 the varieties in such arrangements must be few and distinct. 



Roses must also be tastefully grouped in rooms. It has 

 been said they never look so well as in heaps. I doubt it. 

 A number of insignificant blooms in quantity may hide their 

 defects ; but singly every quality of the blooms is presented. 

 In the heap any quantity will pass muster. A few good 

 blooms interspersed make gorgeous an otherwise very in- 

 different lot; whereas in singles nothing short of good blooms 

 -are available. The former plan is the easieEt, and if any 

 doubt exist upon this head take a vase that will hold, say, 

 three dozen blooms, and have the same number of small 

 glasses somewhat larger than a penny ink-bottle, each to be 

 filled with a specimen Rose, and you may find, as I have, what 

 an easy matter it is to fill the vase, and what a difficulty there 

 is in finding three dozen specimen blooms every other day of 

 a creditable character. 



A word as to garden versus exhibition Roses. I find all 

 really good garden Roses are those appearing in the winning 

 stands at shows, with the exception of a few of doubtful hardi- 

 ness, and some that require walls. A Rose is not fit for a 

 garden unless suited for exhibition. There are as good hardy 

 Roses as those of doubtful constitutions ; but some have a 

 mania for everything that is tender, and requires a wall or 

 giass to grow it, not for its merits but on account of the 

 greater difficulty of production. This is also encouraged by 

 judges, who often countenance rarity instead of quality. 



The Briar here in the open presents a stunted growth. It 

 is only when sheltered that it draws up long enough to form a 

 stem. These stocks are planted thickly for trade purposes, 

 the stems not being subjected to the drying influences of the 

 atmosphere until given the cultivator's distance. By exposure 

 to snn the stem may dry before the head is of a size to pro- 

 tect it, the stem in its habitat being protected by its own or 

 surrounding growth, and this exposure of stem may account 

 for the many deaths resulting, not so much of the Roses as of 

 the Briars. It is not solely due to the tenderness of the Rose, 

 though that in a severe weather may be a sufficient cause of 

 loss, but the sap for some untold reason refuses to ascend the 

 stock, as is evidenced by want of growth on the stems ; and 

 the presence after its death of numerous suckers springing 

 from the roots is proof conclusive that nature, distorted as it 

 may be, will in the long-run assert its supremacy. The only 

 Roses which the Briar appears to suit are the vigorous spreading 

 ■growers; but neither as dwarfs, quarter, half, or full standards 

 does the Briar answer with me as a stock, standards of any 

 height not being suitable for any exposed situation. I must, 

 however, in justice to the Briar say that a few dozen plants 

 alleged to be on Manetti, but which were on Briar roots, 

 which had been cut into lengths of 3 or 4 inches and worked, 

 and planted so that the junctions were covered at least 3 inches 

 with soil, have done well. They, however, send up suckers, 

 it being the nature of the Briar to put out strong young 

 growths from the roots annually. 



The plants for an exposed position are dwarfs. Upon their 

 own roots only a few of the most vigorous succeed, and these 

 do not give blooms equalling those afforded by the Manetti, 

 which are planted so that the junction is 3 incheB beneath the 

 surface, it being remarkable what a few plants root from that 

 part of the scion which is buried, and what few suckers are 

 -.produced. The ground for them was trenched two spits deep ; 

 the subsoil being unfavourable and full of oxide of iron , it was 

 not thought desirable to bring more up. The soil is of a semi- 

 peaty description, admirably suited to American plants, and 

 naturally grows Heather in three species — Whins where dry, 

 and a few Bilberries, and, where wet, Sedges. Poor stuff ! In 

 trenching the turf went to the bottom, and upon this was given 

 a coating of farmyard manure 6 inches thick in its fresh state, 

 and then the bottom spit was brought to the top, a like 

 -dressing of manure being placed on the top and mixed with 

 the top spit. Spring had come in before planting could be 

 done, and I cut hard back at the close of April, the Roses 

 having begun to grow. I like to have the shoots start from 

 near the ground, below it when possible. They grew away 

 finely, but the hares soon found out the daintiness of the 

 tender shoots, and ate them off to very near their origin. 

 Wire netting had to be brought into requisition, the plants 

 having scarcely a leaf on them at Whitsuntide. It was clear 

 ihe hares had only caused more shoots to come in place of 



those removed, and we had lots of Roses in late summer and 

 autumn. 



In December the soil was mulched, or rather covered up 

 with litter. I had anticipated the appearance of the litter 

 would have prompted an order to take it away, and the Roses 

 also if they would not do without it ; but whether the perfume 

 of the Roses had been eo enduring as to prevent any odour 

 arising from the litter, or their colour still filling the eye so as 

 to hide the unsightliness of the straw I am not in a position to 

 state, but the order did not come, and I have gone to the 

 extent of summer mulching, which has not been taken objec- 

 tion to. Had I had my own way I certainly should have gone 

 to the extent of a rosery — hid the noblest of flowers behind a 

 hedge ; but the fact was, they as shrubs must take their 

 position as such or not at all. It is only just to Eay that they 

 attract much attention and elicit great admiration. I mention 

 this as an encouragement to others similarly circumstanced — 

 not to let a difficulty, often imaginary, stand in the way, for 

 though the result may not equal others more favourably 

 circumstanced, every effort is attended with more or less of 

 success, generally measured by the enthusiasm of the culti- 

 vator for the subject which he labours to perfect. 



The roughest of the winter covering is removed in early 

 spring, and comes in admirably for mixing with fresher hotbed 

 material, and the short is pointed-in after pruning, which has 

 often been done too early, as when done in February and early 

 in March the shoots have not unfrequently been much damaged 

 by frost in April, and I do not now prune until the early part 

 of that month if the season be forward, and not until the 

 middle or end if the seaEon be late, the growths upon the 

 shoots being often considerable before pruning is done. By 

 late piuning damage is escaped from spring frosts, and the 

 bloom though later is certainly finer. The plants are gone 

 over occasionally through the summer, removing any past 

 flower trusses, and cutting-baek any long non-flowering shoots 

 to the height of the plants generally, and these not unfre- 

 quently afford shoots giving bloom without interfering with 

 the buds at the base of the shoots. In the matter of pruning, 

 the weak and old shoots are cut clean away, the endeavour 

 being to originate strong vigorous shoots. The pruning is also 

 close — each strong shoot being cut to three or four eyes, and 

 the moderately vigorous to two or three. 



All that the plants are allowed beyond the covering-up in 

 winter is in a dry summer a mulching of short litter after the 

 first moist weather in June, weeds being kept under, and if no 

 mulching be given — which is not always the case, the weather 

 being moist and the growth free — the surface is kept from crack- 

 ing by stirring the surface. No watering is given overhead or to 

 the roots. There is no aphis and no mildew. We commenced 

 with many kinds, but each year has considerably reduced their 

 number ; their place has been taken by such as succeeded, and 

 which were free in growth and flower, and have proved suitable 

 for an exposed situation. I have placed those following in 

 the order of merit. 



Hybrid Perpetual. — John Hopper, Baroness de Rothschild, 

 Alfred Colomb, Charles Lefebvre, Senatenr Vaisse, Capitaine 

 Christy, Edward Morren, Madame Victor Verdier, Dupny- 

 Jamain, Thyra Hammerick, Countess of Oxford, La France, 

 Madame Clert, Paul Neron, Prince Paul Demidoff, Duke of 

 Edinburgh, Antoine Ducher, Madame Lacharme, Thomas 

 Methven, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Prince Camille de Rohan, 

 Mareohal Vaillant, Claude Levet, Pierre Seletzki, and Olga 

 Marlx, small but a finely-formed flower. 



Ptrpetual HIoss. — Madame Moreau and Salet. 



Bourbon.— Louis Margottin, Sir Joseph Paxton, and Baron 

 Gonella. 



China. — Cramoisie Superieure and Mrs. Bosanquet. 



Tea-scented. — Gloire de Dijon — this and the first twelve are 

 much the best ; Gloire de Bordeaux. 



Noisette. — Reve d'Or, magnificent foliage, but blooms spar- 

 ingly, but well worth a place where leaves are in request. 



There are, of course, many others that are vigorous growers, 

 but the flowers do not open, notably Perle des Blanches and 

 Princess Christian, Perfection de Lyon being most refractory in 

 that respect. — G. Abbey. 



PEACHES IN ORCHARD HOUSES. 



These are now so plentiful that anything relating to them 

 interests many. On p. 215, in reply to " Reader," some obser- 

 vations are made on the comparative flavour of fruit under glass 

 and on the open wall. I believe it depends on the season, but 



