400 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 9, 1878. 



either of those previously mentioned, but it looks filthy, espe- 

 cially when it settles amoDgst the fruit, as it very often does 

 when the bug is very plentiful. NothiDg is more offensive than 

 sending a bunch of Grapes to the table with a number of bugs 

 crawlirjg about it. Unlike maDy other insects it seems to exist 

 as freely on the woodwork of the house, or in the crevices, as 

 on the Vines. Little or nothing can be done towards destroy- 

 ing it while the Vines are in leaf, but the means taken to clear 

 out the spider when the Vines are pruned will not fail also to 

 extirpate mealy bug. Where it has been very abundant the 

 inside woodwork of the honae should be painted after it has 

 been well washed. Oil, turpentine, and Buch like, which are 

 sometimes recommended for this insect, I have a great aversion 

 to and never use them, as I consider them not only unnecessary 

 but often injurious. 



Green Fly. — Although often collecting on the points of the 

 young shoots does not appear to do them much harm, and 

 this insect cannot survive the application which destroys the 

 thrips. 



Phylloxeba viSTAOTix. — Unfortunately this insidious pest 

 must now be classed amongst the most destructive insects with 

 which the Vine-grower has to contend. The only way of ex- 

 terminating it is to make a thorough clearing-out of every- 

 thing connected with the vineries. It was quickly and very 

 cleverly eradicated from Drumlanrig in 1872, and I have not 

 heard of any trace of it being found there since. Mr. Thomson 

 in that useful book " Fruit-Culture under Glass," says, "The 

 most certain way of stamping-out this destroyer is to burn the 

 Vine?, remove right away all the soil, well salt the site of the 

 border, and waBh and paint everything connected with the 

 vinery before fresh soil is put into it." 



Wibewoehs. — TheEe are not often classed amongst Vine- 

 destroyers. In some places they are said to injure the roots, 

 while other good Grape-growers, such as Mr. Douglas, hold 

 them to be harmless. However, if harm they do it is only 

 to the young roots and newly-planted Vines when they are 

 placed in fresh soil. As the fresh turves decay the wireworms 

 appear to decay with them, especially when the grass roots 

 perish. The soil which it is intended to use for potting young 

 Vines is generally pulled into small bits with the hand, and 

 while doing this ail the wireworms which are seen should be 

 picked out and destroyed. Those in borders require to be 

 trapped ; this is done in various ways. Perhaps the best is to 

 put small slices of Carrot here and there underneath the soil, 

 with a small peg in each, which must be left projecting above 

 the soil to act as a handle for the purpose of lifting the bits of 

 Carrot, which must be looked to frequently, and any of the 

 worms found destroyed. The stems of Cabbage, Kale, or 

 Brussels Sprouts, if cleaned and sharpened at one end and 

 inserted into the soil, also act as traps for the wireworms, as 

 they bore into the stems, from which they can be removed and 

 killed. A little soot mixed in the soil makes it distasteful to 

 them. 



Mildew. — This is not an insect, but it is equally destruc- 

 tive, and as the winter season is the time to deal with it, a 

 few words on the subject may not be unacceptable. Sulphur 

 is the great specific for this malady. It often appears in small 

 wool-like spots shortly after the Vines are started into growth. 

 It is more liable to spread in spring than summer, as a close 

 moist atmosphere is favourable to its production, and in hot 

 weather in summer the atmosphere of the vinery is not often 

 either close or overmoist ; but if mildew gains a wide footing 

 in spring it sometimes continues to spread throughout the 

 summer. From the leaves it passes to the fruit and then to 

 the wood, where it shows itself in little dark-coloured spots, 

 and if these marks are not removed when the Vines are pruned 

 every leaf will become infested when the Vines are started into 

 growth. When the canes are pruned and washed, as above 

 recommended, a quantity of sulphur should be mixed into a 

 paint-like consistency, and the whole of tha rods should be 

 painted over and allowed to remain in this state, when the 

 parasite will be entirely killed before the Vines are started 

 into growth. This plan is simple, and I do not think anything 

 could be more effectual. — Vins. 



■WINTERING AURICULAS. 

 The Auricula suffers more from damp during the winter than 

 from frost; indeed, I think it is questionable if even very 

 severe frost would materially injure the plants. But all culti- 

 vators are careful in excluding it as far as possible, because it 

 unquestionably injures the bloom, cracking the paste, and 



causing the flowers to come rough. Few of the old growers 

 used to winter their plants in anything but wooden frames ; 

 but modern growers are more careful. Personally I have found 

 frigi domo very valuable, and if " I. F. K." would procure 

 sufficient of it, not only to cover the glass, but to go dear 

 over wood and all, and have it double, I think he might defy 

 frost. It is very cheap, warm, and durable. When onoe the 

 plants begin to show the bloom, it is veiy desirable to keep 

 them from frost, and one has often heard how some of the 

 Lancashire weavers would strip the blankets off their own 

 beds to cover their much-loved plants. — D., Deal. 



STANDARD ROSES. 



Thebe are those who appear to desire that standard Roses 

 be driven from all gardens. I cannot join in such a wish, 

 knowing as I do how greatly Roses of that character are prized 

 in many gardens, and how much they contribute to the floral 

 display of summer and autumn. I grant that there are some 

 plaoes quite unsuited for standard Roses, and some kinds of 

 standards which are unsuited for any place ; but, on the other 

 hand, there are varieties which are valuable, and places for 

 which they are particularly adapted. 



The fashion for standard Roses, like that in the case of other 

 fashions, has been carried to an extreme point. Standards 

 must be had, therefore any Briar stalk will do, and the taller 

 they are the better, appears to have been the principle of 

 action. What wonder, then, that a reaction has set in, and 

 that another extreme adopted — namely, extermination ? 



Standards are not suitable for exposed gardens, for districts 

 where the winters are very severe, for dotting on lawns with 

 the turf growing close to their stems, nor, it may be, in any 

 place where blooms are grown wholly for exhibition. All that 

 I readily grant, yet I know that standard Roses are useful, and 

 I cannot join in the cry for their general uprooting. 



Let us bear in mind that all who enjoy Roses are not ex- 

 hibitors of them, yet many who do not exhibit are greatly and 

 often profitably influenced by the teachings and advice of the 

 exhibitors. From them valuable hints are derived on pruning, 

 manuring, and other points of management, and more and 

 better Roses have followed. But more and better Roses could 

 not in all cases follow were the standards destroyed. There 

 are gardens where, if. standards were not grown, their owners 

 would be almost destitute of Roses. 



Standard Robbs are most ornamental in mixed borders and 

 amongst shrubs, where dwarfs would be quite inadmissible. 

 It is conceivable that there are those who would consider it 

 bad taste to plant Roses in such positions, and farther, that 

 Boses so grown cannot be worth looking at. Hundreds, how- 

 ever, there are who think differently, and so plant and enjoy 

 Roses, and are ready to admit others, who in turn are ready to 

 enjoy them too. Now theEe are not all destitute of taste, nor 

 all bad judges. I will adduce one or two examples. 



Turn to page 386 of last week's Journal and read " D., Deal's " 

 notes on Mr. Mcintosh's garden at Daneevan, and find these 

 words: — "Does he [Mr. Mulntosh] grow Roses? Well, in 

 answer to this, just let me say that in one of his rooms is a 

 table on which there are arranged 250 specimen glasses of 

 various sizes, and these are kept filled all through the season 

 with single blooms of Roses ; and I rather fancy that anyone 

 who can do this must be able to grow Roses." Many others, 

 I assume, will fancy so too, and also fancy that " D., Deal," is 

 not a bad judge of the blooms which he has deemed worthy of 

 honourable mention. 



Now, I happen to know Mr. Mcintosh's garden. I have seen 

 it when the rich collection of Rhododendrons have been in 

 their glory, when the matohless Lilies have been in their zenith 

 of beauty, and when the Roses have been blooming which pro- 

 duce the blooms keeping the " 250 specimen glasses filled all 

 through the season," and I think I am right in saying that 

 but for standard Roses those glasses would be empty; and but 

 for growing standards amongst the Rhododendrons that garden 

 would be destitute of Roses. Who that has seen the Roses' at 

 Duneevan could despise them or the trees producing them — 

 the oft-abused standards? Standard Roses, the heads just 

 rising above the rich green foliage of Rhododendrons, have a 

 beautiful effect, and are worthy of a better name than "mop- 

 heads." 



I will now refer to a garden a hundred miles north from 

 Duneevan. A quarter of a century ago I planted amongst the 

 shrubs in that garden a great number of standard Roses, and 

 many of them are still growing luxuriantly and flowering pro- 



