November 9, 1876. J 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



401 



fusely. In the 4-feet-wide flower borders (bounded by espalier 

 trees) which fringe the walks of the kitchen garden are hundreds 

 of standard Eoses, which in their season of blooming are ad- 

 mired even by rosarians, and from these standards " bushels 

 of blooms " have been cut and sent to cheer the inmates of 

 hospitals and infirmaries. Dwarfs in such a situation would 

 be but poor substitutes for the standards which have pro- 

 duced such a splendid effect and such gratifying results for 

 many years. Dwarfs have been tried in some of the borders, 

 and have been " found wanting." 



A mistake commonly made with standard Eoses, and which 

 has more than anything else brought them into disrepute, is in 

 having their stocks too tall. Briars have been planted of what 

 was deemed the right height, in forgetfulness that 2 feet more 

 would be added to them by the growth of the Eoses. 



Two feet or 2J feet ought not usually to be exceeded as the 

 height of the Briars before they are budded. They ought 

 also to be selected with care, rejecting any with imperfect 

 stems and insufficient roots. 



Briars are condemned also for their natural propensity of 

 producing suckers. True it is that BriaTs struggle hard for 

 life, but with care in selection and planting, and generous 

 treatment, keeping the Eoses on them growing, a Briar will 

 not give muoh trouble in growing from the roots. If its sap 

 channels are impeded, then it will make others ; but with a 

 healthy stem and free growth at the top it will not greatly 

 annoy by growing from the bottom. It grows from the roots, 

 not in preference to growing at the top, but Bimply in prefer- 

 ence to dying. 



My practice in growing standard Eoses is to select stout 

 clean Briars with good roots and plant them in November, 

 carefully examining the roots and rubbing off any buds which 

 are seen previously to planting, and not allowing the roots to 

 become dry by exposure. After the Eoses are established they 

 are pruned in the spring after growth has commenced. Super- 

 fluous shoots are thinned out, and superfluous flower buds 

 from the shoots remaining. Insects are rigidly extirpated, 

 and a few soakings of liquid manure are given to tho Toots. 

 The Eoses then grow with unchecked vigour, and suckers 

 give little or- no trouble because few are produced. When 

 growths issue from the roots they are Bigns of bad manage- 

 ment on the part of the cultivator or of disease of the Eose, 

 which is making a last effort for existence by growing at the 

 bottom because for some reason or other it oannot grow at the 

 top. — A Civilised Native. 



WINTER-DRESSING FRUIT TREES. 



The winter-dressing of fruit trees has been insisted on by 

 moBt writers on practioal gardening, no doubt aoting on the 

 principle that prevention is better than cure, the fact being 

 that the remedy for a severely infested plant, whether with 

 insect or fungus, is not unfrequently as bad as the disease 

 itself. It has been held, and may still be held by some, that 

 the winter- dres sir) g of Vines, &c, is useless, as the insects are 

 then dormant and proof against any insecticide. As to that 

 I must confess to having but faint knowledge of insect life, 

 and I do not think entomologists have placed before us the 

 requisite information. Yet even a tyro in gardening knows 

 that the brown or Peach aphis is as active upon the young 

 shoots of the Peach and Nectarine during the winter as the 

 Bummer months ; that brown scale remains through the winter 

 upon shoots which it has obtained a footing upon during the 

 summer ; that mussel scale holds tenaciously to the bark of 

 Apple and Pear trees ; that mealy bug and red spider, when 

 the plants they infest become leafless, seek out thorough parts 

 of the bark, beneath which they creep, shielded alike from 

 cold and wet ; that the whole tribe of aphides are more or less 

 active during the winter months ; and that thrips are not more 

 given to pass the winter in obscurity than slugB. Now such 

 insects abiding with the subjects upon which they feed are just 

 as vulnerable to an insecticide in winter as at any other season, 

 and often more bo from their being more closely congregated ; 

 and further, the antidote being capable of application at a 

 strength that would be fatal to the tender shoot and foliage, 

 a winter-dressing is of much value. 



I have tried most insecticides, and found all more or less 

 useful. Nevertheless, from their costliness, and not always 

 being at hand when wanted, I have thought some easily pro- 

 cured and readily prepared substances out of which an insecti- 

 cide could at any time be formed would be desirable and 

 acceptable. The following recipes will be found useful. Soft 



soap half a pound, to which add a wineglassful of spirits of 

 turpentine, and with a stick mixing thoroughly with the soft 

 soap, having ready boiling tobacco juice, and addiDg this a 

 little at a time, bo as to incorporate the whole, the tobacco 

 juice that is to be added being half a gallon. This small 

 quantity will suffice to dress a dozen Vines or four average- 

 sized Peach treeB. Apply the mixture with a brush to every 

 part of the trees after it becomes cooled to 120°, taking care to 

 brush it in to the angles and crevices of the bark, and not to 

 injure the eyes or dislocate the buds, which, however, should 

 be coated with the stuff. The sooner it is applied after the 

 leaves have fallen the better, as the pests remain aB long as 

 possible before retiring for the winter. The mixture will kill 

 every species of scale (mealy bug not excepted), red spider, 

 whether in the egg or otherwise ; thrips, aphides, and fungus. 

 It is only applicable to ligneouB plants, and to those only when 

 at rest. For destroying white or brown scale and mealy bug 

 upon growing plants, 8 ozs. of soft soap mixed with a wine- 

 glassful of spirits of turpentine, adding gradually half a gallon 

 of boiling water, stirring bo as to thoroughly incorporate. 

 Apply with a brush to the parts infected, or with sponge to 

 leaves, at a temperature net exceeding 120°. The plants must 

 be Byringed with water immediately after they have been 

 dressed with the solution, taking care not to allow the mixture 

 to run down the stems in full strength to the roots. — G. Abbey. 



HARDY SPRING ANNUALS. 



As spring-flowering annuals are hardly ever done justice to 

 except in very large establishments, I wish to draw the atten- 

 tion of amateurs and those who do not keep a regular gardener 

 to the culture of a few of the best, which is very Bimple, and the 

 cost of the seed is trifling. Amongst the most attractive are 

 the Silenes pendula rosea, pendula alba, and pendula ruberrima. 

 Each plant grows about 1 foot high and the same in diameter; 

 they should be planted, therefore, about 1 foot apart either in 

 lines, chains, or masses, and few plants will produce such a pleas- 

 ing effect considering their cost. The seed should be sown 

 about the third week in July, and the seedlings be transplanted 

 once before the final planting in the flower garden where they 

 are to bloom. One ounce of seed will produce about four 

 thousand plants. 



For a dark blue the pretty Forget-me-not, Myosoiis dissiti- 

 flora, flowers early and produces a charming effeot. The best 

 way to raise a stock is to plant about one dozen plants in the 

 spring, after they have done service in the flower garden, in a 

 shady corner, and keep free from weeds, and in due time you 

 will be rewarded with hundreds of healthy plants. For a 

 yellow I have Lasthenia californica. It is a very Bhowy 

 annual, which does not attain more than a foot high, and is 

 very free-flowering. — H. S. 



USEFUL APPLES. 



Owing mainly to the articles of " A Noethebn Gabdenbe " 

 and "A Midland Feuit-qboweb" we have obtained a good 

 notion as to what varieties of Apples, both dessert and cook- 

 ing, we should plant if we want early Apples, and I know that 

 early Apples are wanted both for parlour and kitchen. Await- 

 ing, and glad of any further hints as to sorts — and very useful 

 hints have been given in shorter articles than by the two 

 writers above named — I would now say Let us proceed to the 

 other end of the Apple season, and propose this question — 

 " What varieties of Apples are best for the months of April, 

 May, and June?" 



As to the medium-season Apples there are plenty of those to 

 choose from, and I think "A Midland Feuit-oeowek " did 

 quite right to exclude the autumn Apples from his list of early 

 sorts. By the way, I beg to thank that writer for his kind 

 response to my request in his paper in the number of our- 

 Journal of the date of October 5th. Autumn Apples are not 

 summer Apples any more than October is a summer month ; 

 and certainly Kerry Pippin is not a summer Apple. 



My own opinion is that those who seek to place the Apple in 

 a higher station as a fruit must try to combine beauty with 

 utility. A handsome Apple is really a very ornamental object. 

 Recently I was Btaying in Hampshire, and the staircase window 1 

 commanded a view of the garden, and a very good and pro- 

 ductive garden it is. Just within pleasant distance stood an 

 Emperor Alexander Apple tree, turning a corner in espalier 

 form. Its fruit was not yet gathered, and I never passed that 

 window without pausing to admire the beautiful fruit, aB at- 



