Angnst 8, ISIl. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



83 



dent Wilder, La Constante, Black Prince, and others of the 

 same type. In such a season as this a distance of 2 feet is 

 much too close for the stronger-growing varieties ; the leaves 

 have so overshadowed the fruit that sun and air cannot reach 

 it. It is also worthy of note that the best fruit as well as the 

 heaviest crop is obtained the first year after planting. The 

 varieties recommended for pot culture are the best also for 

 growing in the kitchen-garden quarters. Of course, the dif- 

 ferent qualities of soil have much influence on the quality of 

 the fruit. The flavour ia also much affected by position ; an 

 open airy exposure suits the Strawberry best. Sheltered from 

 cutting winds, but not shaded, Frogmore Late Pine on our 

 light sandy loam ia one of the best late sorts ; on some clayey 

 soils it does not succeed. — J. Douglas. 



A BIT OF SOUTH DEVON.— No. 2. 



"What's in a name?" Much. It is quite true that " a 

 Rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but that is no 

 satisfactory response to the query. The name applied always 

 indicates much. "Ned" is a difierent man from " Edward." 

 " Bet " is not a woman like unto " Bessie." Then, again, 

 where local names of things are gentle, poetic, the people of 

 thereabouts are not " Nottingham lambs " nor " Paris com- 

 munists." For exampl.e — a confirmatory example : hereabouts 

 the fair blue flowers of Germander Speedwell, Veronica Chamie- 

 drys, are called "Angels' eyes," a name as soft as the people's 

 clotted cream. 



What a different commencement from that intended when I 

 took pen in hand ! But whilst I am a vagrant my habits par- 

 take of my infirmity of purpose. I intended first to say, and 

 say it now, that since I last wrote I have had the pleasure of a 

 long chat with Mr. Edward Vivian, the well-known meteorolo- 

 gist ; he was on the verge of starting to join the Association of 

 Science at Edinburgh, but kindly spared me an hour. He 

 rally confirms the conclusion I had reached relative to the 

 summer temperature of Torquay. His meteorological obser- 

 vations here extend over many years, but I will confine my 

 quotation to his summary of results during the last ten years. 



*' Mean summer temperature and hii^hest extreme — 



Torquay.. 65°.7, 82^ Clifton.. 65'.2, 91°. Ventnor SS^.S, 83°. 



Exeter.... 56'.5, 91°. Oxford.. 65°.3, 90°. Greenwich . 56°.0, 94°. 



Mean winter temperature and lowest extreme — 



Torquay. . 44°.7, 18°. Clifton.. 41°. 3, 7°. Ventnor 44°.9, 21°. 



Exeter.... 43°.8, 14°. Oxford.. 41°.2, 16°. Greenwicli . 41°.4, 8°. 



Mean daily range of temperature- 

 Torquay 9° 8. Clifton 18°.4. Ventnor 9°.2. 



Exeter 14°.6. Oxford 14°.2. Greenwich 16°.3. 



Annual amount of rain in inches, and number of days on which it 

 fell- 

 Torquay .. 28.9, 154. Clifton .. 29.S, 181. Ventnor 27.7, 152. 



Exeter.... 27.3, 185. Oxford .. 25.5, 163. Greenwich.. 22.2, 147." 



Collateral evidence of the absence of great summer heat is the 

 fact that when Mr. Vivian resided in Hertfordshire he ripened 

 Black Cluster Grapes on the open wall, but he has failed in his 

 endeavour so to ripen them at Torquay. 



My sole object in thus demonstrating that Torquay is a tem- 

 perate sea-side summer resort is to remove the delusion which 

 causes many to avoid, except in winter, this most beautiful 

 locality, deficient in no one requirement, and with a Flora in- 

 cluding many rarities, and all, whether rare or common way- 

 side plants, characterised by very special luxuriance. 



I record one relative warning. The plant-seeker will find it 

 stated in Stewart's " Handbook of the Torquay Flora," that 

 here is to be found the Maiden-hair Pern, but Mr. Vivian and 

 Mr. Gosso, both residents, assure me that it is no longer a 

 tenant of the Torquay cliffs. They both tell of "one little 

 pet specimen on Berry Head," the whereabouts of which is 

 kept secret from all but a select few, lest it should become 

 known to that ruthless invader — a visiting collector. Never 

 have I seen that Maiden-hair so fine as in the fernery of Mr. 

 Gosse at St. Mary Church. (There's a softened name, again. 

 How far more grateful to the ear than when the genitive s, as 

 usual, is appended.) That excellent sketeher in words of 

 Nature lives now surrounded by his trim garden, fernery, or- 

 chard and Orchid houses. If you who are reading these notes 

 are not acquainted with his " Year by the Sea-side," make its 

 acquaintance, and be grateful to me for introducing yon to that 

 book and its author, for in that you will see his mind. I know 

 his genial personage, too, having just renewed an acquaintance 

 some years have interrupted. He has a collection of about 

 two hundred species and varieties of Orchids, and is annually 

 adding to them. He has just purchased at a Stevens's auction I 

 that must for tha present be considered a variety of Anaoto- ' 



chilus (Goodyera) Dawsonianus, but I venture to think it is the 

 species, for the leaves are green, and those of the specimens at 

 present bearing the name are coloured. Then, his fernery, 

 with its walls and buttresses all completely clothed with most 

 luxuriant specimens, hanging over and conceahng a tank of 

 slightly-tepid water, in which gold fish live and breed in com- 

 fort. How I pity those in glass globes ! There, too, is that 

 lovely bog plant, Anagallis tenera, carpeting with its pale- 

 green leaves the soil's surface, and figuring the carpeting with 

 hundreds of its delicate pinky flowers. Why are not bog plants 

 more cultivated ? Mr. Gosse knows how to cultivate as well as 

 how to collect, and he knows that he knows how, and, Uke 

 another cultivator, would discharge the man who did not plant 

 Cabbages with their roots in the air if he was so ordered. But 

 Mr. Gosse is more than a cultivator and sketeher of Nature. 

 Like the pilgrim turned hermit and cultivating his herb garden, 

 Mr. Gosse can say, " My staff is not thrown aside, I keep it 

 ready for my journey to a better land." 



This reference reminds me that in the 15th century here- 

 abouts were the resorts of pilgrims for embarkation towards 

 the shrine in Spain of St. Jago de Compostella. In 1434 the 

 Mary of Brixham was licensed to carry thirty pilgrims, the 

 John of Teignmonth the like number, and the Catherine of 

 Dartmouth forty. The district was likely to be fertile of pil- 

 grims even if its population were not more superstitious then 

 than now, for I have been told that a bed of Lilies of the 

 Valley was not planted because he who did the planting would 

 die within twelve months. 



Mr. Curtis's notes on the new Roses of 1870 have just reached 

 me, but before detailing them let me prevent any mistake 

 arising from my remark that his rosery is strictly a practical 

 establishment, by stating that he is a very frequent and very 

 successful exhibitor. Even whilst I have been here he took 

 prizes at Teignmonth, and just previously he did likewise at 

 Clifton when contending with other great;, Bose-growers. Let 

 me add for the benefit of amateurs this extract from his expe- 

 rience : — " I find gnano and soot the best fertilisers for Roses." 

 And now for his 



NOTES ON THE PEINCIPAI. KOSES OE 1870. 



Abbe Giraudier, H.P. (Raised by Levet). Deep rose colour, somc- 

 wliat in the way of Madame Charles "Wood. 



Albion, H.P. (Liabaud). A large, well-shaped, bright red Rose, but 

 of moderate growth. 



Alexander Humboldt, H.P. (Charles Verdier). A free bloomer, of 

 the prevailing crimson colour. 



Anguste Neumann, H.P. (Engine Verdier). Dark rich shaded 

 crimson, with thick petals. Good. 



Baron Chatu-and, H.P. (Liabaud). Very dark shaded crimson, with 

 stiff Bourbon-like petals and rosette centre. Medium size and strong 

 growth. 



Belle Ljonnaise, T. (Level). Fine shaded yellow, of vigorous, 

 climbing, Gloire de Dijon habit, and, as far as I have seen, having 

 more yellow with less of the buff tint than our invaluable old friend. 



Blanche de Meru, H.P. (Charles Verdier). A small blush Rose of 

 medium growth. 



Catherine Mermet, T. (Gnillot fils). Full size, distinct flesh rose 

 colour, beautiful. The bud well coloured and graceful. 



Countess of Oxford, H.P. (Guillot pere). Carmine, very large. 

 Bather deeper in colour than Victor Verdier- 



Ducher. A good white China. 



Edward Morren, H.P. (Granger). Light carmine rose, of fine form 

 and very double ; of extra size. Bather uncertain, specimens some- 

 times occurring truly magnificent. A good grower. 



Eliza Boelle, H.P. (GuiUot pere). Light pearly blush, in the way 

 of Mdlle. Bonnaire, but a stronger grower. 



Ferdinand de Lesseps, H.P. (Eugene Verdier). Rich shaded crim- 

 son. Large and of fine form, of the Madame Victor Verdier type ; 

 fragrant and superb. A fine exhibition Rose. 



General Grant, H.P. (Eugene Verdier). Dark maroon crimson, 

 globular. A strong grower. 



Jeanne GuUiot, H.P. (Liabaud). Lilac rose, medium size. Not 

 much to recommend it but its strong growth. 



Jules Senrre, H.P. (Liabaud). Bed, the old colour. No acqui- 

 sition. 



La Motts Sanguine, H.P. (Vigeron). Bright cherry crimson, very 

 large and effective. Bather mope massive than Glory of Waltham, of 

 the same shade of colour. 



Le Mont Blanc, T. (Ducher). White, tinted yellow, medium size. 



Louis Van Houtte, H.P. (Lacbarme). Bich shaded crimson ma- 

 roon, deeply cupped, fine form. In the way of Louis XIV., but a 

 stronger grower, very fragrant. A fine exhibition Rose. 



Louisa Wood, H.P. (Eugene Verdier). Light vermilion crimson, 

 often very striking in colour, and brighter than Madame Caillat. Of 

 fine form and highly scented, will be found a great acquisition a a 

 pillar Bose. 



MadameDucher,!. (Ducher). Pale yellow, pretty. Of medium size. 



