372 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK, 



[ November 16, 1871. 



are in Beaeon from the early part of July until destroyed by 

 frost. — G. Abbey. 



SELECT ROSES. 

 One of our first Eose amateurs — not a grower for exhibition 

 only, although the winner of many prizes — has asked me to 

 send to the Journal a list of the best twelve Eoses. I cannot 

 but comply with this request. The task, however, would have 

 been easier had the number been less restricted, or had the 

 request been accompanied by a more distinct intimation as to 

 the point of view from which the flower is regarded. It is well 

 known that the best show Eoses are not always the best for the 

 garden or for purposes of general decoration, and the best for 

 garden or house decoration are not always the best for exhi- 

 bition. The grower who enjoys his Eoses on the tree or when 

 cut and placed evenly in vases, would not attain his end in 

 the most complete manner by choosing the best show Eoses. 

 I shall therefore give my opinion of a separate dozen first-class 

 flowers from each point of view ; and as the growers for garden 

 or house decoration are more numerous than the growers for 

 exhibition, that list would seem fairly to claim the precedence. 



Twelve First class Eoses for Garden or Souse Decoration. 

 Duke of Edinburgli. — Fine in colour. 

 Elizabeth Vigneron. — Blooms abundantly late, 

 Jules Margottin. — Very fioriferous. 

 La France. — Free, fine, and very sweet. 

 Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier. — Fine, but sometimes rough. 

 Madame ilfred de Kougemont. — Good white. 

 Madame Victor Verdier. — Always good. 

 Monsieur Noman. — Good and distinct. 

 Princess Christian. — Very floriferous and fine. 

 Madame Falcol. — Free and fine. 

 Countess of Oxford. — Loses shape ; a Httle early. 

 Gloire de Dijon. 



Twelve First-class Eoses for Exhibition. 



Alfred Colomh. 



Madame la Earonne de Rothschild. 



Madame Vidot. — Uncertain, but often the best white Eose. 



Marie Baumann. 



Perfection de Lyon. — Uncertain, but grand when managed. 



Charles Lefebvre. 



Pierre Notting. — Uncertain, hut grand when managed. 



Louis Van Houtte. 



Marquis de Castellaae. 



Devoniensis. 



Marechal Niel. 



Souvenir d'Elise Vardon. 



Now for a few general remarks. In the first place let me 

 say that it is by painful eiJort I have excluded from the above 

 lists so many good and valuable Eoses. It is only in degree 

 less painful than it would be to set down a list of one's twelve 

 best friends, when there were scores or hundreds never encoun- 

 tered without feeling the pulse quicken and the heart grow 

 lighter. Twelve Eoses ! when there are scores or hundreds 

 which one cannot regard otherwise than with unqualified de- 

 light ! Then one must have variety in colour. The white 

 Eoses are the weakest, but we must have some, and can only 

 have the best. The crimson Eoses are the strongest, and some 

 of that colour omitted are better Eoses than the white ones 

 included ;_bnt we must not have too many of that colour. 

 Farther, certain varieties thrive better in one soil, in one cli- 

 mate, or under one system of management than in or under 

 another. The seasons, too, influence Eoses greatly. A flower 

 that is fine in a cool cloudy summer is often of a lower quality 

 in a warm sunny one, and vice versa. With me Louis Van 

 Houtte, although not a very strong grower, grows well enough 

 and is a good hardy Eose, producing an abundance of fine 

 flowers, but some of my friends tell me that with them it is 

 ■weakly and unsatisfactory. Tastes also dift'er. I should place 

 La France and iladame Falcot among the very best of garden 

 Boses, but should hardly include them in a limited number of 

 show Eoses. My ideal of a show Eose is a smooth globular 

 flower, full, of good substance, clear in colour, and of large size. 

 Li France loses its shape too soon to be a safe show flower. 

 Edouard Morren is fine when caught, but uncertain. Mdlle. 

 Eugenie Verdier is a good garden Eose. Prince Leon I have dis- 

 carded altogether. Homere is one of the hardiest of Tea-scented 

 Eoses, growing and blooming freely. I received this Eose the 

 first year from the raiser, and the second year I received the 

 same Eose from France under the name of Socrates. There is 

 confusion abroad with these two varieties; our Homere is often 

 met with in France under the name of S:erates. I have a great 



love for Tea-scented Eoses, but have not put more in my list 

 because they are not hardy enough for ont-of-door culture in 

 all places. I believe, however, that some varieties of this group 

 recently introduced will prove grand acquisitions both for 

 general decoration and for exhibition ; while clearer in colour 

 and more constant in shape than Gloire de Dijon, they grow 

 vigorously, and promise to be as hardy as that grand old Bose. 

 — W. PiUL, Paul's Nurseries, Waltham Cross, N. 



A GRAPE \T:NE for TABLE DECORATION. 



Is order to provide a variety of dinner-table decorations one 

 is compelled to exercise some judgment, and, therefore, must 

 pass out of the beaten track in order to produce something 

 pleasing, and if not altogether striking, it is the more appre- 

 ciated. I will not trouble your readers with any lengthy pre- 

 amble, because what I am about to describe is by no means 

 novel, but has been practised for many years ; so a review 

 of the past is only to act as a " refresher." I shall, therefore, 

 proceed to explain how a young healthy Vine loaded with fruit 

 may be prepared so as to be suitable for the decoration of the 

 dinner-table. 



Select a fruitful Vine, from an eye the previous year, grown 

 in a 12 or 14-inch pot in the ordinary way for forcing. Place 

 the Vine in a late vinery where it will have plenty of light ; 

 draw the cane through the hole of a 7-inch pot, and allow the 

 pot to rest on the surface of the soil in which the Vine is grown. 

 Then fiU the 7-inch pot with light, rich, and open soO, which 

 will become filled with roots in the course of two or three 

 months. The uppermost pot must be watered as occasion 

 requires. 



I have grown three Vines this year for the purpose described, 

 each Vine carrying on an average eight bunches of fair size 

 and quality. I used the first about the middle of September. 

 When required for use a strong knife is thrust between the 

 upper and lower pot, severing the Vine at its base. The 7-inch 

 pot will then be found to be crammed with roots, which are 

 quite sufScient, with frequent waterings (I set my pots in pans 

 filled with water), to keep the Vine always fresh. A neat stake 

 about 18 inches in length, or 2 feet if found more convenient, 

 should now be inserted in the centre of the pot, and the Vine 

 then carefully coiled round the stake, making it fast with neat 

 ties of matting. A more pleasing object than such a Vine can- 

 not well be imagined, its bunches of black fruit hanging grace- 

 fully down amidst a profusion of green foliage. I may add that 

 I use only black Grapes, as they have, I think, a better appear- 

 ance than light-coloured ones when placed on the table. — • 

 J. Gaebsee, The Gardens, EUham Hall. 



SANTOLINA INCANA. 



I CAN endorse Mr. Luckhurst's remarks on this plant (see 

 page 313), in respect to its being very easily grown and useful 

 for bedding purposes. It is one of the many old subjects that 

 have been brought into more general use during the last few 

 years. We have used it for edging pm-poses for several seasons, 

 and it has been admired by many persons. Its being quite 

 hardy is a recommendation, as we have already quite enough 

 of tender subjects to propagate. 



I have found the best way of growing Santolina incana to be 

 dibbling-in the cuttings about an inch apart in a Calceolaria 

 frame during the first week of September. The Calceolarias 

 are usually taken out in the second week of March and planted 

 in Celery trenches. 



The Santolina can be moved at the same time and planted 

 in the position it is intended to occupy in the flower garden. 

 It will bear cutting with the shears very well, and for edgings 

 that have stood one year and are intended to remain, the best 

 time to cut it back is March or early in April, and we cut it 

 hard back with the best results. 1 am of opinion that in 

 positions where it does not grow too high to interfere with the 

 plants with which it is associated, it looks best not cut the 

 first year — it has then an ease and gracefulness which we do 

 not find in close, level lines. I have often compared it to a 

 plantation of young Larch trees on a small scale. 



r am surprised at the high price at which Mr. Luckhurst 

 says it is selling — viz., 12s. per dozen, as it is one of the 

 easiest plants I know to secure a stock of. A number of plants 

 are growing here in a kitchen-garden border, struck in the 

 autumn of 1809, and they are now nearly 2 feet high._ I may 

 add that the soil where they are growing is rather rich and 



