July 28, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



65 



the presence of silica in Orchids and other tree plants by the presence 

 of it in the atmosphere, as the roots of these plants never touched the 

 soil. This, he thought, was borne out by Professor Tyndall's recent 

 experiments. This was a very interesting question, and he hoped 

 some of their scientific men would be able to throw some light upon it. 



The Chairman then proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Voelcker, 

 which was unanimously agreed to. 



Dr. Voelcker, in returning thanks, remarked that there is always an 

 abundance of silica both in soils and water, and that silica applied in 

 the form of dust would certainly do no good to the plants. 



Mr. Ingram's paper on " The Distribution of Soils, and their Influ- 

 ence on Vegetation," was then read, but elicited no discussion. 



The Congress again met on the 21st inst., Major R. Trevor Clarke 

 occupying the chair. The first paper read was by Professor Lawson, 

 and entitled "A Short Account of some of the more Eminent Oxford- 

 shire Botanists and Gardeners." 



The Rev. S. Reynolds Hole then made the following remarks on 

 Roses. 



Mr. Hole commenced by mentioning that ten minutes being the 

 time allowed to each speaker, he would have to compress twenty-five 

 years' study of the Rose into that time, much in the same way as they 

 compressed several ounces of meat into small lozenges, a box of which 

 would last a man for a week's travelling. There were three main 

 elements required to grow good Roses — site, soil, and sustenance. As 

 to site, the Rose should be protected from boisterous winds, and at the 

 same time have plenty of fresh, pure air. It did not much matter 

 whether the site was a hill or table-land, provided there was plenty of 

 timber to make natural screens, so that the wind came in as through 

 a respirator. They must not come to him and say there was not 

 sufficient space for this ; it must be found where there is shelter and 

 not shade, as overhanging boughs were fatal, as also were the main 

 roots of trees. There was a Rose called the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, which had been attempting to bloom for the last three or four 

 years under the shade of a large tree, called the Agricultural Society, 

 and although it had had the most consummate skill and the best 

 attention paid it, still its efflorescence was not satisfactory. u Let it 

 come away from the large timber," said Mr. Hole, " and then gather ye 

 your golden Roses." Where Potatoes would grow well there was the 

 Rose to be found in its glory. Then as to soil, plenty of lime in Rose 

 soil added additional brightness to the glowing colours. With regard to 

 sustenance, he would recommend good farmyard manure as the best food 

 for Roses. Much good had been done by the nse of artificial manures, 

 but they would always remain second and supplemental to farmyard ma- 

 nure. Manure should bo laid on liberally in November, and be dug-in in 

 March, and then one more dressing should be given when the buds 

 began to swell, and the colour to show. Pruning should be done in 

 October, and the weak wood cut out in March. The great enemies of 

 the Rose were aphis and mildew, but if it had proper soil and sus- 

 tenance these would never appear unless caused by spring frosts. For 

 the caterpillars there was no remedy but to employ children, and have 

 them picked off by the hand. The best stocks from which to select 

 Roses were those which most frequently took the great prizes at oar 

 exhibitions, but if they only wanted a Rose garden and did not care 

 about exhibiting, let them buy-in a large proportion of Roses upon 

 their own roots, because they were prettier, more abundant in flowers, 

 and more enduring, and, therefore, more economical. The best stock 

 for the Rose was the Manetti. 



We understand that the total number of the visitors at the Show 

 amounted to about 12,000. 



SEA- SIDE PLANTING. 



Peom the remarks which have appeared in your columns 

 from time to lime on this subjeot, it would seem that additional 

 particulars would be acceptable. 



One of the principal points to be considered is, as Mr. Robson 

 and Mr. Owen have remarked, that of soil, which differs so 

 considerably along the coast-line of England. Confining our- 

 selves to the southern portion of the kingdom, it is obvious 

 that the same standard could not apply alike to the district of 

 the Dover cliffs, of the Cornish downs, and the slopes of Toibay. 

 To treat them alike because they agree in the bare fact of being 

 lines of sea-coast would be to fail. Take, again, the important 

 differences of climate ; these are illustrated by the state of 

 growth to be seen in the narrow district of the western half of 

 the county of Cornwall. There passes down through this 

 section a backbone of granite hills, which in a rough way 

 equally divides its width. From the base of this range north- 

 ward to the sea, for instance, the Larch and Spruce Fiis suc- 

 ceed hardly in a single case, and for a full length of fifty 

 miles it would scarcely be too much to say that no one tree of 

 either of these kinds is worthy to be called a specimen of 

 ordinary symmetry ; but immediately you leave the grim 

 granite, southward they grow successfully, and within ten miles 

 of where the failure of these and many other desirable trees 

 is apparent, choice and beautiful arboretams may be seen. 



In confirmation of this, if any of your readers find themselves 

 in the neighbourhood of Falmouth, for instance, and will visit, 

 say, the grounds of B. W. Fox, Esq., Penjerriohe, they will be 

 satisfied that almost abutting on the sea it is possible to rear 

 one of the finest collections of Coniferse and other choice 

 growths probably to be found in England. Then let them 

 steer due north until they find themselves equally near the sea 

 of the north channel, and the contrast will be oomplete. This 

 difference in so small an area of country is due not so much to 

 difference of soil as of climate, for if the soils of the northern 

 and southern sections were exchanged the difference would 

 probably continue. Tho main reason of this variance is, of 

 course, that the Btorms which so keep down the foliage come 

 principally from the north and west, and whilst the northern 

 is mercilessly beaten by these, aggravated by saliue particles, 

 the southern portion enpys comparative immunity owing to 

 the shelter of the range of hills. 



Along the north coast nothing is found so successful for an 

 outsider as the Black Italian Poplar stuck in almost as thickly 

 as beau-stalks, and cuttings answer nearly as well as rooted 

 trees. No ill-usage of tho weather or neglect of the planter 

 seems able to prevent its rapid growth. 



The next line of planting should be an evergreen shelter ; 

 invaluable for this will bo found a mixture of the Pinus aus- 

 triaca, Evergreen Oaks, and many species of the large-leaved 

 Hollies, particularly Ilex nobilis, which enjoys the soubriquet 

 of Dreadnought in this neighbourhood. This class of Holly 

 is not cultivated so much as it deserves. Tho common one is 

 no great acquisition, but the larger-growing kinds grow faster, 

 stand unblemished in the severest fiosts, rarely suffer from 

 storm, and, moreover, are beautiful in their foliage and outline. 



Amongst the Conifeia? that may safely be planted within the 

 lines named, I should class as being at the same time most 

 ornamental and hardy, Picea Nordmanniana and Abies Men- 

 zio3ii. Wellingtonias are useless, Cedrus Deodara is a failure, 

 and the Arbor- Yitse, Cypress, and Juniper tribes scarcely ever 

 succeed, but almost always suffer more in the winter (rather, 

 I think, from the action of the salt than from the force of 

 Ihe wind), than they recover in the summer, and so gradually 

 deteriorate. The Pinus intignis is, I suppose, tried oftener 

 than any other tree of its class, and with various results. It 

 is to be observed that a great difference exists iu the appearance 

 of different specimens, and in the seedlings of tho same bed ; 

 whilst some have a texture approaching in ooarse hardihood 

 to the austriaca, others are obviously of more delicate consti- 

 tutions, tho leaves being finer and more numerous, the colour 

 more delicate, and thi3 variation is all the difference between 

 its being a most handsome and valuable tree, which cannot be 

 too often planted, and its being an eyesore. The Stone Pine 

 is found valuable also. The Scotch and Pinaster Firs should 

 bo excluded as much as possible, as their shattered remain?, 

 scattered on the barren downs, or near the ruins of a defunct 

 mine, remind one of nothing so much as rare old Bewick's 

 woodent of " Desolation " — a half-starved donkey, by a ruin on 

 a barren waste, in a pelting storm, chewing the remains of a 

 broom. The English Yew will succeed if somewhat sheltered, 

 but if prominently exposed will fail miserably. 



Of deciduous trees the Cornish Elm, Alder, and Sycamore do 

 best ; the Poplar should not only form the windward wing, but 

 should also be sprinkled over the whole wherever there is 

 standing room, to be, of course, cut out as the permanent 

 growth fills up. The Sycamore certainly acquires a battered ap- 

 pearance by tho autumn ; but, nevertheless, does not so shrink 

 from the wind as the Elm, which, although indigenous, never 

 holds its head erect where there is any wind-drift, but looks 

 like a weathercock permanently indicating a north-west gale. 



As to flowering trees, if " Wiltshike Rectos's" floral ex- 

 perience were confined to this district, " by the Cornish sea," 

 where the Lilac and Laburnum dare not droop their lovely 

 pendants, instead of giving us his charming little Lilac-tide 

 article, he would have been compelled to write a pastoral on 

 the Tamarisk, which holds the field in their stead ; and besides 

 its usefulness, who has not felt its beauty, and lingered by it 

 after a gentle summer's rain or heavy dew — 



11 When the great sun begins his state, 

 Robed in name and amber light ?" 



As to shrubs, in the first rank must stand Escallonia ma- 

 crantha, Euonymus, and Berberis Darwinii; next in value 

 come Phillyreas, Garrya elliptica, Daphne Fioniana, Hollies, 

 plain and variegated ; E!ceagnus, and Spir&as. The Laurel and 

 Laurustinus are not equal to the foregoing, as the wind easily 

 strips them ; the Arbutus and Bay will be found to be more 



