July 12, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



31 



of Lincolnshire ; at least I presume it is the same that is known 

 as the old Yellow, or, as it is sometimes called, Burghley 

 Yellow. It is a beautiful Eoee — I think the brightest yellow of 

 all Boses, and sometimes comes of good form, but frequently 

 fails to open and is at times semi-double. If Mr. Gilbert can 

 tell us how to grow the Bose so that it will bloom freely and 

 well he will deserve a hearty vote of thanks from the whole 

 Bose-loving community. The colour of the petals is as yellow 

 as a Crocus. — Sooth Lincoln. 



GIVING AIR. 



Mb. William Tayloe, whose writings on all subjects add, 

 according to my judgment, an extra charm to the pages of the 

 Journal of Horticulture, has (page 469) allowed himself to give 

 birth to a suspicion that my practice may not possibly be in 

 harmony with my theory. He may rest assured that I am 

 too old a man and too true a gardener to say one thing and 

 practise another. My years and my experience have taught 

 me that " all wisdom dwelleth with no man," and that it is 

 the grossest presumption for anyone to presume that his way 

 is the only safe one. That is so, particularly with respect to 

 giving air, and admittedly so even by Mr. Taylor himBelf ; so 

 that I think it is rather too much for him to say that I and 

 others who differ from him belong to an old and non-progres- 

 sive section of gardeners, who have, as he says, " stood still 

 and fostered exploded notions whilst the rest of the world has 

 been moving." 



My experience also leads me to dissent absolutely from Mr. 

 Taylor's assumption of the superiority of the young men of 

 the present day over their fathers. I know that " beardless 

 laddies think they are better informed than their auld daddies," 

 but as an " auld daddy" I protest against such a conclusion; 

 and when we are told on almost every hand of the drinking 

 and pipe-smoking habits of young men, of much dressiness, 

 general fastness, and superficiality of ■attainments, I for One 

 must beg leave to differ from even such an authority as Mr. 

 Taylor. Let us differ from one another with all courtesy, 

 please, for " many men many minds." Let us be just also, 

 for there are many young men of exemplary habits — industrious 

 and persevering ; but these are not they who despise " auld 

 daddies" like — X. 



EOSES IN POTS.— No. 1. 



The Bose is our national flower, and its national Bhow has 

 some and gone. However much this was appreciated, and 

 notwithstanding all that may be said on the merits or demerits 

 of individual blooms, I would not have Boses as plants grown 

 in pots entirely neglected. 



The present season has afforded ample proof of how admir- 

 ably they can be grown in pots, how amenable they are to train- 

 ing into neat and compact bushes, and how effective they are. 

 Bodes in pots have been shown in large numbers this season 

 and in splendid condition. The beautiful groups arranged by 

 Messrs. Yeitch & Sons at the London shows in March, and 

 again at Kingston and Bichmond in June, and at Bickley in 

 July ; the meetings of those champion growers, Messrs. Paul 

 and Son and Mr. Turner, at several places during April and 

 May, clearly show how the Bose season may be extended. 

 Boses in pots are also grown by amateurs, but it cannot be 

 said they have yet attained perfection ; but if encouragement 

 is offered I am sure more amateurs will take up the culture of 

 them. I am pleased to find that Mr. Mayo at Oxford has a 

 large collection of Boses in pots, and that they are grown by 

 several amateurs around Beading. At Manchester also I find 

 by your report of the late Show that three growers entered the 

 prize list. Plymouth I find has also made a recruit or two, 

 and were the various societies to offer substantial prizes more 

 growers would enter the field -2nd good plants would be shown 

 by amateurs. 



I submit that it is quite within the province of the National 

 Bose Society to offer prizes for Boses in pots ; the result would 

 be that not only would good exhibition blooms be arranged on 

 moss, but exhibition blooms would be shown on handsome 

 plants — plants which would make their exhibition more varied 

 and attractive. I do not say that large plants would be forth- 

 coming, but I do not think it impossible. If the plants were 

 pruned, sheltered, and protected in order to keep them back 

 for a oertain day, small plants suoh as nurserymen have would 

 be shown extensively, and which are certainly very attractive 

 to all visitors. 



I have grown the following Boses in pots, and will state how 

 they have succeeded with me : — 



Anna Alexieff is a very free-blooming Bose in a pot. It is 

 somewhat thin, but indispensable for early work. The blooms 

 are benefited by tying them while opening. It is a very 

 pleasing pink and a good laster, notwithstanding it goes 

 " abroad." 



Beauty of Waltham blooms very freely and comes very 

 regular. Too much cannot be said in its praise. It is a quick 

 grower. 



Paul Verdier has proved itself one of my best. The colour 

 is pleasing, the shape of bloom good, and the foliage grand. 

 It is very free and a very quick grower. 



Victor Verdier. — A very constant and good Bose ; always 

 sure to bloom. The blooms being large and of a very pleasing 

 colour it ought to be in every collection. 



Marquise de Castellane is the finest forcing Bose out ; good 

 substance and very attractive. 



Duke of Edinburgh. — Yery good for pots. It is a free 

 bloomer, and the colour is most brilliant. Dapuy-Jamain is 

 also very good. Camille Bernardin is very pretty, of good 

 shape and habit, but with me an irregular bloomer. 



La France, when well done, is one of the loveliest of Boses 

 grown in pots— the colour so delioate, and the blooms of large 

 size, but every break is not a bloom ; foliage magnificent, and 

 good grower. 



Paxil Nitron has only its size to recommend it. 



Baroness Rothschild is of the loveliest pink ; comes as a rule 

 somewhat thin, a poor laster, very strong grower, and all the 

 blooms do not open at one time ; it requires two or three weeks 

 longer growing than several others. 



Souvenir d'un Ami I have seen done well. With me it has 

 been an entire failure. The fault may be mine. 



Alia Rosea is a sweet and charming Bose, though my plant 

 has not reached the size of some others. 



Madame Willermoz is a grand Tea Rose that grows well, 

 blooms abundantly, and has large very showy blooms. 



The thirteen eortB named were the plants I first had selected 

 for me. I have since added numerous others, several of which 

 have superior qualities to some described. Madame Laeharme, 

 Capitaine Christy, Madame de St. Joseph, President, Etienne 

 Levet, Edouard Morren, Madame Yiotor Yerdier, Mdlle. 

 ThSifise Levet, Marguerite de St. Amand, Cheahunt Hybrid, 

 Chaa. Lawaon, CSline Forestier, Marie Yan Houtte (a gem of 

 the first water), Centifolia Bosea, Madame Marie Bady, Annie 

 Laxton, and Princess Mary of Cambridge. The above are 

 thirty varieties of very good Boses to grow and bloom in pots, 

 and there are others perhaps equally good. — J. W. Moobman. 



P.S. — I trust the National Society will receive sufficient 

 support to enable the Committee to hold two Bose shows 

 during a-year, and that Boaes in pots will be included in its 

 schedule. The Bev. Canon Hole amusingly tells us of the 

 butchers and others around Nottingham growing Boses in pots. 

 If those hard-working men did it then among themselves, 

 surely those who have better and more modern appliances 

 would take the matter up. The Bose season would be ex- 

 tended, cultivation would be stimulated, and the exhibitions 

 would be even more varied and attractive than they are 

 now.— J. W. M. 



MANURE FOR AMATEURS-WRAPPING FOR 

 CUT BLOOMS. 



I noticed in a recent number of the Journal that one of 

 your correspondents was in difficulty with regard to obtaining 

 manure. May I aak if any of your readers have tried ivory 

 dust ? It is a very valuable manure for Grape Yines and for 

 mixing with the compost for potting plants. Dirty dust — that 

 is, the sweepings of the ivory-cutter's workshop, can be had 

 for about 6s. a cwt., and though I have termed it dirty it is 

 only contaminated by duet from boots and the other accidents 

 of a workshop. Clean duet at about 20s. a cwt. is perhaps 

 the most profitable, because being clean one can extract the 

 gelatine and then have a useful manure. This gelatine, which 

 is obtained simply by stewing the dust, is in reality superior 

 to that obtained from calveB' feet, and is especially grateful 

 and serviceable to invalids and young children, the small per- 

 centage of phosphate of lime extracted being of great benefit to 

 the latter. 



I see that you also speak of wrapping the stems of cut 

 blooms in damp wadding and tinfoil. The latter is rather too 

 expensive when thin sheet gutta percha, such as artificial 



