286 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 11, 1877. 



ber, the borders being all outside. Most men who have had 

 much to do with Vines are familiar with what takes place on 

 the leaves of Vines when the atmosphere is overcharged with 

 moisture and indifferently ventilated, and I do not Eee any 

 reason why berries wiih thin skins should not crack if the 

 house is not moderately dry and well ventilated. — R. Inglis. 



RED-BERRIED SHRUB— ROSE MILDEW. 



I cannot remember all the sorrows of the " Cm Cleek " 

 and his questions, but I will answer all I can remember. The 

 best plant for red berries is the Box-leaved Cotoneaeter (C. 

 buxifolia). It has beautiful white flowers in summer, and red 

 coral berries in the autumn. It is a trailing shrub, very 

 hardy, and will climb up a wall with support. 



As regards mildew on his Roses, as soon as the " Cm 

 Cleek" perceives it he must cut off the twig and burn it, as 

 one tree will soon affect more. He must then give the plants 

 abundant water at the roots, and also syringe the whole tree 

 to wash off the resting spores. Sulphur and soot are valueless. 

 A thunderstorm is the best cure for mildew and aphides. 



As regards aphides, he must in early spring search for them, 

 squeeze them, and syringe copiously afterwards, and con- 

 tinually. They will not then appear till September, when he 

 must again squeeze and syringe. He will then be free in the 

 meanwhile. I am never troubled out of doors with either of 

 these plagues. When " D., Deal" was here, June 28th, I do 

 not think he could find either mildew or aphides among 2500 

 Roses. The September aphides are egg-layers, and the spring 

 aphides are viviparous. — W. F. Eadcltfee. 



ROYAL ROSES. 



" I waited for the train at Coventry," as Jlr. Tennyson 

 says — at least at Slough, and suddenly bethought me of the 

 royal county's Royal Nurseries and the truly royal Roses which 

 issue from thence. Anyone who has an hour to spare either 

 at Eton or Slough can hardly do better than spend it at Mr. 

 Turner's interesting establishment. The gardens are of them- 

 selves most attractive. Magnificent Holly hedges afford Ehelter ; 

 and near the entrance a delightful little miniature Poplar 

 avenue was still affording shade to Camellias coming on, and tall 

 pot Briar Roses were recruiting for another campaign. Those 

 giant Roses in pots so familiar at the spring shows were stand- 

 ing out in long lines enjoying the fresh air before entering on 

 their London season. The plants are really prodigious. In 

 nothing, I incline to think, are the triumphs of gardening 

 science more manifest than in those wonderful Rose bushes 

 which are now produced under glass. But my inquiry as 

 usual was for the bed of seedliDg Roses. Under the guidance 

 of Mr. Gater, the intelligent and experienced foreman of the 

 Rose department, I was speedily introduced to all that was 

 interesting. There is a time for everything, and I hold nothing 

 in its way more enjoyable than a Rose chat amongst the Roses 

 with one who understands them and makes his superinten- 

 dence a labour of love. As I believe many others enjoy this 

 also I have taken the trouble from time to time to put on 

 record such gossips. 



I spoke of the Rose seedling bed, but in fact there are many 

 beds, Mr. Turner besides his own having become possessed of 

 the stock of Mr. Laxton, to whom we are indebted for several 

 excellent Roses. Indeed Mr. Laxton has sought after new 

 Roses more scientifically than, as far as I am aware, any other 

 grower. In almost all cases vast masses of Roses are grown 

 together, and the bees or the wind in some way or other 

 do the hybridisirjg. Mr. Laxton, I believe, always fertilised 

 the flowers himself. I saw a long narrow bed pretty full 

 of his new BeedliDgs. It will be strange if we have not 

 something good from thence in the course of time. Among 

 the Slough seedlings I saw several of considerable promise, 

 though they must be good indeed to gain a place in the cata- 

 logue. People are hardly aware of the very severe ordeal 

 which, in our English gardens at least, every new Rose has to 

 go through. Even after it has been acoepted and extensively 

 budded, if it fail in form or fulness, however inviting the 

 colour, it has little chance of ever being presented for a cer- 

 tificate. I saw one here, a red Rose of very fine shape and 

 colour, which was only to be allowed to come out as a garden 

 Rose. When, therefore, a new Rose is put forth as of promise 

 by one of the great growers we may confidently consider it 

 will be an acquisition. One such is to be shown by the Royal 

 Nurseries next year, and to be in commerce the year after. Its 



name is Harrison Weir. It is of the Xavier Olibo colour, with 

 Charles Lefebvre wood and robustness — certainly something 

 of very great promise. I saw many Briar stocks of it, but 

 only one imperfect bloom. Thence we passed on to seedlings 

 already out, notably Mrs. Baker, who was in great force, and, 

 as might be expected, abundance — a very lovely Rose, such aB 

 the very charming lady to whom it is dedicated may certainly 

 view with acceptance and complacency. 



There were still many excellent Roses in flower. Mr. Gater 

 said they had three seasons — that of the cut-backs, of the 

 Manettis, and then of the maidens. At present all three seem 

 uniting to form a fourth. Mons. E. Y. Teas was th9re, his 

 character rising every season. Duchesse de Vallombrosa, aa 

 improved Capitaine Christy ; Jean Liabaud, an improved Mons. 

 Boncenno ; Madame Prosper Langier and Due de Montpensier, 

 both spoken of highly. Souvenir de Spa, which I admired at 

 Hailsham last year but have not seen since, was here very 

 fine ; and last but not least charming Comtesse de Serenyi., 

 with its smooth, ivory-like, round, light pink bloom and of 

 perfect habit. There were the usual acres of budded Briars 

 most sturdily robust, and having at this tim9 their cotton 

 wrapping taken off from them. Thus I concluded a busy but 

 most interesting hour. — A. C. 



FLOWER GARDENING IN 1826. 



It is fifty-one years since I began the gentle art of gardenings- 

 and I find from dire experience that there is more of what may 

 be called glory than backsheesh connected with it. I began in 

 the gardens of Admiral Sir J. Hope at Carriden, Linlithgow- 

 shire, and there was a very good flower garden there of fully 

 an acre very well laid out, partly in grass and the rest a Box- 

 wood design and herbaceous plants. The only bedding-out 

 plant was Seneeio elegans ; one bed of it used to be planted, 

 and very pretty it was ; it was kept over from cuttings every 

 season. I took a deep interest in the hardy plants ; there was 

 always something coming into bloom. I had the honour of 

 serving three Earls and one Baronet for twenty-six years as 

 head gardener and forester, and I stuck to the old hardy plants : 

 but many beautiful varieties are grown now that were not to 

 be seen in my early days, thanks to the enterprise of such 

 firms as Backhouse, Ware, Parker, &c. 



It was about the year 1841 when Verbena Tweediana and 

 Tweediana grandiflora were introduced, and then the bedding- 

 out began in a small way, but increased by degrees, till in many 

 instanoes it fairly swamped the old herbaceous plants. Yet 

 when the mania for bedding-out became so colossal I often 

 thought that there would be a re-action, and I have advocated 

 this for many years, and will while I can wield the pen. I 

 know full well from my own experience and that of many of 

 the very best gardeners in Scotland that bedding-out on sucb 

 a large scale is a bore, and though attended with a large out- 

 lay for glass structures, men, and plants, that it seldom gives 

 the amount of pleasure they were led to expect. What with 

 drought, too much rain, and a want of sun, there is always- 

 something that is not up to the mark. If only one sort of 

 colour dies, or partially eo, the harmony of the parterre has 

 vanished, and instead of its affording pleasure either to the 

 gentry or the gardener, it is the very reverse. But even when 

 the weather is so nicely balanced that everything is in order, 

 only think of the expense of propagating the thousands of 

 bedding plants, watering, planting out, pegging down, and 

 staking up so many plants. If it were all counted up and 

 shown to a lady or gentleman, I almost think I hear them 

 saying, "I had no idea that there was so much spent for that 

 which has given me so little pleasure, and think it will be- 

 necessary to turn a new leaf and see if the backsheesh cannot 

 bo turned to better account." 



But what is to be done ? Are we to fall back upon the old- 

 fashioned herbaceous borders, and discard all the beautiful 

 flowers that adorn our flower gardens and which add to tha 

 enjoyment of one's abode during the summer? Certainly I 

 will be the first to say No to such a proposition. I have no 

 more idea of bedding-out being abolished entirely than that 

 I would believe that Sir Robert Peel's free-trade measures 

 would be repealed, or that slavery, that accursed thing, would 

 be again the order of the day. 



I am quite sure that the gentry had more pleasure in their 

 flower gardens even during the time there were nothing but 

 shrubs and hardy flowers of all sorts than with the bedding- 

 out stuff. I always had much pleasure in looking at a collec- 

 tion of Roses, Pinks, Carnations, Dahlias, &o., and in seeing 





