162 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 12, 1872. 



chasing a Rose because it happens to be described as " very 

 large, full, and fine form," or " large and full, a splendid 

 variety." Many such Roses, however large and splendid they 

 may be when you get them, may keep you waiting on the tip- 

 toe of expectation all the season to see their fat promising 

 buds expand into lovely blossoms, and after all disappoint 

 you ; or else they may give you shoots and leaves without end, 

 but hardly a flower — " plenty of tablecloth, but very little 

 dinner." Many, very many I regret to say, of the Roses to 

 which these alluring descriptions are attached ought to have 

 added, " but a very shy bloomer," or " very uncertain opener," 

 or, again, " very weak in growth." Intending planters would 

 do well to make special inquiries on these points before order- 

 ing, or else place themselves entirely in the hands of some 

 respectable nurseryman, stipulating that none but free-flower- 

 ing and good varieties be sent. 



7th, The flowers must be large and symmetrical. — By " large" 

 I mean large for a Rose. We not consider a Cabbage large un- 

 less it is a foot or 18 inches in diameter ; but Roses are not 

 Cabbages, nor are they grown for the same purpose. From 1J 

 to 5 inches in diameter is, in my humble opinion, quite large 

 enough for such a sweet morsel as a Rose. I do not care for 

 those great overgrown monstrosities like Paul Neron ; to me 

 they have exceeded the limits of Rosedom, and fail to excite 

 my tender feelings and admiration. Moreover, it seems that 

 as a rule symmetry must be sacrificed for size, and not only 

 so, but often scent too. All this is a step backward from that 

 ideal of perfection which raisers of new Roses should set before 

 them. 



Sth, The colour should be distinct and pleasing. 



9th, The flower should be siceet-scented. — Roses without per- 

 fume are to me only fulfilling half the object of their existence, 

 however great their beauty. Who can reckon-up the multi- 

 tudes of noses that have been withdrawn from the delicate 

 petals of Madame Rothschild, tickling with ungratified de- 

 sire, while the owners exclaimed, " Ah, no scent ! What a 

 pity!" 



10th, The bloom in this climate should be continuous for at 

 least seven months of the year — viz., from April to November. 



1 do not know that we can expect more so far north, but we 

 may wish for more, even though we may have to be contented 

 with less. I have had some very respectable blooms during 

 this third week in November from Gloire de Dijon, Celine 

 Forestier, Safrano, Rubens, Fisher Holmes, and a few others 

 whose names I did not notice at the time ; and what some 

 can do, all ought to do. 



I would suggest, then, that those who may make a return to 

 Mr. Hinton should divide their voting papers into ten columns 

 corresponding with these ten requirements, leaving room for 

 the names of each Rose on the left-hand side, placing a 3 

 against such qualities as each Rose possesses in perfection, 



2 for second-rate, and 1 for third-rate. By adding-up the total 

 marks gained by each Rose we may thus arrive pretty nearly 

 at the result demanded. 



Tested in this way the following Roses produce the best 

 results — viz., Gloire de Dijon, 29; La France, 28; Alfred 

 Colomb, 27 ; Marie Baumann, 25 ; Ferdinand de Lesseps, 21 ; 

 Charles Lefebvre, 21 ; Conitesse d'Oxford, 23 ; Madame Roths- 

 child, 23 ; Camille Bernardin, 23 ; Madame Victor Yerdier, 23 ; 

 Dr. Andry, 23; John Hopper, 23 ; SenateurYaisse,23 ; Souve- 

 nir d'un Ami, 23 ; Marechal Niel, 23 ; Mdlle. E. Yerdier, 23 ; 

 Souvenir de la Malmaison, 23 ; Duchesse d'Orleans, 22 ; Louis 

 YanHoutte, 22 ; Prince Camille de Rohan, 22 ; Fisher Holmes, 

 22 ; General Jacqueminot, 22 ; Pierre Notting, 22 ; Jules Mar- 

 gottin,22; Victor Yerdier, 22 ; Comtesse Cecilede Chabrillant, 

 22 ; Madame Knorr, 22 ; Celine Forestier, 22 ; Duke of Wel- 

 lington, 21 ; Exposition de Brie, 21 ; Reine du Midi, 21 ; Mau- 

 rice Bernardin, 21; Centifolia rosea, 20; Princess Mary of 

 Cambridge, 20; Devoniensis, 20; Madame Willermoz, 20; 

 Souvenir d'Elise, 20 ; Catherine Mermet, 20 ; Marguerite de 

 St. Amand, 20; Elisa Boelle, 20 ; Marquise de Castellane, 20 ; 

 Mdlle. Marie Rady, 20 ; Mdlle. Bonnaire, 19 ; Madame C. 

 Joigneaux, 19 ; Xavier Olibo, 19 ; Rubens, 19; Antoine Ducher, 

 18; Abel Grand, 18; Baronne de Maynard, 18; Safrano, 18. 

 The Rose at the head of the list is the best for all purposes. 



The best twelve would be the dozen first on the list. The 

 best fifty stand in their order of merit. 



The best twelve Teas : Gloire de Dijon, 29 ; Souvenir d'un 

 Ami , 23 ; Marechal Niel, 23 ; Celine Forestier, 22 ; Devoniensis, 

 20; Madame Willerinoz, 20; Souvenir d'Elise, 20 ; Catherine 

 Mermet, 20; Rubens, 19; Safrano, 18; Madame Bravy, 18; 

 Belle Lyonnaise, 18. 



Specifies of Tables. 











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Name of Kose. 



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gilt! 

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03 



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 o 

 a. 



e3 

 O 



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Gloire de Dijon 



3 



3 



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3 



2 



3 



3 



3 



29 





3 

 3 



2 



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 3 



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27 



— R. W. Beachet. 



[To Mr. R. W. Beachey's interesting communication I have 

 little to add, further than to regret that it did not appear 

 earlier. The lists, forty in number, are being classified — no 

 little labour, when in the fifty nearly 250 Roses have been 

 named : hence for this election it is impossible, but it will be 

 a most valuable guide in any future election, and possibly 

 some of us may like to add one or two more qualifications. 

 One thing I have discovered — that future Rose elections must 

 take place earlier, say in September and October, for the 

 nurserymen are now so busy in selecting them for customers. 

 Imperfect as the election may prove, I fancy we shall most of 

 us learn something from it. — Joseph Hixtox.] 



EARLY AND LATE PLANTING POTATOES, &c. 

 " A Lady is Cheshire" inquires as to the importance of 

 early planting, and the true reply is, that it must always 

 depend upon circumstances and the unforeseen. Your corre- 

 spondent says " she will be glad to know what early planting 

 is," and that is a much easier question to answer ; yet even 

 that answer must be taken with a grain of salt, for I remember 

 your late coadjutor, Donald Beaton, telling me how he took 

 great pains to force some early Potatoes to sufficient maturity 

 for a Christmas dinner party, and the applause came — 

 " Beaton has sent us up some very good late Potatoes !" I 

 believe my good old friend never more forced young Potatoes 

 to appear upon the dining-table till the clock's hand had gone 

 fairly round the dial on the 1st of January. 



The atmosphere which produced those Christmas Potatoes 

 would be required to be about that in which winter Cucumbers 

 are grown, and so on till February ; thenceforward till March 

 a temperature ranging between G0° and 70° ; and for March 

 and April tubers nothing could be better, I should say, than 

 the method of pot culture " in a vinery not heated till spring," 

 which " A Lady in Cheshire" is in the habit of adopting. 

 Mona*s Pride, too, is the very best kidney Potato for the 

 purpose ; I should also use for the earliest forcing Turner's 

 Union, round. 



When your correspondent mentions " early summer Pota- 

 toes and also winter ones," the latter, I presume, meaning 

 tubers to force, and the best time to " start " them, my practice 

 teaches me that if seed is intended for forcing, that seed 

 should be chosen from a previously forced crop when an incli- 

 nation to start early with earlier productiveness becomes a 

 matter of course. Choose medium-sized whole tubers. Better 

 crops will be produced from youthful tubers than from those 

 of ripe old age. 



A point of the first consequence, too, is the treatment 

 which the seed should receive preparatory to planting. It 

 is many years since I first broached the advice in these 

 pages, how often since I know not ; but to embrace the full 

 scope of the queries I must beg leave to unfold the advice 

 again. Sort the seed when the crop is being taken up, and 

 single-out the medium-sized sets in preference to the largest 

 Potatoes. From the day that they are taken up keep them 

 in single layers on boards or shelves, or upon any dry sur- 

 face where they can be exposed to light and air, and pro- 

 vided with instant protection from frost till planting time 

 arrive again. Be very careful at all times not to injure the 

 first and best shoots, and then, probably, but few other 

 " spurts " will make growth; neither will the first shoots do so 

 to more than a certain extent, say to about the length and 

 substance of a lady's little finger, maintaining a greenness 

 and sturdiness even till late autumn under the influence of 

 dryness, coolness, and light, and the shoots will become as 

 firmly attached to the tubers as the limpets to the rocks on 

 the seashore. 



A few days before very early or spring planting I take the 

 trouble to gouge-out with a penknife every supernumerary eye 

 and shoot, except the premier one. I repeat " a few days 



