346 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 1, 136*. 



mould in equal parts, and will flower as well on a wall 

 with a north aspect as in the sunniest situation. Rhodx>ra 

 canadensis, with purplish blossoms in April, and which likes 

 a pot and peat soil, and Forsytliia viridissima and suspensa 

 with their yellow trumpets, tell well. Magnolia conspicua, 

 though attaining the dimensions of a tree, is not out of the 

 way as a bush or pyramid pinched in like Apple or Pear- 

 trees, it being well supported by M. Soulangiana, and finely 

 contrasted with M. purpurea, or obovata of some. Ribes san- 

 guinewm, aurewm., and the white variety tell effectively when 

 in a mass, and they grow so weE in pots, and bloom so freely, 

 even when small, that it is a marvel that they should have es- 

 caped being employed so long when there are so many empty 

 spaces for them. Movian Pceonies, too, in endless variety, 

 bloom so much earlier when grown in pots as to be eligible 

 for spring decoration. Amelanchier botryapium, treated as a 

 bush Apple, is a sheet of snowy white in April or May ; and 

 managed on the same principle, the Amygdalus persica flore 

 plena and flore albo, camellicchora, caryophylliflora, rosea, and 

 versicolor, double rose, blush, pink, and white, are all fine. 

 They require the pot-treatment of the Peach. And what is 

 handsomer than the gorgeous scarlet of Pyrus japonica ? It 

 and the white-flowering kind, also the double, are all destined 

 to occupy a prominent position in the flower garden in spring. 



I do not know whether they are common shrubs or not, but 

 it is rare that we see any of the Buckthorns, but most of them 

 flower from April to June, and though the flowers are only 

 greenish yellow, yet these shrubs are very fine. They may be 

 grown as dwarfs, and pinched-in like some Pear trees. The 

 only one that has white flowers is Rhamnus frangula. Why 

 should we not also have Chimonanthus fragrans ? which is 

 most fragrant and likes peat soil ; and we ought not to say 

 our beds must remain empty for want of something to put 

 in them until we have taken the last plant of Chammledon 

 procumbens from off the Scotch mountains. It is a trailing 

 Azalea, not more than 6 or 9 inches high, witli pink flowers 

 in April and May. It requires a sandy peat soil. 



Most of the foregoing are best grown in pots in the com- 

 post recommended for each, and where none is mentioned, it 

 is to be taken for granted that they will grow in ordinary 

 soil. All plants in pots require good drainage. This should, 

 therefore, be_provided, and water furnished before the want 

 of it is indicated by the foliage. Under rather than over- 

 potting is desirable to induce flowering more than growth. 

 Evergreens in pots will need little water from November 

 to March, and deciduous shrubs none during that period. At 

 other times they should not be allowed to suffer from want 

 of attention to watering, and it must be borne in mind, that 

 the bloom of any plant will last longer when a plentiful 

 supply of water is afforded. G. Abbey. 



(To be continued). 



THE KEW BOSES. 



As usual, from all quarters the question is asked of me, 

 " AVbat do you think of the new batch of Roses ? what would 

 you advise me to have ?" and as usual I feel how very diffi- 

 cult the office of a prophet is. I cannot look back with 

 much satisfaction to the manner in which I fulfilled that 

 office last year ; for on referring to The Journal of Hor- 

 ticulture, where I ventured to give my opinion as to the 

 Roses of the future, I find that out of the eleven which I 

 fixed upon as likely to contain the best, three only promise 

 now to be among the first rank. Less fortunate in this 

 respect than Mr. Radclyffe, I may indeed perhaps this year 

 hope to be a little more successful, for I happened to be in 

 Paris at a better season; but even this is not much of a 

 boon. Any one who has gone over in the hope of seeing 

 the French seedling Roses knows how difficult it is to effect 

 this. Either you are too early or too late, or, malheurense- 

 ment, the nursery is so far off that yon obtain very little 

 information. Then the raisers of Roses are so scattered that 

 it would require a long time to go through them all, and 

 thus even those who go to far more trouble and expense 

 than I did are disappointed in their researches. 



I am still strongly of opinion that we must trust rather 

 to the character of the raisers than to the glowing descrip- 

 tions of the French lists. With that pardonable love for 

 one's own children which leads many an English raiser of 



florists' flowers to overestimate the beauty of his seedlings, 

 they can see nothing but the most brilliant ! remarkable ! ! 

 splendid ! ! ! magnificent ! ! ! ! varieties in their productions ; 

 and many of them, I am afraid, if they contrive to sell them, 

 do not much concern themselves about our disappointment, 

 or rather not ours, but those of the growers for sale. Ama- 

 teurs rarely purchase until the second year, and then they 

 have had the opportunity of seeing or hearing something 

 about the kinds with their own eyes and ears ; and by the au- 

 tumn following their deltut a tolerably fair winnowing of the 

 inferior ones has taken place. Following as nearly as I can 

 the plan that I adopted last year of classing them under 

 their respective growers, I shall, omitting the wonderful and 

 in some cases incomprehensible descriptions of them given 

 in the French lists, briefly sketch their characters, and say 

 where I have seen or heard such reports as give one good 

 reason to hope favourably; and first, then, with the Paris 

 raisers. 



CHARLES VEKDIEE. 



So far as I can ascertain, there are only two Roses to be 

 let out by M. C. Verdier this year, and one of these I know 

 to be good. 



1. Duchesse de Caylus. — A very well formed globular Rose, 

 of crimson scarlet colour, and of vigorous habit. I am very 

 much mistaken if this will not be found to be amongst the 

 best Roses of the year. 



2. Due de Wellington.- — A brilliant velvety red, darkly 

 shaded; centre of the flower lively red. 



EUGENE VERDIER FILS A1NE. 



When I was in Paris M. Verdier very politely brought me 

 his seedling Roses to see at the hotel where I was staying. 

 It was after that tremendous storm of the 18th of June had 

 burst over Paris, deluging everything and beating down the 

 heads of the poor Roses ; and besides, several of them were 

 only under numbers. There were these, however, which I 

 selected, and they are likely to be valuable acquisitions. I 

 may add, too, that I went through part of his seedling 

 ground, and saw there many hundred varieties rejected which 

 a year or two ago would have been thought superexcellent. 



3. Rushton Radclyffe. — An odd combination of terms, unless 

 we are to style our reverend brother as the Scotch do, the 

 Radclyffe of that ilk, or drop the name and call him Rush- 

 ton, like "Lochiel" or "Islay." Well, the Rose is a fine 

 one, of the style of Madame Victor Verdier, very full and 

 clear, with no shading, and I shall be very much surprised 

 if it do not take a leading position. 



4. Auguste Riviere. — Lovely carmine red ; reverse of petals 

 paler; edge of petals light. 



5. C'omtesse de Paris. — Lovely currant red ; full. 



6. Docteur Andry. — Beautifully imbricated ; lovely carmine 

 red. Very good. 



7. General d'Hautpoult. — Flowers in clusters ; lovely scar- 

 let red. I think this is the one that I had marked as next 

 in merit to Rushton Radclyffe. If so, it is likely to be a 

 valuable flower. 



S. Madame Verschaffelt. — Plant almost thomless (I do not 

 know that this is any particular merit) ; well-formed flower, 

 beautiful tender rose. 



9. Souvenir de William Wood. — A flower said to bear a 

 likeness to Prince Camille de Rohan, only darker. If this 

 be a correct description I did not see it; but one flint is 

 said to be an improvement on that fine variety must indeed 

 be desirable. 



MARGOTTIN. 



10. Charles Margottin. — I see that my excellent friend only 

 announces two flowers this season, and, of these I have only 

 seen the present Rose. It is a very large, brilliant, and 

 showy flower, one of the very brightest I have seen, and I 

 should think likely to be a valuable Rose. 



11. Mademoiselle Amelie Helphin. — Lively carmine rose, 

 well formed, and large. 



3IAREST. 



12. Duchesse de Medina Coeli. — Some two or three years 

 ago, before Marest removed tc his present nursery, driven 

 out by the increase of buildings in Paris, he told Mr. Stan- 

 dish and myself that he had a grand Rose to let out: if this 

 be the one it will, no doubt, be one of the best cf the year. 

 At any rate he has raised two Roses which ought to give him 

 credit — Prince Leon andComtesse Cecile de Chabrillant, and 



