368 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 232. 



At a little distance the ground sometimes seemed so thickly 

 covered with the white flowers as to almost give the etTect of 

 snow, while a nearer view showed innumerable clusters of 

 single white Roses of good size with yellow stamens, and well 

 set off by a thick covering of handsome immaculate dark 

 green foliage over the ground beneath. The fragrance given 

 off is not that of most wild Roses, but more nearly suggests 

 the Banksian Rose of our greenhouses, although it is sweeter 

 and without a certain disagreeable quahty of the Banksian. 

 Bees of various kinds, but especially honey-bees, were pres- 

 ent in large numbers about the abundant bloom. 



In the two or three years since it has been planted in this 

 park, R. Wichuraiana has shown a wonderful capacity for 

 growth and for covering the ground almost to the complete 

 e.xclusion of any other form of low-growing vegetation. It 

 has been planted in Franklin Park in various situations — 

 among other shrubbery, by itself in masses, on knolls and on 

 rocky banks — and in any of these situations it appears to thrive 

 equally well. In some places where it was planted with double- 

 flowering Blackberries, dwarf Spiraeas and similar plants, its 

 rampant stems have largely overgrown them, so that they seem 

 to be fast getting crowded out. Some Rhododendrons, planted 

 in an inappropriate and artificial situation, are becoming 

 partly hidden in the wild growth of this Rose, which was 

 planted as a ground covering beneath. As a rule, the stems 

 of the Rose trail closely along the ground, but the new stems 

 of each succeeding year grow over the preceding ones, and 

 where the tips get a chance to climb through the branches of 

 some other shrub they take advantage of the support and be- 

 come more or less raised. In fact, its habit is more like that 

 of a trailing Blackberry or Dewberry than any other familiar 

 object. Considering that its importation was undesigned or 

 without a knowledge of its peculiar habit or value, the intro- 

 duction of this Rose has proved a very fortunate circumstance. 

 Its dark, shining, evergreen-looking foliage will form a splen- 

 did covering for any rough piece of ground, and sandy or 

 gravelly areas are likely to prove very congenial to the 

 growth of the plant. It is now (July 26th) still in good showy 

 bloom, but a week or ten days ago was in its very best con- 

 dition. 



Our own Michigan or Prairie Rose (R. setigera) is the con- 

 temporary of R. Wichuraiana in its season of blooming, but 

 its direct opposite in the color of its abundant deep rose- 

 colored flowers, which form a most striking contrast and make 

 a bold show. Left to grow in its own natural way, the stems 

 of this Rose will climb twelve or fifteen feet or more among 

 the branches of other shrubbery and small trees, but if it is 

 planted alone and has opportunity to develop on all sides the 

 stems will rise for three or four feet and then arch and bend 

 over, with the tips trailing on the ground, and the whole will 

 appear like a little mound profusely covered with large clus- 

 ters of nearly scentless flowers, which are usually in finest con- 

 dition from the 15th to the 20th of July. It is perfectly hardy 

 here, and, considering that it is a plant long in cultivation, it is 

 surprising to find it still comparatively a rarity in gardens, 

 and it is even unknown to many gardeners and professional 

 nurserymen. It has not been known to produce seed in this 

 region, so that it is necessary to propagate it by cuttings or 

 other modes of division. Cuttings of half-ripe wood taken at 

 the end of August root without difficulty. The foliage is large 

 and ample, and bears a distant resemblance to some members 

 of the Raspberry tribe or genus Rubus. One of the synonyms 

 given to it by a botanist was Rosa rubifolia, and under this 

 name it is still sometimes to be found in catalogues. 



Our native R. Carolina forms the third in this group of use- 

 ful late-flowering single Roses, for these three are the only 

 hardy species yet introduced which bear flowers as late as or 

 later than the middle of July. A few flowers on each of them 

 may be found as late as the ist of August. R. Carolina is the 

 only one of the three which has an upright bush-like habit. 

 Its flowers are smaller than and not so conspicuously showy 

 as the others, and they are produced in less simultaneous pro- 

 fusion, but they are the late Wild Roses of our own way-sides, 

 and, as they possess a sweet wild-rose fragrance, they are 

 always sure of a place in popular esteem. A single plant will 

 gradually spread by underground shoots until, in a few years, 

 it will form a large clump. 



Along the cool sea-coast north of Boston such Wild Roses as 

 R. lucida sometimes continue blooming until the middle of 

 July, and in such places the R. Carolina is proportionally late. 

 Such Roses as these are the species which should be planted 

 about a sea-shore home, as being most natural and appro- 

 priate, and, at the same time, quite hardy and able to withstand 

 the rigor of winter witliout unusual care. 



Arnold Arborelum. 7- G. Jack. 



Rose Notes. 



EARLY-planted Roses for winter flowering will now be 

 benefited by a thin mulching of manure, but it is safer 

 to err on the side of thinness than to apply too heavy a coat- 

 ing, as the latter frequently results in injury to the plants. 

 The use of a moderate quantity of bone-dust is at all times 

 beneficial to the soil for Roses, providing the bone be of good 

 quality, and the most satisfactory grade of this fertilizer that I 

 have used is that secured from a button factory, because the 

 bone so used is in its natural state, and is much superior as a 

 plant-food to that which has been boiled or dissolved with 

 acids. Good bone-dust feels somewhat greasy when rubbed 

 between the fingers, while that prepared from bones that have 

 been boiled in order to e.xtract the oil is quite dry, and feels 

 gritty to the touch. 



As the young Roses make their growth, disbudding must 

 be attended to frequently, for the strength of the plant is all 

 needed to make wood at this season, so as to secure a strong 

 growth ready for winter flowering ; and even in winter it is 

 necessary to disbud regularly if flowers of extra size are de- 

 sired. This is practiced by the large commercial growers who 

 make a specialty of Roses, and they disbud as regularly as 

 they do in the case of Chrysanthemums, in order to produce 

 the eight and ten inch flowers frequently seen at the autumn 

 shows. Among the varieties specially benefited by disbud- 

 ding are the Bride, Catherine Mermetand Wooton, all of which 

 send out lateral buds before the terminal flower opens, and 

 thereby its size is reduced. La France is also improved by the 

 same method, for this variety, when growing strongly, often 

 forms lateral buds. 



The young Roses should, of course, be staked before the 

 new growth proceeds very far, not only for neatness sake, but 

 also for the welfare of the plants, and it may be worth repeat- 

 ing that the most satisfactory method of staking is by means 

 of a piece of galvanized steel wire about the thickness of a 

 lead-pencil and three to four feet long. This is secured in an 

 upright position by means of a longitudinal wire stretched be- 

 tween supports at each end of the bed. Wire of this character 

 will last for several years, and is not nearly so obtrusive a sup- 

 port as is a wooden stake. 



If some space has been devoted to hybrids planted out for 

 winter forcing the plants should now be in active growth, and 

 they will need an abundance of air and water, though, at the 

 same time, the effects of sudden changes of weather must be 

 guarded against to avoid mildew. The main object now is to 

 secure a strong, clean growth. In establishments where space 

 for Rose-growmg is limited, it is preferable to prepare hybrids 

 for winter use in pots, as they can then be stored in a cold 

 frame until needed, but it must be conceded that the pot- 

 grown plants seldom produce as fine flowers as those that 

 have been planted out. 



The present has not been a satisfactory season for outdoor 

 Roses in this locality. The weather has been too dry, and, as 

 a natural result, the flowers have been small and not lasting. 

 Teas that were planted out for summer flowers have been a 

 total failure, except in some fortunate instances where a lib- 

 eral course of artificial watering could be given. ' 



It should always be remembered, hovi'ever, that during dry 

 weather outdoor Roses should have thorough cultivation, and 

 with a proper use of manure a fair sprinkling of flowers may 

 be secured after the main crop is past. 



Holmesburg, Pa. iV. H. Taphn. 



Some Japanese Bamboos. 



LAST year I noted in Garden and Forest the hardiness of 

 some half-dozen varieties of Japanese Bamboos which, 

 without protection, survived the winter of 1890-91. The same 

 plants also passed the last winter without injury, and there 

 seems little doubt as to their being reliably hardy in this lati- 

 tude. Further experience with them has, however, made me 

 rather doubtful as to their value here under ordinary cultural 

 conditions. 



The Japanese Bamboos which are attainable seem to be all 

 native of southern Japan. The French nurserymen have sent 

 these out under names of their own, generally botanical ones, 

 but a number received with the native names, through the 

 courtesy of Mr. Woolson, seem to be duplicates of those from 

 France. The Japanese, curiously enough, use Chinese names 

 for these and other plants, as was found in tracing up the trans- 

 lations of the names among some of our mild-mannered Occi- 

 dental merchants. For instance, the Japanese name for Bam- 

 boo is " Take," but botanically the Chinese "Chiku" is used 

 in conjunction with the varietal name ; thus Kimmeichiku is the 

 square-stemmed Bamboo (Castelloni of the French) ; Koku- 



