THE ROSE AND ITS CULTTJEE. 



199 



much as two feet long ty six to twelve inches in 

 breadth. It has a similar distribution to T. eoiiso- 

 brina, but is found in addition in the Cape Yerd 

 Islands. 



P. omithopus, a Califomian species, has rigid, 

 erect, polished, diirk chestnut-brown stipes, and 

 deltoid bipiunate fronds, of a leathery texture and 

 very pale glaucous-green colour. It makes a chanu- 

 ing pot plant for cool-house decoration, and does best 

 in a rather light place. Well-grown specimens 

 measure about eight or ten inches in height. 



P. rotundifolia has a stout creeping scaly rhizome, 

 and simply-pinnate dark green leathery fronds — a 

 foot or so in length — with from ten to twenty oblong 

 or roundish piimse on each side. This distinct and 

 pretty fern, which is perhaps better known under 

 the name of Plntyloma rotundifolia, is one of the 

 easiest to grow either in pots or on rock- work. It is 

 a native of Xew Zealand and Norfolk Island. 



P. ternifoUa is easily recognised by its daw-Uke 

 pinnse. It has tufted, dark chestnut-brown, polished 

 stipes, densely fibrillose at the base, and linear-lanceo- 

 late leathery fronds, pale glaucous-green both above 

 and below. In height it sctircely attains more than 

 a foot. A native of the Andes of tropical America 

 and also of the Sandwich Islands. 



Cultivation. — All the species above mentioned 

 are cool-house plants, and will thrive under the con- 

 ditions suitable for Cheilanthes, the cultivation of 

 which genus has already been described. 



THE EOSE AJSTD ITS CULTUEE. 



By D. T. Pish. 



EOSES nf Orr-OF-THE-TT^r PLACES. 



CONSIDEEING the growing force, climbing 

 powers, hardy constitution, matchless beauty 

 of leaf and flower, and delightful fragi-ance of the 

 Rose, it is surprising that it has been so sparingly 

 employed in the enrichment of landscape. Valued 

 chiefly for its flowers, it has been treated from the 

 first as a mere flower-garden plant, and to a great 

 extent been cribbed, cabined, and confined out of 

 much of its exuberant vigour and natural beauty. 



A more artistic and appropriate use of Eoses could 

 not well be devised than their emploj-ment in clothing 

 the nakedness, breaking the monotony, hiding the 

 deformity, and reUeving the ponderous weight of 

 dead waUs and ugly buUdings. The profuse and 

 Uberal use of hardy free-growing Eoses as wall- 

 dothers, would add a new and one of the most 

 enUvening features to our towns and viUages and 

 general landscapes. Eoses in such close proximity 

 to dwellings would prove as valuable in a sanitarj- 



as in an artistic point of view. The Eose, from 

 its free growth, its wide spread of foliage, and the 

 profusion and fragrance of its bloom, is one of the 

 most powerful neutralisers of foul odom-s, and 

 strongest antidotes to their injurious and deadly 

 influences. When the sanitary power of plants is 

 better known, and more correctly adjusted, the Rose 

 win be found wellnigh at the top of the list. The 

 more free and luxuriant its growth, the more 

 powerful its sanitary efEects, and the higher its 

 artistic value. 



Roses up Trees. — There is no desire to super- 

 sede the Ivy as the natural tree-dother. The Ivy 

 round the Oak is stereotyped into our landscapes, and 

 become part and parcel of the rural life and sylvan 

 history of England. But there is no natural reason 

 why the Ivy in many cases could not be partially 

 clothed upon with Eoses. 



Some of the richest, sweetest features in gardens, 

 pleasure-grounds, and woods have been accidentally 

 formed by Dog-roses or Sweet-briars finding their 

 way up trees, and almost wholly hiding their holes 

 with a prodigal profusion of gracefully depending 

 branchlets wreathed with flowers : 



*' Their wanton foliage in the air, 

 Luxuriant as the flowing hair." 



Art can hardly reach higher than to imitate as 

 servilely as possible these perfect examples. 



Eoses up trees labour under two disadvantages, 

 which the cultivator must strive to remove or 

 reduce to a minimum of evU. They are robbed 

 of their rights alike at top and bottom'. The tree- 

 branches shut out the sunlight and the dew; the 

 roots of the trees steal the food provided for the 

 Eose-roots. Judicious thinning of the tree-houghs 

 win mitigate the former evU. The latter is far more 

 difficult to deal with. ITiere is no remedy, and but 

 little chance for the Eoses, unless by isolating the 

 Eose-food from the roots of the trees. Brick, stone, 

 cement, concrete, have all been used as harriers ; but 

 these are expensive, troublesome, and not alwaj'S 

 efficient. Gross-feeding climbers such as Eoses should 

 have a square yard of soil isolated to do them justice. 

 Failing so much, richness of root-run may partiy 

 stand for mass. 



Eoses in Casks.— But the richer the Eose-soil, 

 the greater the danger that the tree-roots will find and 

 exhaust it. Hence isolation becomes of vital import- 

 ance, and tar, oil, beer, or wine casks are by far the 

 cheapest isolators. Knock out the bottom of the cask 

 or barrel, learing the bung-hole for the exit of water, 

 place three inches of drainage over the bottom, sink 

 it into the ground tiU the old bottom is about level 



