434 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



June 8, 19l2. 



ROSE SERICEA AND ITS 



VARIETY PTERACANTHA. 



Rosa serioea has been for many years in 

 cultivation in this country, and is commonly 

 known as the four-petalled rose, from the 

 fact that the bulk of the flowers produce 



four petals, instead of the normal 



only 



five, as with other spe<'ies of Rosa. It was 

 originally introduced from India, where it 



flowers are creamy-white, one and a-half 

 to two inches in diameter, with rich yellow 

 anthers, rather sweetly scented, and pro- 

 duced in profusion all over the bush. The 

 fruits vary considerably in size and colour, 

 being bright red to almost black, and from 

 the size of a pea to that of a walnut, and 

 in sbape may be globose, oval, or even 

 pear-shaped. It is said that the fruits are 

 largely eaten by the natives, and have a 

 pleasantly acid flavour. 



In the variety R. s. pteracantha the 



■ * 



ROSA SERICEA. 



The four-petalled rose. A free-flowering hardy s-pecies, bearing crowds of cream-white 



blossoms towards the end of May. 



is common throughout the Himalayan 

 range of mountains. It also is found in 

 Tibet, and extends far into China.. From 

 the fact that it inhabits the mountains at 

 altitudes up to 11,000 feet its hardiness is 



beyond question. 



It is extremely variable in habit, size 

 of flower, and fruit, and even in the colour 

 and size of the prickles with which this 

 species is w^cll supplied. For a hot sunny 

 bank, in rather poor or sandy soil, few 

 plants will give better results. The 



flowers are smaller than the type, but the 

 charm of this plant lies in its large bright- 

 red, winged prickles, which clothe the 

 young stems, and give this plant quite a 

 distinct appearance, even when grown 

 amongst other roses. When first exhibited 

 by Messrs. Paul and Son, Cheshunt, a few 

 years ago, it attracted much attention. Mr. 

 E. H. Wilson, when collecting for Messrs. 

 J. Veitch and Sons, was fortunate in so- 

 curing a goodly number of seeds of th*^ 

 fine variety, from which a fine stock of 



plants has been raised. It was also found 

 later on in North-west Yunnan by Mr. G 

 Forrest, when "collecting for Messrs. liees 

 Lim. 

 Kew. 



CP. Raffill. 



M ADRESFIELD COURT GRAPF. 



Some cultivators succeed in growing thi^ 

 noble grape to perfection, while others fail 

 to achieve entire success. Hundreds of 

 growers produce crops of fruit of mode- 

 rate quality ; and when one sees perfect 

 bunches one is compelled to closely exa- 

 mine them, and admire them fully. 



The bunches I admired first were staged 

 by Mr. E. Molyneux at Southamptoiu 

 when the exhibitions used to be held in 

 West wood Park. These bunches were nui 

 extra large, but they were, as regards size 

 of berry, form, and finish, perfect, and no 

 one would wish to have bunches larger. 

 This was about twenty years ago, perhaps 

 a little more. In more recent years I 

 have seen grand bunches stagcnJ by other 

 growers in various parts of the coimtry, 

 notably by Mr. Doe, of Rufford Abbey, at 

 the Hanlev Floral Fete. 



The perfecting of the grapes depends 

 chiefly on the management. In a few in- 

 stances, no doubt, the best management 

 fails if the roots are not under control, or 

 the structure is an unsuitable one. I have 

 both succeeded and 



grown 

 stances. 



under 



failed with grapes 

 exactly the same cireum- 



The success followed close atten- 



tion to general treatment, and the failure 

 a certain amount of inattention, owing to 

 the claims of other matters. 



Madresfield Court grape is very often 

 recommended as a gropnhouse variety for 

 cool structures, etc. The vine is one of 

 the best as regards growth ; it is remark- 

 ably fruitful, but if overcropped while 

 young it will take a period of three years 

 to brine; the vine back to its normal state 

 of good health. Inexperienced cultivators 

 are tempted to leave on too many bunches 

 before the vines are five years old from the 

 date of planting. Overcropping at all 

 times militates against good colour. A 

 close, moist atmosphere is also inimical, 

 and such we often find in amateurs' green- 

 houses, where a miscellaneous collection of 

 pot plants is grown. If there are chiefly 

 zonal pelargoniums in the house, the at- 

 mosphere may be maintained in a suitable 

 condition for the grapes. 



When I have had the most 



bunches of Madresfield Court, 

 after watering the border 



satisfactory 

 it has been 



watei 

 after 



watering 

 heated to over 



freely 



100 



with 

 and 



each 



water mg 

 face immediately with 

 s u ch times wh en one 



snr- 

 At 



degrees, 

 covering the 

 dry cut straw, 

 could see the heat 

 fi-himmering on the roofs of houses, and 

 just above the ground, the ventilators 

 were opened to their fullest extent. A 

 good wind at the same time inipvoveti 

 matters. In such circumstances the ber- 

 ries coloured splendidly in twenty-two days. 

 Splitting or cracking of the berries di** ^^f 

 occur. But when the weather was dull at 

 times, bright at others, and no heat w^^^ 

 put on during the nighttime, a few j^^^^'^^J 

 cracked every morning, the berries did no 

 colour satisfactorily, and the process wa. 



much slower. ^ 



other 



years. But when the' pipes were warni^^ 

 on dull days, and throughout the nignt 

 the colour was better, and splittmg f 

 not occur. Splitting occuns when the so^^ 

 Vin^ allowed to bocome dry, and is tj 



water, hut 



think a very low temperature an<l closo. 

 moist atmosphere, the chief causes, 

 bined with overcropping, of bad colour, o 

 cracking. Geo. Gaknee 



These conditions prevailed in 



lid 



thoroughly saturated with 



I 



coni- 

 Qiid 



