JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 20, 1881. 
issue. The writers are masters of their subject, and even ex¬ 
perienced Hose-growers may learn something from their papers. 
Mr. George Baker’s two articles are particularly suitable. The 
first one, “ On the Effect of Severe Winter on the Dnripened 
Wood of the Rose,” is very much a reproduction of this writer’s 
notes on this subject to the Journal of Horticulture last spring. 
His second article, “ On the Cultivation of Roses, Especially on 
their Own Roots,” should be carefully read and mastered by every 
young rosarian. After giving his opinion upon nearly every kind 
of stock upon which Roses are now worked, he comes to the con¬ 
clusion that the best mode of growing Roses is upon their own 
roots. Now some of our great growers say that many Roses do 
no good on own roots ; it would be well then, I think, for the 
National Rose Society’s Committee to make out a list of those 
kinds which can not only do but thrive better without the support 
of a foster-parent. Mr. Baker recommends the use of a plant- 
dibber when planting these cuttings, so that the ground may be 
rendered even and firm. I must say that I have been more suc¬ 
cessful when planting them firmly in trenches, in a thickish layer 
of sharp river sand. I find four out of six grow. I put in last 
September about seven hundred of these cuttings, and they look 
exceedingly well. 
Mr. B. R. Cant has a few pithy remarks on “ Rose Stocks and 
New Roses.” After thirty years’ experience he has come to the 
conclusion that only two kinds of stocks are necessary—for 
dwarfs on good Rose land the Briar cutting, on lighter land the 
Manetti. In the autumn 1879 Mr. Cant sent me at my request 
three hundred of his Briar cuttings, and I budded about two 
hundred last summer (all that survived of them the cruel winter, 
owing to my man’s neglect). As Mr. Cant says, it is “more 
certain when budded.” That it produces, too, blooms just as 
good as the seedling Briar I can testify. I have Charles Lefebvre 
bought in the autumn of 1879 on Manetti, seedling Briar, and 
Briar cutting stocks, and grew them in parallel rows ; but by 
far the best blooms I cut in colour, form, and substance were 
from the Briar cutting row. On new Roses Mr. Cant does not 
say much, but to judge from his few words he, like the parrot of 
legend, thinks a good deal! He fears that English Rose-raisers 
may, unless they be more careful, eventually deserve the reproach 
which is so freely and justly thrown at the continental raisers. 
Mr. Cant is. perhaps, a wee bit too hard here upon his English 
brothers, and he might, I think, have mentioned four or five more 
good and distinct English-raised Roses of the last year or two. 
Does he not respect Mrs. Laxton for instance ? 
Mr. George Paul tells us in his paper “ The Type of Tea Roses 
to be Encouraged,” and good reading it is. What so practical a 
cultivator says must command attention and respect. However, I 
do not agree with him in thinking that we especially want deeper 
red colour among the Teas. A box of Teas is spoilt in my opinion 
by a June or July Madame Lambard, and was always spoilt by 
Cheshunt Hybrid. Madame Lambard in September is all very 
well; and what a grand grower and free bloomer she is, and, 
for a Tea Rose, hardy ! At the end of his paper Mr. Paul writes, 
“ What would be our perfect type of a real Tea Rose ? Bushes 
which have stood unprotected the winter through in bloom on 
July 1st out of doors, each in its variety covered with fifty or 
sixty large blooms of the shapes of Alba Rosea, Marie Van 
Houtte, Catherine Mermet, Madame Falcot, Niphetos, Souvenir 
d,Elise, and Marbchal Niel, but of all conceivable colours of the 
rainbow ; and this scene to be repeated till the first frosts come 
to drop the many blossoms as they now do the few single flowers 
of our Tea Rose bushes.” “A pleasant dream,” he says. Yes, 
but may it be fulfilled ! 
Mr. J. E. Ewing’s article on “ Rose-growing in Light, Gravelly, 
or Sandy Soils,” I have read with pleasure, profit, and with “ fellow 
feeling.” But when Mr. Ewing (who is very strong on “ Don’ts ”) 
says, “ Don’t attempt to grow Roses for exhibition on light soils 
unless you are prepared to go to considerable expense,” I say, Do 
under certain circumstances and conditions— e.g., Roses on their 
own roots delight in light rich soil, also Roses on Manetti; and 
if amateurs would only be economical, after the example of the 
Chinese, and take care of every bit of every sort of manure, their 
light soil will soon be rich enough to grow even exhibition 
blooms. 
Mr. Mawley’s meteorological notes are fuller and more interest¬ 
ing than ever, and I only hope that Mr. Cranston will be more 
satisfied than ever with his marvellous success at the Rose shows 
last year, now that Mr. Mawley has told him the reason of that 
success. 
The other articles in the book are as follows —“ The Rose of 
Poetry,” by the Rev. Alan Cheales; “ An Amateur’s Experiences,” 
by the Rev. H. B. Biron ; “ The 1880 Election of Tea Roses,” by 
Joseph Hinton. Esq.; “ Handy Bandy,” by G. P. Hawtrey, Esq. ; 
“ Some Roses in the North Countrie,” by E. R. Whitwell, Esq.; 
and “ Roses in 1880, with Notices of the New Roses of the last 
Two Years,” by the Editor. 
It only remains for me to advise every reader of the Journal 
interested in the cultivation of Roses to at once order the book. 
It is really too good for a shilling.—J. A. W. 
THE FEOST. 
The frost during the week has been extremely intense, and in some 
districts unusually severe. The temperature in London may be seen 
by our meteorological observations on page G2. The Thames is 
covered with floating ice. On Tuesday drifting snow and a violent 
east wind prevailed. The day will long be remembered in London 
and almost all parts of the country for its extraordinary inclemency. 
Gardeners during the’ week have found great difficulty in maintain¬ 
ing the temperature in forcing houses, and all ordinary outdoor work 
is stopped. We have received letters from various districts giving 
records of the frost, but in some cases it is difficult to determine 
whether the readings of the thermometer have been taken or the 
“ degrees of frost ” counted. The former is the correct mode, and 
should be adopted by those who send information on temperatures. 
Mr. J. Witherspoon, writing from the county of Durham, observes 
—“ On the evening of the 14th inst. the thermometer registered 
6° below zero, Fahr.; the night previous the mercury stood at 11° 
Fahr.; and the night following (Saturday) at 8°. The fruit trees 
&c., being partly protected by snow, have not, I think, taken much 
harm." Mr. B. Cowan, South Shields, states that “ snow has fallen 
at frequent intervals since the 11th inst., and there is now an average 
depth of 8 inches. The lowest temperature registered was 4® Fahr. 
on Sunday last.” Mr. W. Craig, Lambton Castle Gardens, Durham, 
writes, “ Severe frost commenced here on the 11th inst. and has con¬ 
tinued since, the lowest temperature having occurred on the loth 
inst., when 7® below zero was registered.” Mr. G. R. Allis, Old 
Warden, Biggleswade, also states “ that the frost commenced 
severely on the 11th inst., snow having fallen, but not in great 
quantity. On the 13th, lith, 15th, lGth, and 17th insts. tempera¬ 
tures of 19°, 12°, 11°, 15°, and 8? were respectively registered.” 
“ Delta ” writes from Gloucester—“ It would be interesting if 
statements of the temperature in different parts of the country, 
both in elevated and low situations, were given by correspondents. 
Here, in a low situation in the Severn Yalley, the minimum by a 
compared thermometer properly placed was on the night of the 
14th 9® Fahr., the max. on the 15th 21° Fahr., the min. 7*5° Fahr.” 
Mr. A. F. Barron, of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, 
Chiswick, states that “ the frost is intense; the lowest temperature 
on Monday night last was 5° Fahi\” Mr. W. Taylor, Longleat, 
writes, “ We have registered the following temperatures here :— 
Saturday morning at 4 feet from ground 4°, and the same on grass ; 
Sunday 11°, and G° on grass ; Monday 12®, and 7® on grass.” Mr. 
Thos. Nicol, writing from Fifeshire, observes, “ The frost is now more 
intense here than it has been for many years, but the great depth 
of snow will serve to protect plants considerably.” A correspon¬ 
dent in Ireland states the lowest reading of the thermometer up 
to Sunday last in Munster was 22°, or 10° below freezing point. 
In the neighbourhood of London low temperatures have also been 
recorded ; for instance, we learn that in Kent one reading gave zero 
as the lowest temperature, while a few degrees above that have been 
registered in Surrey, Middlesex, Essex, and Berkshire. The follow¬ 
ing low temperatures have also been recently recorded :—At Ludlow, 
zero ; Darlington, 10° below zero ; Newcastle, 10® ; while at Dundee 
the temperature has ranged from 9® to 2®. In Orkney it is reported 
the snow is in some places from 12 to 15 feet in depth. To-day 
(Wednesday) the temperature has risen considerably ; in London 
the thermometer registering 30°, with drifting snow at intervals. 
SALTWOOD VICARAGE, NEAR HYTHE. 
A chalky district is not the locality in which to look for what 
are ordinarily called American plants. The sandy and peaty soils 
of the Surrey uplands in the neighbourhoods of Ascot and Bagshot 
are the places with which we naturally associate them. The grand 
establishments of the Waterers and others are so well known that 
there is little use in saying anything concerning the luxuriance 
and beauty which characterise the Kalmias, Azaleas, Rhododen¬ 
drons, &c., which there flourish so vigorously ; but chalk is so 
distasteful to the whole tribe that it is simply misery to see the 
lingering decay and death to which they seem doomed wherever 
chalk exists. I know that they will flourish in strong loam, as I have 
seen them very luxuriant in such soils, but in chalk lands never. 
It will therefore probably be a surprise to many of your readers 
to hear that one of the most charming American gardens that I 
know of in the south of England is in the very midst of the chalk 
downs which stretch all through our county ; and that within a 
couple of miles of the Channel, where storms do grow and breezes 
blow, may be seen a valley most beautifully planted, and whose 
floral beauties are thoroughly appreciated by the visitors to 
Folkestone, Hythe, and Sandgate, especially if they happen to be 
