February 17, 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
129 
a beam of light produces heat, electricity, magnetism, motion, and 
chemical action, and hence we hare in the sun’s rays a most 
powerful renovator of the earth’s atmospheric electricity, as well 
as of its heat and chemical action, &c. One of the most obvious 
effects of the sun’s polar influence on the leaves of trees is in 
keeping them constantly with one particular surface upwards, in 
accordance with the laws of “ opposites attracting ; ” whilst the 
reverse, or of similar states repelling each other, is as strikingly 
evidenced in the leaves, branches, and roots avoiding contact and 
steering clear of one another as if they were endowed with sight 
and intelligence. 
But as the sun’s rays have to pass through our atmosphere to 
reach the earth’s surface it will be obvious that the condition of 
the air it has to penetrate must of necessity exert a material 
influence upon its results ; hence it is that different localities, with 
their artificial surroundings, have a most important bearing on 
the present question. It is an essential point that the electrical 
condition of the atmosphere should be positive; hence any admix¬ 
ture of soot, which is carbon or charcoal, and is a most powerful 
negative, must have the effect of weakening or counteracting its 
positive tendency, and thus lessening the required polarity be¬ 
tween the earth- and its atmosphere. Then, again, in addition to 
this visible contamination of “ blacks ” in the air there is, if 
possible, a more serious evil still arising from our coal fires not at 
first so readily apparent. On looking at a freshly made up coal 
fire a flickering flame will be observed playing amidst the smoke 
as it ascends, and every now and then a jet of intense brightness 
bursts forth, goes out, and relights again and again ; but in these 
intervals of going out the unignited gas ascends to mix into the 
atmosphere above and become an invisible cloud, the more solid 
particles of the soot settling down to the earth or its tenants. 
The dry outer bark of trees being positive the negative soot is 
attracted and adheres to the surface, as it does to every other 
exposed positive—our own skins to wit. Now the combination of 
carbon with oxygen is heavier than air, but the solution of carbon 
in hydrogen—as in coal gas—is lighter than the air, and thus 
maintains itself in a stratum up aloft, whilst the former descends 
to the earth’s surface, and thus becomes suitably situate for being 
utilised by vegetation. To be convinced of the quantity of carbon 
thus held in solution and invisible, hold a piece of cold iron, tin, 
or glass in a gas flame, and it will immediately become coated 
with soot, which is the precipitated carbon. But the upper in¬ 
visible stratum of contaminated air escaping from our chimneys 
will have its negativing influence in modifying the sun’s rays, 
hence it is from these facts that in the neighbourhood of smoky 
districts the air is “ not strong enough.” Then again, the proxi¬ 
mity of buildings tends not only to destroy the polarity of the 
atmosphere, but they absorb so much of its moisture as to render 
the air highly siccative instead of being a carrier of moisture to 
the vegetation.—W. K. Bridgman, Norwich. 
HARDY ROSES. 
In the “Rusarians’ Year Book for 1880” I had a short paper 
giving the survivors of some beds of exhibition Roses budded 
some eight years before. The list of sorts will be found by any 
readers interested in the matter in that volume. Since the paper 
was written two winters of more than ordinary severity have 
occurred, and yet some varieties remained alive and healthy. If 
the sorts seem to you worth recording please give the list which I 
subjoin. 
ROSES OF WHICH YOUNG WOOD IS ALIYE ON FEB. 4th, 1881. 
H. Teas.—Cheshunt Hybrid 
H.P.—Edward Morreii 
Caroline de Sansal 
H.C.—Miss Ingram 
Paul Verdier 
H.P.—Madame Laurent 
Madame Victor Verdier 
Abel Grand 
Centifolia Rosea 
Dr. Andry 
La Fontaine 
Mad. Tli6r6se Levet 
Princess Louise 
Maurice Bernardin 
H.P.—-Clotilde Rolland 
Ducliesse d’Aosta 
Francois Fontaine 
Camille Bernardin 
Mad. Ciemence Joigneaux 
Emily Laxton 
Marchioness of Exeter 
Mons. Boncenne 
Princess Mary of Cambridge 
La France 
Thomas Mills 
John Hopper 
Duke of Connaught 
Nearly all the Jules Margottin race stand ; the English Roses of 
real English raising ; and amongst dwarfs Dr. Andry, Madame 
Victor Verdier, Thomas Mills, Maurice Bernardin, and Duke of 
Connaught.— George Paul, The Old Nurseries, Chcshunt. 
National Rose Society. — I think that your correspondent, 
“ Wyld Savage,” has (see page 87) omitted in the causes of 
the Society’s success one very important one—viz., the manner in 
which it is officered. The zeal, tact, and judgment of our senior 
Secretary, the painstaking and care of our junior Secretary, and 
the prudence and good management'of our Treasurer, clearly show 
that few societies can boast of such a staff, and I think it is only 
fair when the success of the Society is spoken of this fact should 
be recognised.—F. 
FRENCH AND ENGLISH EXHIBITIONS. 
As the season for flower shows is now coming on, and, so far 
from there being any likelihood of a falling-off in the interest 
attaching to them, that interest seems rather on the increase— 
one remarkable proof of that being the announcement of the great 
Exhibition at Manchester in September with its prize list amount¬ 
ing to nearly £2000—it may not be out of place to again draw 
attention to a subject which has been often mooted, the great 
difference between English and French exhibitions ; and I do 
this the rather because a paper has been forwarded to me by the 
Vice-President of the National Society of Horticulture, giving an 
account of a remarkable step taken at the Congress of the various 
Geographical Societies last August, and which endeavours in that 
thorough way in which the French carry out an idea to combine 
instruction with pleasure. 
It would appear, then, that on the occasion of this Congress of 
Geographical Societies held at Nancy, the Secretary General of 
the Geographical Society of the East of France invited the Horti¬ 
cultural" Society of Nancy to take part in its proceedings, on the 
plea of decorating and furnishing the approaches and hall of the 
Palace of Stanislaus, where the Congress was held, on a plan 
never before attempted in floral exhibitions. The idea was eagerly 
taken up by the President of the Horticultural Society, who urged 
his colleagues to profit by the occasion and give an example of a 
complete and instructive exhibition. Time did not permit the 
plan to be carried out as completely as it was wished, but enough 
was done to draw attention to an entirely novel idea which might 
be carried out more fully under more favourable conditions. The 
plan seems to have been to get together a number of the more 
recent introductions, and to print a catalogue referring to these 
plants, which occupied 167 pages, giving full particulars of every¬ 
thing relating to the plants. Take as an example of the minute 
care with which this is done, so characteristic of that attention 
to detail which is so marked in all French arrangements, the 
following— 
CENTRAL AND EASTERN ASIA. 
1501. Cham.erops Fortunei, Hook.-, Oh. excelsa, Mart. (non 
Thunb.). —Hemp Palm. (Palms). Ornamental and industrial (mats, 
ropes, hats, and waterproof garments). 
China and Himalaya, in its natural state, snowy valleys.— Tche 
Kiang, Le Pere A. David, 18G8. 
Cultivated on the eastern coasts of China between 25° and 35° lat. ; 
in the island of Chusan, 30° lat.— Robert Fortune. At Pekin with 
protection during winter, and at Canton in gardens without protection. 
—Le Pere A. David. 
Introduced by Robert Fortune ; sent out by the Royal Horticultural 
Society. In the north-eastern provinces of China. 1843-45, 1853, 
1850. 
Full-grown specimens presented by M. Crousse, horticulturist at 
Nancy. Seedlings presented by M. Galle from seed obtained in the 
open air at Segrez (Seine et Oise) from plants which had lost in 1870-71 
all their leaves, and produced seed in 1878. Leaf presented by M. 
Galle, cut from a plant which had lived out of doors with protection 
during the winter of 1879-80. 
When we add that the principal groups were marked in large 
diagrams, giving a view of the different portions of our continents 
subdivided into the different regions according to their latitudes 
and principal productions, and that each plant had its number 
corresponding to that in the catalogue, it will be seen how much 
pains were taken to make this portion of the Exhibition full of 
teaching to all who chose to profit by it. Nor was art forgotten. 
Vases and bronzes from Japan and China were exhibited to show 
how the native artists had used their own flowers and fruit to 
produce that wondrous beauty of form and colouring which has 
excited the wonder and admiration of artists in this country. 
And now is it possible that such a plan could be carried out 
with any prospect of success in this country ? Those who have, 
like myself, marked the difference between the manner in which 
exhibitions are conducted in this country and in France may well 
doubt if it could be so— i.e., Would it be possible to make our 
exhibitions instructive as well as pleasing to the general public ? 
True, this was a geographical exhibition to which the botanical 
was simply an adjunct, but it is evidently the idea of M. Joly that 
this might be applied to horticultural exhibitions. But see how 
different is the manner of conducting such. There is a delibe¬ 
ration—nay, a solemnity, about the French method which is 
strangely at variance with their generally received character. 
The Jury take a whole day to deliberate, and the exhibitions being 
