168 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 3 , issi. 
a few days in the dark on damp cotton wool, and then, beneath 
the surface of water, introduced into an inverted glass jar filled 
with water, they may be exposed to daylight for an indefinite 
time without chlorophyll being developed. But the plants are 
not dead ; for if, after a few days’ exposure, the cotton wool on 
which they have been grown is cut in two beneath the surface of 
the water, and one half, with its plants, is restored to the inverted 
jar of water, while the other is placed under an inverted glass jar 
containing air only, and then these two jars be exposed to full 
daylight, the plants beneath the jar containing air rapidly become 
green, while the others never do so. Light, therefore, cannot 
always cause the development of chlorophyll in the etiolated 
leaves of living plants. 
MARECHAL NIEL ROSE ON ITS OWN ROOTS. 
I can corroborate what has been said in favour of this Bose 
doing well on its own roots. We have here a plant which was a 
cutting struck in February, 1879. In April following it was 
planted in a border 2 feet wide at the foot of the back wall of 
the greenhouse. The soil used was strong turfy loam and cow 
manure, four parts of the former to one of the latter, with a free 
admixture of old lime rubbish ; the depth of soil is about 2 feet, 
and 1 foot of drainage. It commenced growing freely, and was 
copiously supplied with water at the roots and well syringed. 
The shoots, several in number, were trained thinly on the wall and 
under the roof, and last February it produced thirty-five blooms. 
After blooming it commenced growing freely, making twelve new 
shoots, which were trained in a downward direction towards the 
front of the house ; the longest shoot made since March last is 
25 feet; upon the plant there are now 340 bloom buds, which 
look healthy and strong. We give the border a good soaking with 
weak liquid manure about every ten days. Another plant put 
out in the same border in March last (a cutting in February pre¬ 
vious), commenced growing with three shoots, the longest of which 
is 28 feet; on it there are at the present date 130 bloom buds. 
In the same border I planted at the same time as the large 
Marechal Niel a plant of Gloire de Dijon on the Manetti stock. 
It made scarcely any progress the first season, growing only about 
2 feet. Last March it threw out three shoots from the bottom 
just above the union. They grew fast and strong. Five other shoots 
followed from the top of the previous year’s growth. The whole 
plant is now covered with buds from top to bottom, four hundred 
in number. Several blooms have also been cut during the winter. 
The above plants have never at any time been troubled with 
green fly or mildew.—E. Molyneux, Srvanmore Park, Bishops 
Waltham. 
It was scarcely necessary for “ Oxonian ” to explain on page 
146 that he had not struck hundreds of Marechal Niel Boses 
from cuttings, as had he done so he would not have said in a 
previous issue “ Marechal Niel, I am certain, will not do well on 
its own roots.” Before “Oxonian” was so “certain” on the 
point that he raised, he ought, at least, to have been fortified by 
experience. I spoke within the mark when I said I had gathered 
hundreds of blooms of Marechal Niel from plants struck from 
cuttings. I have really gathered thousands. One plant or tree 
yielded an average of four hundred blooms for ten years, and I 
could name another that has produced twice that number. I have 
sent plants to many counties in England, to Scotland, Ireland, 
and even America--or rather I struck them, and they were sent 
as presents to friends or in exchange for other things—none were 
sold. Blooms from some of the plants raised from cuttings 
were sent to the Editors, who stated they had never seen finer. 
“ Oxonian ” appears to doubt the longevity of the Mardchal on 
its own roots ; but when he has had, as I have had, thirty years’ 
experience in Bose culture, he will find that this fine Rose when 
well established on its own roots will live longer than when 
worked on either the Briar or Manetti stocks. Worked low on 
the latter stock the Bose is soon on its own roots, and worked 
high on the former it swells, forming large protuberances, cankers, 
and decays. I doubt not that we shall yet have further evidence 
that the Rose in question will do well on its own roots notwith¬ 
standing the strong and unqualified assertion to the contrary.— 
A Eosarian’s Gardener. 
PARAFFIN TUBS. 
Your correspondent Mr. A. Harding will find tubs made from 
paraffin barrels exceedingly useful for large plants when sawn 
through the middle, having been previously burnt out, which most 
effectually destroys all traces of either paraffin or spirit. The 
operation of burning further assists the wood in resisting the ill 
effects of the moist soil as the inside surface becomes charred. It 
will probably be necessary with his barrel, which has been some 
time in use for water, to first dry it and place a little paraffin in 
the bottom, which with a few live coals thrown in will ignite the 
whole of the inside surface. Some judgment is required in not 
allowing it to burn too long, but in the case of recently emptied 
tubs a longer time may be allowed. When it has exhausted the 
spirit, which may be judged by the cracking of the wood, turn the 
barrel upside down with a long-handled rake, and the flames are 
at once extinguished. A good scrubbing renders them sweet and 
fit for use. A couple of iron handles from the blacksmith made 
with six screw holes to each are of great assistance in removing 
them when filled ; two or three coats of green paint, and finally 
one on the hoops of black, renders them fit associates for the 
newest of pots.—J. W. Silver, Farnley Gardens, Otlcy. 
Your correspondent A. Harding requests information as to the 
mode of preparing paraffin tubs for Tree Ferns, and perhaps the 
following hints may be of service to him :—I have employed them 
for the last four years for Ferns, Palms, and fine-foliaged plants, 
and have found them answer remarkably well. I have the tubs cut 
in halves, the sharp edges being rounded off with a spoke shave ; 
five holes are then bored about an inch in diameter for drainage, 
after which I place a few shavings in each half, light them and 
allow them to burn until the wood is partially charred, when the 
fire can easily be extinguished by turning the tub upside down. 
Handles are then screwed on, and three coats of green paint are 
applied. I thus secure useful plant tubs at a nominal cost. It is 
doubtful if scalding them would be successful, but no one need be 
afraid of placing the most tender plants in them after having 
undergone the above operation.—S. Mortimer. 
[Mr. W. Iggulden also states that he has found the above 
practice successful.] 
THE CINERARIA. 
The numerous varieties of this popular flower are supposed to 
be the offspring by various crosses of Cineraria cruenta, C. lanata, 
C. aurita, and others, which were introduced into this country from 
the Canary Islands about the close of the last century. There are 
no plants amongst the florists’ flowers that produce such a variety 
of colours as the Cineraria of almost every shade except yellow, 
and no plants with which I am acquainted will repay the culti¬ 
vator better for his trouble than these, for they seldom fail to 
flower unless by wilful neglect they become infested by aphides, 
which immediately attack the sickly plant. Amongst the varieties 
usually cultivated the double forms introduced a few years ago 
are worthy of special mention. They are very effective, but the 
flowers are not so large and striking as the single ones. 
Cinerarias are easily raised either by seed or by offsets : the 
latter is the mode adopted to preserve good varieties. As soon 
as the plants have flowered remove them from the conservatory 
or greenhouse, cut down the old flowerstems, and place the pots 
in a cold frame, giving water sparingly until growth commences. 
When several leaves are formed take the offsets carefully off with 
a sharp knife, and if possible with a portion of the rootlets 
attached ; place them in small pots and grow the plants in a cold 
frame, keeping them close and shaded from the light for a fort¬ 
night, and from bright sunshine for another week. By this time 
they will be well rooted, and will require a shift into pots a size 
larger. 
The easiest way of raising a batch of plants, and the one gene¬ 
rally adopted, is by sowing seed towards the end of April. By 
procuring seeds of some well-known strain a large proportion of 
the seedlings may be relied upon to produce good blooms. The 
following is the method I pursue :—Take a clean flower pot 
6 inches in diameter, and fill it three parts full with potsherds; 
then place a little moss or a few leaves over them to prevent the 
drainage from becoming choked, fill up the pot with some fine 
light soil, press it down lightly, and make the surface smooth ; 
sow the seed, and cover lightly with a little fine soil, and give a 
little water through a fine rose ; afterwards lay a piece of glass 
over the pot, and place it in a frame or greenhouse. The seed¬ 
lings will appear in about seven or eight days after sowing. 
As soon as they have three leaves prick them out into shallow 
seed pans in a somewhat richer soil ; they may then remain in 
these seed pans till they have produced more leaves and fresh 
roots. Pot them into 3-inch pots, shade for a few days, and when 
the roots reach the sides repot the plants in the same manner as 
the offsets. Prepare a compost in the following manner, mixing 
in a moderately dry state :—Turfy loam from an upland pasture, 
two parts ; decayed leaves, one part; manure from an old Mush¬ 
room bed, one part; and a small addition of coarse river sand. 
