JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 5, 1882. ] 
15 
same way as for the hardy Perpetuals, with a larger application 
of manure ; and I also apply a more liberal annual summer 
dressing during the blooming season. I have always found the 
Moss Rose more difficult to successfully transplant than any other, 
and it starts very slowly on its own roots. 
All my Moss Roses are worked upon the Manetti stock except 
the Common ; these I prefer on their own roots. The varieties 
that have proved best with me are— 
Baronne de Wassenaer.— Perhaps the strongest grower of all ; 
wood very dark and spiny, bloomiDg in large clusters of buds ; not 
as mossy as some other kinds. Celine.—Hardy, moderately 
vigorous, spreading ; foliage dark-coloured, leaves rather small ; 
a profuse bloomer, but rather soft, and not very double. It 
would probably force well. Common.—The best of all; fine 
double flower. Crested.—The next best ; very double. Gracilis, 
or Prolific.—This resembles the Common, but has a longer bud. 
Laneii.—A vigorous upright grower, and moderately free bloomer. 
Perpetual White.—Moderately vigorous ; colour pure white ; buds 
small and short-stemmed, in rigid clusters of from four to six ; 
foliage pale green, leaves crisped. Not very hardy. White Bath. 
—With me the best white. 
The so-ra’led Perpetual Mosses seem to me a myth as Moss 
Roses ; they may be perpetual, but they possess very little moss, 
and the only variety that I have been able to save is Mine. 
Moreau, which is a perpetual free bloomer. 
The few suggestions I have endeavoured to present to you have 
been gleaned from personal observation in planting, tending, 
nourishing, and comparing, with results as here briefly stated. 
The discussion which followed on the reading of Mr. Spooner’s 
paper will be given in a future issue. 
PEAR OLIVIER DE SERRES. 
The majority of Pears to wffiich prominent attention has been 
given in our columns are either early or midseason varieties. We 
now submit a late Pear that will be familiar to many of our 
readers, but which, nevertheless, is not grown by the majority. 
The fruit figured was grown by Mr. Haycock, who regards Olivier 
de Serres as one of the very best late Pears. Without doubt it is 
a variety of great excellence, and, like other late sorts, requires the 
aid of a wall for producing the fruit in the best condition. The 
following is our description of Olivier de Serres—Fruit, medium 
sized, 2f inches wide, and 2^ high ; round, flattened, or bergamot- 
shaped, sometimes irregular in its outline. Skin entirely covered 
with cinnamon-coloured russet. Eye large and closed, set in a 
pretty deep basin. Stalk three-quarters of an inch long, very 
stout, and thickest at the end. Flesh half buttery, sweet, wdth a 
brisk vinous flavour and a strong musky aroma. A delicious 
Pear ; in use from February to March. It is, perhaps, one of the 
best very late Pears, of which there are so few. The tree bears 
well, makes strong standards and handsome pyramids, either on 
the Pear or Quince. It was raised by M. Boisbunel of Rouen. It 
first fruited in 1864, and was named in honour of Olivier de 
Serres, author of “ Le Theatre d’Agriculture et Mesnage des 
Champs,” published at Paris in 1600. 
Arbctcs Uxedo. —Writing in “ Science Gossip ” Mr. John Rasor 
gives the following interesting notes on the Strawberry Tree :—“All 
who have visited the lovely Lakes of Killarney will not fail to have 
noticed this beautiful shrub, beautiful at all times with its dark 
glossy green leaves, forming a charming contrast with the rock on 
which it loves to dwell, but especially so at this season of the year, 
when it is all aglow with blushing and ripe fruit peeping out here 
and there amid the foliage. As to the quality of the fruit, it is alto¬ 
gether a libel to call it ‘ TTnedo ’ ‘ one I eat,’ as if no ‘ one would 
choose to try a second.’ Those who have eaten the fruit of the 
Stiawberry Tree ripened under the sunny skies of southern France will, 
I think, agree with me that it is excellent eating, indeed it is not un¬ 
common to have it for dessert at the tables d’hote of some of the 
hotels in the Riviera ; we propose to dub it ‘ Multedo.’ The other 
day I came across an old work which must be at least 150 years old, 
from which I propose to cull a few notes that may prove interesting. 
It seems that the Arbutus does not grow wild in any other part of 
Europe nearer to Killarney than the Alps. M. Tournefort observes 
in his travels that it also grows wild in the island of Candia. The 
Arbutus, saith Sir Thomas Molyneux, is not to be found anywhere of 
spontaneous growth nearer to Ireland than the most southern parts 
of France, Italy, and Sicily, and there too it is never known but as a 
frutex or shrub, whereas in the rocky parts of the county of Kerry, 
where the people of the country call it the Cane Apple, it flourishes 
naturally to that degree as to become a large tall tree. It also does 
so in Mount Athos and Macedonia, and Pliny quotes it as a thing 
extraordinary that the Arbutus grows to a high tree in Arabia. 
Doctor Molyneux adds that the trunks of the trees in Ireland have 
been frequently feet in circumference or 18 inches in diameter, and 
that the trees grow to about 9 or 10 yards in height, and in such 
plenty that many of them have been cut down to melt and refine the 
ore of the silver and lead mines discovered near Ross Castle. The 
writer continues— 1 The Arbutus which clothes these islands gives 
even haggard winter the beautiful appearance of spring, for in that 
melancholy season this tree puts on its highest bloom, which, rarely 
growing in other places, is the more likely to be admired by strangers 
in this. The preparation of charcoal for the ironworks hath been 
the occasion of a great destruction of this beautiful tree in other 
parts of the country, and it is said that even here it suffered much 
