36 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t January 13,1882. 
of advantage to “cross” judiciously by associating male and 
female moths that are of different extraction. 
We have already noticed the peculiarity of the circumstance 
that the Mulberry seems to attract no caterpillars save those of 
Bombyx Mori, and that in every clime the species thrives upon 
the silky leaves which have such a natural appropriateness. Some 
have asserted that finer silkworms can be reared upon the leaves 
of the wild Mulberry in preference to the leaves of the tree when 
under cultivation. Having had no opportunity to try the cater¬ 
pillars with foliage of the former I cannot speak positively, yet I 
am inclined to question if there is this supposed difference. It is, 
however, quite likely that the leaves of Mulberries too thickly 
planted or insufficiently drained will disagree with the digestive 
organs of some silkworms ; and there may be developed a more 
vigorous race when the worms are allowed to range upon the 
trees, either wild or cultivated, foraging for themselves, should the 
climate admit of their living exposed. It is rather common for 
English breeders who are experimenting to a small extent to feed 
the young brood with the leaves of Lettuce until those of the 
Mulberry are sufficiently expanded. Lettuce leaves fade quickly, 
and their decomposition proves injurious to the worms unless the 
renewal of them is careful and frequent, but I have seen many 
good examples of the species that were supplied with Lettuce 
during the earliest age. Mr. F. A. Edwards reports that he has 
kept these worms for a succession of seasons entirely on Lettuce ; 
in that case I presume the silk produced would be poor. Amongst 
other leaves that have been given with varying success are those 
of the Cherry, Black Currant, and Dandelion : the latter seems too 
succulent. 
If we wish to examine the modes that have been pursued for a 
long period by silkworm rearers who have made the employment 
remunerative we naturally turn to France, where in many districts 
Ihe peasantry have, during more than three centuries, been engaged 
in producing silk for the market, with unavoidable fluctuations 
arising from bad seasons or the state of political affairs. The 
most serious interruption, affecting not France alone, but chiefly, 
arose about 1850 from an imperfectly understood disease, which 
destroyed multitudes of worms for many years subsequent to that 
date, causing severe losses to broods, and which has of late years 
been happily checked. A people much inclined to change in 
some things, the French are yet strongly conservative in others. 
Those observers, therefore, who have from time to time suggested 
improvements applicable to the rearing of silkworms have not 
always got them readily adopted. Doubtless there must be occa¬ 
sionally a difficulty in reconciling theory and practice, and some 
very successful rearers of silkworms have not followed the rules 
which naturalists would have laid down for their guidance. It is 
somewhat similar in horticulture, where people may be a trifle too 
scientific. With the silkworms, moreover, there is to be considered 
differences of locality and of large or small establishments. 
On the supposition that a house is being erected for the purpose, 
the French breeders believe that it should have its windows east 
and west to secure an equality of influence from the sun’s rays. 
The first floor is the best part to devote to actual rearing. The 
ground floor would contain a room for keeping and hatching eggs, 
another for storing leaves when needful, also a chamber by means 
of which the rearing apartments can be warmed and ventilated. 
But in the small establishments so common throughout the 
Cevennes silkworms have for many years been reared in rooms 
upon the ground floor, such rooms having an open fireplace at 
one end, while opposite to that is another room separating the 
breeding chamber from the outer air, and by the admission of 
currents any needful changes of temperature can be brought 
about; and whatever be the country where we are rearing silk¬ 
worms plenty of air is requisite, while chilling is avoided. Of so 
much importance is cleanliness, that the masters of establishments 
are rigorous in enforcing this both as regards person and attire 
amongst those women who are called the “ worm mothers.” 
In the rooms appropriated to the silkworms in their successive 
stages of growth there is no need for precautions against any 
propensity to wander, so stationary are they inclined to be when 
food is steadily supplied. For convenience in feeding and nursing 
they must be divided into parties or companies, and it is usual 
to place along the room either racks or small tables, allowing 
space round these, so that they can be approached on any side. 
Where there are racks they are placed above each other, contain¬ 
ing frames or canisses made of reeds, with a border to prevent 
the worms from slipping off. The frames or tables must have 
sheets of paper to form the resting place for worms and leaves. 
It is a general belief that loud noises are objectionable in or near 
silkworm establishments.—J. R. S. C. 
Japanese Chrysanthemums. —Will anyone tell me the names of 
the seven original varieties of the above as introduced by Mr. Fortune 
in 1862 ? Are they still grown? Where may they be obtained? 
I am anxious for the names and addresses of all bond fide rahers of 
Chrysanthemums from seed, and desirous of obtaining seeds of 
Japanese varieties by purchase or otherwise.—E bor. 
HARDY ROSE CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 15.) 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. John G-. Barker said that his experience in Rose culture had 
differed somewhat from Mr. Spooner’s. Six years ago he made two 
beds of Hybrid Perpetuals, for w r hich he dug out the soil to the 
depth of 18 inches, and replaced with a compost of equal parts of well- 
decomposed sods, horse manure, and cow manure. The varieties were 
selected from the Roses exhibited in 1872 and 1873. There were thirty 
plants in each bed, on Manetti stocks. The soil was naturally moist, 
and they were planted so as to root from the grafts. They made a 
most astonishing growth the first year, and the next spring were 
pruned severely, and the small wood was thinned out in summer. 
They made shoots higher than his head, which, when signs of growth 
appeared in spring, were pegged down to the soil. These two beds 
were solid masses of flowers; though not of the largest size, there 
were legions of them. He thought this the most satisfactory result, 
when, as in the present case, they were for the benefit of the public. 
Afterwards he made two more beds in the same way, first making 
diagrams and marking all the varieties on them, for the instruction 
of the visitors to Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn, of which he is superin¬ 
tendent. He goes over the bed with a scuffle hoe every two or three 
days ; this keeps the ground moist, and the surface does not bake 
after rain as it does when raked. He adopted this method of culture 
because he is obliged to choose the cheapest way. He pegs down 
the shoots after pruning off 12 or 15 inches of the end, and never 
covers them. Madame Plantier is one of the white June Roses, but 
needs a little covering, which is a good investment, for it forms a 
mass of flowers. He has two bushes of the old-fashioned Red Moss 
Rose in soil which has not been enriched for eight years, but they 
form masses of flowers. 
Mr. Charles M. Hovey said that for sixteen consecutive years he took 
prizes for the best thirty hardy June Roses. Many of the old Roses 
of twenty years ago still take the prizes. Bon Seline, Mardchal Niel, 
General Jacqueminot, and John Hopper are all good, but have their 
defects. The best part of Mr. Spooner’s paper is that in which he 
points out what have not succeeded with him. The speaker was the 
first to import the Madame Plantier, and had found it perfectly hardy, 
though it may be well to cover it in very exposed situations. The 
two things which the Rose requires are the pump and the manure 
heap. Mr. Hovey thought the best English cultivators preferred 
Roses on their own roots. All plants, with rare exceptions, grow 
best on their own roots. We must resort to stocks to rapidly increase 
the plants of varieties. There are some bad results from grafted 
Roses—among others, suckers from the stock, which gain the ascend¬ 
ancy over the graft. He has a row of Hybrid Perpetuals, 6 or 7 feet 
high, on their own roots. In selecting Roses we should choose kinds 
which will stand our hot suns. Mr. Hovey spoke in favour of the class 
of Roses known in England as “ decorative Roses”—hardy, vigorous, 
and abundant-flowering kinds ; just what everybody wants, and not 
simply Roses for exhibition. 
Mr. William C. Strong had enjoyed Mr. Spooner’s essay. He was sur¬ 
prised to hear such a young and progressive member of the Society 
as Mr. Hovey opposing the introduction of new varieties, particularly 
since the wonderful progress of the past few years. In the English 
prize lists there are few varieties of more than ten or twelve years’ 
standing. It is a laborious process to weed out the inferior varieties. 
He dissented from the views of those who thought it needful to keep 
fertilisers to rot down ; much ammonia is lost during this process. 
The Rose is a gross feeder and will take fresh manure ; moreover, 
it wants a heavy soil, and old compost is light and makes the soil 
light. In making a Rose border in his house he used green cow 
manure ; the mixture laid two or three days and was turned over, 
and Manetti stocks were planted in the border in March and budded 
in June, and ripened 8 or 10 feet of wood. He had seen young roots 
of the Manetti stock strike into fresh cow manure. He would prefer 
fresh manure to old, but if he had had time when he made his border, 
would perhaps have turned it over a little more. He dissented from 
Mr. Hovey’s views in regard to stocks ; weak growers are vastly 
benefited by grafting. Tea Roses are benefited by being grafted on 
vigorous stocks. Such stocks impart a vigour to weak-growing kinds 
which they can never get on their own roots. 
Mr. John B. Moore said that he could find no fault with the direc¬ 
tions given in Mr. Spooner’s paper. People find in books directions to 
make Rose borders 4 feet deep, of half manure, but the speaker 
thought he could do better by following Mr. Spooner’s method. 
When he (Mr. Moore) began cultivating Roses, it was in a light soil 
which absorbed too much water. He objected to clay to make it 
more retentive, and preferred the strata of very fine consolidated 
quicksand found in sand pits. They are so hard as to require a pick¬ 
axe to break them up, but if spread on the ground they dry and 
crumble, and when worked into light soils make them permanently 
more retentive. He agreed with Mr. Strong that Roses are gross 
feeders; they cannot have too much manure. Mr. Hovey thinks that 
