September 11, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
231 
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Bury St. Edmunds Show. 
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14Tn Sunday after Trinity. 
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Caledonian Society’s Show (Edinburgh). 
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THE ROSE SEASON OF 1884. 
T is now time to dispassionately look back upon 
the past season. The fray is over, the com¬ 
batants have retired to winter quarters, and the 
clash of striving competitors is no longer to be 
heard ; and although some of us have not mixed 
in the fray, yet we were continually hearing so 
many and such varied opinions, that although I 
had formed my own estimate of the season, yet 
by hearing from one and the other so many 
conflicting statements, one begins to doubt if that judgment 
were correct. Some will doubtless object to that which I 
now write, but it has been formed on a tolerably wide 
acquaintance with the Rose and Rose-growers in all parts 
of the kingdom, for again it has been my happy privilege to 
assist at judging at most of the principal shows in the 
kingdom; for, besides the three National Rose Society’s 
exhibitions, I have been at Bath, Cardiff, Reigate, Sutton, 
Farningham, Leek, Liverpool, Darlington, and Helensburgh, 
and have, moreover, visited many Rose gardens—from the 
garden on the cliff of Mr. Biron on our south-east coast to 
that of my friend Mr. Hall at Larchwood, Rockferry, and 
have gathered materials for forming my judgment as time 
went on. Well, and now what is that judgment ? Again 
I have to write that unpleasant word, an “ abnormal ” 
season. When it is to be otherwise who can tell ? The 
seasons vary, and of one thing I am quite persuaded—that 
Roses are later than they used to be. When the National 
Rose Society was established eight years ago there was a 
strong opinion amongst Rose-growers that in justice to them 
the metropolitan exhibition ought to be held alternately in 
the last week in June and the first week in July; but now 
we do not hear anything of that, and as the first Tuesday in 
July is the date fixed for the metropolitan show there has 
been a general opinion expressed that it will be just the date 
suitable. Whether as the seasons alter again, which they 
probably will do, we shall return to our earlier date is a 
matter we may well leave. It is sufficient to note the fact 
that shows in June, except in one or two favoured districts, 
are too early. 
The history of the Rose season is no very complicated 
one. We had in all parts of the kingdom an exceptionally 
mild winter, and when the time for pruning came the Rose 
garden looked as green as in summer. The flower buds had 
formed at the end of many of the shoots, and considerable 
doubc was expressed as to effects of pruning and the injury 
which would be done in causing the plants to bleed. I 
believe these fears were groundless. 1 knew that, at least 
as far as my own were concerned, I never had better growth. 
Everything went on swimmingly until the end of May and 
beginning of June; then set in some cold bitter north-east 
winds, accompanied in some places with sharp frosts. This 
effectually checked in every place the progress of the plants. 
The buds remained in statu quo, and for a fortnight no change 
was noticeable; nor could it well be otherwise. With the 
ground cold and hard, the atmosphere dry and harsh, and 
with not a drop of rain to soften either soil or air, nothing 
else could be well expected, while in some places the shoots 
had been injured by the frost. Towards the end of June 
and beginning of July a great change took place, and 
although no rain fell in many places the temperature rose 
rapidly with a blazing sun, and the consequence was that 
the flowers rapidly forced into bloom wanted both substance 
and size. This was painfully visible at the earlier shows, 
and more or less so throughout the season. Even our 
doughtiest amateurs confessed that they were not up to their 
usual form. This, of course, told most with those where the 
soil was light. It might have been supposed that in such a 
season Tea Roses would have been exceptionally good, and 
that the warm, bright, sunny weather would have suited 
them to a T (no pun intended); but it was not so, and I 
believe the general verdict was that they were not up to the 
mark. We missed one excellent grower, Mr. Davies of 
Aynhoe, but the other well-known exhibitors in this lovely 
class were confessedly not in their usual good form. The 
blooms were, generally speaking, small and lacked sub¬ 
stance. I am writing now chiefly of exhibition Roses, but 
the same thing held good with regard to the Roses in our 
gardens. The season was a short one, and that second 
blooming which we look for in August was greatly interfered 
with by the combined hot sun and want of rain. With me 
in Kent during the first twenty-seven days of August there 
was only one passing shower, which dried up immediately, 
and the effect on Roses was very marked. Generally there 
has been no difficulty in getting good blooms of Hybrid 
Perpetuals during this month, and good Teas are to be had 
in abundance ; but neither class has bloomed satisfactorily, 
as in the earlier part of the season they have been hurried 
into flower, and have been small and thin, so that it has 
not been from first to last a thoroughly satisfactory Rose 
season, 
One effect of it has been that it has changed completely 
the position of many exhibitors. The holder of the challenge 
cup of the National Rose Society for last year was nowhere ; 
it passed into the hands of Mr. Haywood, the valued 
Treasurer of the Society. The dry hot season was too much 
for Mr. Slaughter. Mr. Whitwell was not able to exhibit at 
any of the earlier shows, and it was not until the venue was 
changed to the north that he came out in force, and I believe 
was at his best on July 25th at Newcastle. The most 
remarkable success was that achieved by the Rev. J. H. 
Pemberton of Havering-atte-Bower, assisted by his very 
enthusiastic and Rose-loving sister. His achievements I 
look upon as entitling him to be considered now our fore¬ 
most amateur. He grows about 2000 Roses—no very large 
number. He commenced on July 1st at South Kensington, 
when his Roses were not quite ready, and ended on July 
25th at Sheffield. He exhibited in the principal amateur 
classes at Bath, Crystal Palace, Salisbury, Liverpool, Dar¬ 
lington, Manchester, and Sheffield, the only small show 
that he exhibited at being Brentwood ; and yet he won nine 
first prizes, twelve seconds, and four thirds, including five 
silver cups and three silver medals, two of these not included 
in the above list being for the best Hybrid Perpetual and the 
best Tea in amateur classes at the Manchester Exhibition of 
the National Rose Society. Now, considering the length of 
time over which his exhibiting ran, the character of the 
exhibitions at which he showed, and the small (compara¬ 
tively speaking) number of Roses that he grows, this is a 
success hitherto unparalleled. Some exhibitors are success¬ 
ful in the earlier part and some in the later portion of the 
season; but he has been successful all along the line, and 
anyone who saw his Roses will bear me out in saying that 
there was no fluking in the matter. He came up to the 
north and beat the northerners on their own ground, and it 
takes good Roses to beat Mr. Whitwell and Mr. Hall. 
The dearth of new Roses has been something remarkable. 
Of those of last autumn not one has made its mark, while of 
No. 220.—VoL. IX,, Third Series, 
No. 1876—VoL. LXXI., Old Series. 
