JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 31, 1882. ] 
191 
31st 
1st 
2nd 
Tn 
Dundee Floral Fete. Three days. 
S 
3rd 
SUN 
13tii Sunday after Trinity. 
4tli 
M 
5th 
TU 
6th 
W 
Bath Floral Fete. Two days. 
THE ROSE SEASON OF 1882. 
^CCORDING to my usual custom, now that the 
Rose season (so eagerly looked forward to and 
so variously estimated as to its probable cha¬ 
racter) has come to its close—for although a 
few good blooms may be gathered during 
September, yet nothing is likely to be gained 
then as an addition to our information, or what 
can in any way alter our estimate of the season— 
I now offer a few notes of a general character on 
matters of interest to all growers of the Rose. 
With regard to the season itself, various conjectures were 
made from time to time which differed widely from one another, 
but the most general opinion with regard to it was that it 
would be a very early and a very short season ; that the unusu¬ 
ally mild winter had stimulated growth ; that buds were formed 
in March, and we were commonly told that if we altered the 
date of our Rose shows and made them about a fortnight earlier 
we should be about right. In dissenting from this I stated 
that allowance was not made for what has proved an almost 
infallible visitor, a cold wave which comes over us in May or 
June. It came this year as usual, and the coldest June that 
we have had, I believe, for some years proved how useless it is 
to conjecture on this point. Buds remained in statu quo for 
weeks, and as a consequence there were very few districts 
where Roses were so very much earlier than usual. Show after 
show was held, and at all of them one heard the statement, 
“ My Roses are not yet in flower." I have had many letters 
since they finished, in which the writers said, “ I could cut 
better now than when our show was heldFor the same reason, 
although Roses were as a general rule good, I do not think 
it can be said to have been exactly a good Rose season. The 
earlier buds were, too many of them, hard and green-eyed, 
owing to the cold weather to which I have alluded ; and then 
as the exhibition season came on a great deal of wet weather 
marred the character of the blooms, and interfered with the 
hopes of the managers, although of those which I attended 
the greater portion were held on fine days. As with our 
fruits and cereals, we have not had for some years a tho¬ 
roughly good Rose season ; in many respects this has been 
better than its predecessors, but still not what we hope yet to 
see. It was, moreover, a very long season ; trees did not all 
come into bloom together. Mr. Whitwell, who won the National 
Society's challenge trophy on July 4th, also took first prize for 
thirty-six at Newcastle on July 24th, defeating some of our 
largest nurserymen. I mention this as an example, because he 
has comparatively few trees, and because at that very time he 
said that he had fully a hundred plants that had not shown a 
flower even then. Well, this is a great matter ; we like to 
have good Roses, and we like to have them for a long time. 
A very hot season would doubtless prevent this, and therefore 
we may be contented, I think, with that through which we have 
passed. 
That this year has witnessed a still further increase in the 
popularity of the Rose cannot be questioned. I have, perhaps, 
as good opportunities of knowing this as most people. As 
Secretary of the National Rose Society I am brought into con¬ 
tact with people in all parts of the country. I see the eager¬ 
ness with which the exhibitions are looked forward to. I see 
also how at all of them there is an increase in the number of 
exhibitors. I see new Rose shows springing into existence 
like Minerva, full grown, and with an appearance of vitality 
which cannot be mistaken ; and I see, moreover, the great 
increase both in the number of growers for sale, and also in the 
quantities grown. It is no uncommon thing to go into nur¬ 
series now where a quarter and sometimes half a million of 
stocks are prepared for budding. I know of nurserymen send¬ 
ing on all sides for buds, not having sufficient of their own for 
their own use. Now all these things are evidences of popu¬ 
larity. It shows that, multiply Roses as we may, the demand 
keeps pace with the supply—indeed, the more liberal the sup¬ 
ply the greater seems to be the demand, and this not because 
of diminution of price, for in many cases, owing to the severity 
of the last two winters and the consequent losses, prices had 
to be raised. 
As usual every year reputations are lost and won, both 
amongst exhibitors and flowers. With regard to exhibitors we 
have had some remarkable examples of success. The retire¬ 
ment of Mr. .Jowitt permanently, and of Mr. R. G. N. Baker 
temporarily, gave hopes to Rose-growers which they might not 
otherwise have entertained. The possessors of such big batal- 
lions, combined with their skill and experience, made them 
such formidable exhibitors that in the large classes we natu¬ 
rally looked to see one or other of them occupying the chief 
places. It may seem invidious to single out any who have 
come forward as very successful exhibitors, but I think that 
Mr. Whitwell has proved himself a very successful grower, 
and has shown well in the large classes from only a thousand 
plants. Anyone who saw the careful manner in which his 
blooms were set up would be at once ready to acknowledge 
that he had taken a leading position as a grower and ex¬ 
hibitor. Then there was our worthy Vice-President, Mr. 
Baker of Reigate, whose modesty has kept him too much in 
the background. We who had known his flowers had always 
said that he was quite able to take a leading position if he 
would only believe it. He took heart of grace this year, and 
his success was a proof of the correctness of his friends’ judg¬ 
ment, and I foresee that we may look forward to still - greater 
triumphs. Then both Mr. Slaughter of Horsham and Mr. 
Grant of Ledbury have come forward as thoroughly good ex¬ 
hibitors, while amongst Tea Roses Mr. Davies of Aynhoe has 
shown what can be done by an amateur in this lovely class. 
Amongst the smaller exhibitors the most remarkable success 
has been achieved by Mr. G. Mount of Canterbury in a series 
of triumphs, which I look upon, considering the number of his 
trees, as unparalleled ; but of this I hope to write more at some 
future time. Nor must I forget my worthy Co-Secretary Mr. 
Mawley, who has again from his small villa garden done 
wonders ; while he has set an example to exhibitors by the 
No. 114,—YOL. Y., THIRD Series. 
No. 1770 .—Yol. LXY1I1., Old Series. 
