November so.isss.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 495 
pruning hard back is now recognised we need not trouble about 
those parts which will be eventually cut away. 
“ D., Deal," seems to anticipate a change in the time of plant¬ 
ing Roses somewhat as great as what has taken place within the 
last few years in the manner of pruning ; but we must bear in 
mind, although success has this past season attended Mr. Prince’s 
spring planting of Teas, the spring and summer throughout have 
been most favourable for such. Had there been a dry parching 
March and April such as we experienced two years ago the result 
might have been far different.—J. R., Wooclhatch Lodge, ltd gate. 
Speaking generally, autumn-planted Hybrid Perpetual Roses 
must succeed best. They will have made some roots, and will be in 
a better position to resist the varied and trying alternations of spring 
temperature. I plant always as early as the nurserymen advise 
the removal of Rose trees, and for the last two seasons dwarfs only, 
and I never lose a plant. Teas also do well planted at the same 
time ; but earlier and finer blooms can no doubt be obtained by 
turning out Tea Roses from pots when all danger of spring frosts 
is past, and this plan I mean to adopt next season, when I shall 
have occasion to plant out some climbing Roses. I have seen it 
tried in the south very successfully. 
My experience is in favour of hard pruning outstanding Teas 
instead of simply shortening their shoots. Thus treated their 
growth is more vigorous and satisfactory.—A. M. B. 
With regard to the question raised by your worthy correspon¬ 
dent “ D., Deal," of the advisability of planting Roses in February 
in preference of November, I for one fail to see the advantage of 
this change. I have procured Roses from the nursery in autumn, 
and from unavoidable circumstances have not been able to per¬ 
manently plant them at the time we received them, but should 
have them planted the first opportunity in February. What do 
our nurserymen say about this change ? For the past ten years 
I have been more or less engaged in planting, and I find we have 
had fewer losses in planting in autumn than we have in the 
spring-planted trees. Certainly this has been the most sunless 
wet season we had here for nine or ten years ; in fact, I think 
“D., Deal," knows some of the disadvantages we have to contend 
with in growing Roses in this wet and cold locality. With the 
exception of last February, I fear I should have to count back a 
number of years before I could point a February which was avail¬ 
able for planting Roses in this locality. Would not this spring 
planting retard their blossoming and make them flower later in 
the summer than those planted in November ? For the first season 
after planting I have found this the case here ; but wet as this 
autumn has been, we are now busy engaged planting, and if 
others will do as we are I feel sure they will not regret taking the 
advantage of early planting. Deeply fork or dig over the ground 
on dry days. This is of the utmost importance to the roots of 
Roses or trees of any description. One error I fear many of our 
Rose-growers commit is incorporating a quantity of manure with 
the soil they plant their Roses in. This manure has a tendency 
to hold the wetland decay the roots of newly planted trees before 
they start into growth, and the consequence is a weakly growth 
in spring. My advice is to plant the Roses in the soil pure and 
simple, and give a good coating of littery stable manure round 
the collar of each plant, and I think there will be but few losses. 
The majority of Rose-growers in this locality plant in November, 
stake the plants, and draw the shoots round the stake with 
matting, and protect the plants with bracken.—C. Roberts, High- 
field Hall, near Leek. 
CULTURE OF GARDENIAS. 
On page 446 “W. L. H.,” writing on this subject, recommends 
potting to be done after flowering in June. I readily admit these 
plants can be potted any time during the season while their roots 
are active. It is, however, a question, when established plants 
require larger pots, whether it is not wise to carry out the operation 
much earlier. While their buds are swelling rapidly small growths 
are generally produced and the roots are active. If transferred 
into larger pots when in this stage quantities of roots will have 
reached the sides of the pots before the time recommended for 
potting by “ W. L. H.” Under these conditions the plants will 
be ready for starting luxuriantly into growth after they have 
flowered. The advantages of much earlier potting than recom¬ 
mended is very marked where the pruning-back system is practised 
after flowering, as is the case in many gardens. 
I had begun to think the pointed stick, as recommended by 
“ W. L. H.” for liberating the roots when carrying out the opera¬ 
tion of potting, was a thing of the past. It is an unnecessary 
practice, and destroys, however carefully performed, numbers of 
roots which must be growing rapidly if potting is left until the 
month of June. This system does not facilitate the plants taking 
to the new soil readier or earlier, but cannot fail to check the 
plants to a greater or less extent, and thus retard their develop¬ 
ment.— A Cultivator. 
THE BEST PEACH-WALL PROTECTOR. 
Not one word need be written in praise of glass wall protectors 
for Peach trees. Their value and importance has long been an esta¬ 
blished fact, and in all gardens where a regular supply of fruit must 
he had they are undoubtedly an indispensable necessity, for trees left 
exposed on open walls are so much the sport of weather as to render 
a crop of fruit always a matter of uncertainty. It goes without 
saying, therefore, that protectors must he had, and it also follows 
that the cheapest and best form should be chosen for so general a 
want. Perhaps I ought to say the best form as cheap as possible, 
because a simple lean-to of a given angle must always prove cheapest; 
hut it is not the best when the angle is more acute than 45°, because 
the upper branches of the trees are then liable to he too near the 
Fig. 83. 
glass. It was this reason which probably led to the introduction 
of he lean-to which we figure; but it possesses another and more 
important property, to which I wish to call attention. 
Figure 83 represents a transverse section of a lean-to, built five 
years ago for the protection of Peach trees trained to the wall, and 
covering every part of it before the house was built. The lower 
slope from a to n is at an angle of 60°, and the upper slope from 
b to c is at angle of 37°. In early spring the sun’s altitude is in¬ 
sufficient for its rays to fall upon any portion of the trees through 
the obtuse upper slope, but they do so readily enough through the 
lower acute angle, with the curious result of the lower branches not 
only being in blossom, but also making growth freely fur a consider¬ 
able time before there is much sign of animation in the upper ones. 
All the sorts of Peaches are affected alike, so that the trees have for 
a time the appearance of a line having been drawn along them at 
about 42 inches from the top, which has checked the upward flow 
of sap. 
The effect of this early start upon the lower branches is always 
visible. It renders them singularly robust, and there is an equal 
distribution of vigour throughout each tree and a freedom from the 
common fault of a vigorous growth in the upper branches at the 
expense of the lower.— Edwaud Luckhurst. 
Protecting the Blossoms of Fruit Trees. —A few remarks 
may be applicable here on covering Peach trees. Some people cover 
the trees whilst in bloom day and night, which is a very bad practice. 
On warm days there are generally plenty of bees about whilst the 
trees are in bloom, and if the trees are covered in th ■ daytime very 
few bees (if any) will be found under the canvas. The way I used 
to manage if the day was bright, which is generally a forerunner of a 
