JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 24, 1883. ] 
pans,” and of water applied in limited quantities, yet sufficient; 
and, what is quite as important, preventing manure being 
washed into the drains.—J oseph Witherspoon, Red Rose 
Vineries, Chester -le- Street. 
[The leaf is very tine, and quite large enough, 13 by 13 
inches, its merits consisting in its stout leathery texture and 
rich dark green colour. We are obliged by this timely com¬ 
munication relative to the Duke. If Mr. Thomson did not 
have the wood of his Vines matured he would not obtain such 
wonderful crops.] 
STRIKING ROSE CUTTINGS. 
In giving my experience on propagating Roses and growing the 
plants afterwards I will endeavour to make the process as plain as 
possible, though it must not be supposed that good Roses can be 
grown without good attention any more than any other plants can ; 
and, in my opinion, one well-grown plant, no matter what it may he, 
is better and gives more pleasure than miserable-looking objects 
that remind one of starvation. 
In the first place I have sufficient labels ready and painted, 
and my knife whetted to a keen edge ; then I make a solid bottom 
of coal ashes on the north side of a wall on which to place the 
soil. This consists of two parts loam to one of leaf soil, with a 
good sprinkling of sharp river or silver sand sufficient to make it 
porous, or where good loam is scarce the soil from old spent Cucum¬ 
ber or Melon frames will answer the purpose, with the addition of 
sands. The soil, neither too wet or too dry, is placed about 6 inches 
thick on the prepared site and made somewhat firm, and on this I 
stand as many bottoms of handlights as are required, or boxes with¬ 
out any bottoms, not less than 9 inches or 1 foot in height. These 
may be any length or width provided glass is available of the right 
size to cover them. I next spread 2 or 3 inches more soil inside the 
handlights or boxes, make it firm, surface with half an inch of sand, 
damp it through the rose of a water pot, and all is ready for the 
insertion of the cuttings. 
From the middle of September to the end of October i3 suitable 
for inserting Rose cuttings provided the wood i 3 firm. Moderately 
strong short-jointed shoots are selected, and each variety secured 
with a label in a bundle, not taking too many at one time, as it is 
important that this be quite fresh and placed in the soil as soon as 
possible. I cut them just below a bud and pick out the two bottom 
buds, leaving three or four on each cutting, two of which should 
be above the surface when the cuttings are inserted. Where a 
scarcity of cuttings exists shorter portions maybe used. It used to be 
considered necessary that each cutting should be taken with a heel, but 
practice has taught that they strike just as well without. I have some¬ 
times, when the foliage is very large, taken oft' the top portion the same 
as is done in budding ; this allows the cuttings to be inserted more 
closely, but 3 inches apart each way is not too much if space can 
be spared. They are dibbled in and the soil is made firm around 
them. As soon as one handlight is finished dry sand is freely 
sprinkled among the cuttings, sufficient water given to settle the 
sand and soil, and the top of the handlight placed on. This should 
fit close and w r ell, or if boxes are used place the glass on, on a bed 
of putty, and paste strips of paper over the joints if the glass is not 
cut quite true. I have found the less air they have the better they 
strike. I ought to say I learnt a valuable lesson from the pen of 
Mr. Wm. Taylor on this point. When all is finished they may be 
left to take care of themselves till growth has commenced, vdien 
most of the old foliage will turn yellow and fall off. This should be 
removed, the soil pointed up, then admit a little air by degrees till 
growth is sufficiently advanced to allow of full exposure on fine 
days. 
I like to have the plants well rooted before lifting, otherwise 
when they are potted a weak growth is made and several go off. 
Were I growing a large quantity and could spare the frame I would 
make up a gentle hotbed, and plunge pots of cuttings when the heat 
had subsided to 65° or 70°. Few, indeed, would then fail to emit 
roots, after which more air would be given, and the pots finally 
removed to a cooler structure. 
In my present position they are placed in small 60-size pots and 
stood in Potato pits or where room can be spared till established, then 
shifted into 48’s, gradually hardened off, and potted again when 
necessary. The end of February or beginning of March is a good 
time to pot them, or when space can be spared for them, and they 
are sufficiently rooted. There should be no check from the time the 
cuttings are lifted till the first s ason’s growth is completed. In 
this lies the secret of success. I have now some plants of Safrano 
from cuttings last September with plump flower buds ; these I shall 
remove. I do not like inserting the cuttings too early, so as to start 
into g.owth at once, but am quite content for them to remain fresh 
421 
and plump up their buds ; they then start strongly and go on without 
a check. 
Those plants intended for pot culture I keep in pots, those for 
planting are thoroughly hardened off before being planted out. The 
end of May is soon enough for this, and I like to plant them out of 
48-size pots. The young growths should bo secured to sticks to 
prevent their being broken by the wind, and water must be given 
as necessary in dry weather. Subjoined is a list of those sorts I 
have tried and found to do well from cuttings:—Capitaine Christy, 
Docteur Andry, General Jacqueminot, John Hopper, 1 a France, 
Mademoiselle Annie Wood, Royal Standard, Senateur Yaisse, 
Thomas Mills, Duke of Edinburgh, Paul Neyron, Triomphe de 
Rennes, Bouquet d’Or, Celine Forestier, Devoniensis, Gloire de Dijon, 
Marbchal Niel, and Safrano. Some other varieties I have on trial 
this year. 
When garden boy I recollect the gardener inserted a quantity of 
Rose cuttings in an open border, and to assist them to root split 
each cutting and placed an oat corn in the slit at the base of the 
cutting. Well do I remember it was said, wdien the oat grows the 
cutting would do likewise, but it was a failure. I took my first lesson 
on striking them in handlights from seeing it carried out success¬ 
fully in the Sion Nursery near Croydon. Very short cuttings were 
used, and the tops of handlights only. When I became head 
gardener 1 carried out the practice, and if others profit from my 
experience I am content. 
I think it a great boon for gardeners to raise some Roses from 
cuttings annually, for it is not all employers who will purchase a few 
though they like to see them. If we raise a number we can remove 
the old when they become unsightly and plant young, and so 
maintain a vigorous stock.—A. J. Sanders, Ruokham Lodge, 
Cuhham. 
READING SHOW. 
May 17th. 
The first Show of the present year held by the above Society 
proved far more fortunate than the last in the preceding year, and 
the remarkably beautiful weather which prevailed on Thursday last 
tempted so many visitors to attend the Show, that doubtless the 
receipts would assist materially in restoring the Society to its usual 
prosperous condition. In extent the Show has been excelled by 
several in other years, but the general good quality amply com¬ 
pensated for the little deficiency in point of numbers. The arrange¬ 
ment, too, was so well conducted that, viewed generally, there was 
no appearance of thinness, and it is a matter of opinion if a show 
tent is not more pleasing moderately well filled, so that all the 
exhibits are seen to the best advantage, than when it is crowded so 
densely that the individual beauty of many fine plants is lost. The 
bank at the end of the marquee, where the large Fuchsias are usually 
staged, was this time occupied with groups of plants which, containing 
abundance of bright colours agreeably softened with graceful Palms 
and Ferns, formed a most satisfactory background. 
The Exhibition was held in the Abbey Ruins ; and the adjoining 
Forbury Garden, which is again under the charge of Mr. Phippen, was 
in its most attractive guise, spring flowers constituting an additional 
charm, the beds of Myosotis edged with double Daisies being especi¬ 
ally pleasing. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants.— The principal class for these 
was for nine specimens, and in that three good collections were 
entered. The premier position was assigned to Mr. Tudgey, Waltham 
Cross, who thus commenced to retrieve the honour he lost at Bath 
and Regent’s Park. His plants included good examples of Cleroden- 
dron Baifourianum, Hedaroma tulipera, An thulium Schertzerianum, 
Erica ventricosa coccinea minor, and Aplielexis macrantha purpurea. 
Mr. Bennett, gardener to M. Lonergan," Esq., Cressingham, obtained 
the second position with very fresh, healthy, well-grown plants, 
comprising a most creditable example of the beautiful Acrophyllum 
venosum 4 feet in diameter, Aphelexis macrantha atropurpurea, 
Azalea Stella, 8 feet high, well flowered, Erica Cavendishiana, and 
E. Paxtonii, also good. Mr. Mould, Pewsey, followed with smaller 
plants, the most notable being Pimelea Niepperiana, profusely 
flowered. For six specimens, Mr. Mortimer, gardener to Major 
Storer, Purley Park, gained the chief prize with neat samples of 
Plumbago capensis, Rhynchospermum, Bougainvillea glabra, Clero- 
dendron Baifourianum, and Medinilla magnifica._ Mr. Tudgey had 
the best single specimen, an Anthurium Schertzerianum majus, with 
twenty-four large richly coloured spathes. Messrs. Tudgey and 
Mould were the prizetakers with six Ericas, both staging well-grown 
plants. 
Azaleas were not very numerous, but Mr. Bennett’s premier collec¬ 
tion of six included some admirable specimens—Charmer, 8 feet high 
and 5 feet in diameter, being profusely flowered; Flag of Truce, 
Etoile de Gand, and Stella were also notable. Mr. Tudgey followed, 
but several of his plants were decidedly weak. 
Pelargoniums were fairly represented, most of the leading collec¬ 
tions containing very satisfactory plants. The Show varieties were 
in two classes—for nine, in which Messrs. Ashby, gardener to W. 
Fanning, Esq.; Burgess, gardener to Colonel Clayton, Maidenhead; 
