540 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 14, 1893. 
to name, it may be well to draw attention to a few of the most persistent 
pests the Rose is subject to. The whole secret of keeping Roses healthy 
and clean is to commence operations early, and I am quite certain that 
precautionary measures are invaluable. “I must fumigate soon, I see 
there are a few flies about,'’ is a remark a friend of mine made use of 
while I was looking through his conservatory a few days ago. This will 
not do. Instead of “ soon ” it should have been at once. Why wait 
until the enemies have increased before commencing the fight ? And 
yet this is the plain truth about delay. Not only is it easier to kill a 
few, but we avoid the injury they and their posterity would commit. 
There are far too many enemies, and also too many remedies in the 
way of insecticides for me to name them all, so I propose to confine 
myself to a few general hints. The two most important of these are 
immediate operations as soon as the pests are discovered, and the freer 
use of insecticides of a weaker nature than usual. A very little should 
be contained in all the water the plants are syringed with, and this will 
be found a grand check to insect life. A free use of the syringe prevents 
any dust or other impurities from settling upon the foliage, and encou¬ 
rages growth. Green fly, thrips, red spider, scale, and other insects may 
be killed easily while in a young state, but when they are allowed to 
increase it is difficult to dislodge them. The older insects are also able 
to stand against stronger measures than would be safe to use upon the 
tender young growths which they affect with such disastrous results. 
Among diseases under glass we must name mildew as the worst, but 
this can be cured if taken in hand at once. The first point is to decide 
upon the cause, and alter that ; when this is done give a free syringing 
with a reliable insecticide to which has been added a little flowers of 
sulphur. Do not be persuaded into dusting over the foliage with sulphur. 
This has an unsightly appearance, is far less effectual, and wastes a 
great deal of sulphur. Mis the sulphur in the form of paste previous to 
putting it in the solution. It will then be easy to apply if the whole be 
kept on the move while using. In dusting the foliage it is impossible to 
do it uniformly, or to get the sulphur to adhere to the lower part 
of the leaves. This difficulty is surmounted when applied as I have 
directed above ; when the foliage dries there will be a very slight dusting 
of sulphur left wherever the solution touched, and the unsightly appear¬ 
ance of dusting is avoided.— Practice. 
Messrs. Harkness & Sons’ Roses. 
We notice Messrs. Cocker & Sons (page 509) take exception to 
“D., remarks (page 494) re classes'.of seventy-two Roses, and wish 
to point out that the only exhibitions where during the season of 1893 
prizes were offered for seventy-two Roses distinct were Crystal Palace, 
Gloucester, Hereford, Bath, Manchester, Wolverhampton, and Worksop, 
the first in each case being awarded to us. The class referred to by 
Messrs. Cocker at Tibshelf is for fifty varieties, whilst that at Elland is 
for twenty-four varieties, so neither are ever referred to in connection 
with the great classes of seventy-two distinct. 
With regard to the number of times Messrs. Cocker claim to have 
met us, there must be some mistake. We only competed against them 
at seven shows, four of which were in August, with the result that 
sixteen first and one equal first were awarded to Messrs. Cocker, and 
seven firsts, and one equal first were awarded to us, including the lead¬ 
ing prizes at Newcastle and Trentham. At Tibshelf it may be interest¬ 
ing to state that we were beaten in the largest class by one point only, 
the total number of points being 109 as against 108. We were second 
for forty-eight distinct, equal first for thirty-six with Messrs. Cocker ; 
we were also first for twenty-four blooms. We considered our Roses 
quite over by the last week in July, and only attended several of the 
August shows in response and repeated invitations from the secretaries. 
We feel we owe you an apology for occupying your valuable space for 
so trivial a matter.— Harkness & Sons. 
Manuring and Transplanting Roses. 
I HAVE read with interest the letter under this heading from “A 
Lover of Roses” (page 510), and should think a great deal of his advice 
is good and sound. But there are one or two points to which I should take 
exception. I think it is a mistake (though not an unusual one) to try 
to make a top-dressing of manure in the winter act both as food and 
protection—as a manure and as a mulch. If meant for a mulch, then 
long strawy manure would be better, and dead leaves the best protection 
from the frost. And surely the plants themselves require covering 
from frost even than more the roots ; and this may be done in a far 
cleaner and more sightly manner, and also more readily, with leaves 
than with either long or short manure. If meant for food, some good 
will be done by the rain permeating the manure, but not much ; you 
cannot expect much good from liquid manure in the winter, unless it be 
plentiful or very strong. 
But it is the “ forking ” in of the manure in spring, after (as “ A 
Lover of Roses ” admits) the rain has washed the nutriment out, that 
seems to me a great and common mistake. It is a very usual piece of 
advice : “ After planting, mulch the surface with manure for protection 
against frost ” (some say “ long manure,” which would be the best 
protection, but would add to the after uselessness and hopeless struggles 
with the fork), “ and ‘ fork it,’ ‘ prick it,’ ” (I have seen “ hoe it ”) “ into 
the ground in the spring. Now, it is not only that the manure, being 
thoroughly washed and bleached by the rain and snows of winter, can 
be of very little service in the ground—but what I want to know is, 
how I am to “ fork,” “ prick,” or “ hoe ” in 3 inches of manure, whether 
long or short, so as to cover it, and yet not disturb the roots, which are 
to be close to the surface, or put the manure in actual contact with 
them, which is well known to be prejudicial ? 
The roots of my Roses are horizontal and close to the surface, and I 
not only should not attempt such a job, but believe it to be of as little 
use as another one for which “ A Lover of Roses ” neglects precious 
planting time ; and that is, gathering leaves as they fall. I know of no 
picture that shows a more striking object-lesson of waste of time than 
one I have often seen : a man sweeping leaves on a path or lawn, while 
they are in the very act of falling behind him as fast as he gathers 
them up. The great bulk of the leaves fall in ten days or a fortnight ; 
an army could not keep the place clean during that time ; and in many 
places a good sweeping wind, instead of adding to, saves labour eventu¬ 
ally when the time comes for gathering them up.—W. R. Raillbm. 
NATIONAL ROSE SOCIETY.—ANNUAL MEETING. 
The annual general meeting of the members of the National Rose 
Society was held at the Horticultural Club Room, Hotel Windsor, 
Victoria Street, S.W., on Thursday 7th instant. The Rev. W. Wilks 
occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance. Amongst others 
present were Sir Alexander Arbuthnot, Dr. H. Shackleton, Revs. 
F. R. Burnside, Page-Roberts, Foster-Melliar, F. H. Gall, H. A. 
Berners, Captain Christy, Messrs. C. J. Grahame, R. Bloxam, C. E. 
Shea, Colin Romaine, Cecil Cant, W. J. Jefferies, J. Bateman, F. Cant, 
G. Bunyard, G. Paul, E. B. Lindsell, G. Prince, J. Cranston, H. Merry- 
weather, J. D. Pawle, H. P. Landon, R. E. West, H. Appleby, W. Boyes, 
J. Burrell, W. F. Cooling, R. L. Knight, G. Mount, A. Piper, A. Prince, 
A. Slaughter, R. H. Langton, G. Moules, W. H. Williams, J. T. Strange, 
A. W. Paul, with Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain and Mr, E. Mawley, the Hon, Se¬ 
cretaries, and Mr. T. B. Haywood, Hon. Treasurer, Messrs. Colin Romaine 
and Cecil Cant were appointed scrutineers of the ballot. Following this 
the report of the Committee for 1893 and the financial statement were read. 
Much discussion followed regarding the date of the provincial Show at 
Halifax, and many members expressed their opinions on the subject, Mr. 
Lindsell said he had consulted some northern growers, including H. V. 
Machin, Esq., of Worksop, and Messrs. Harkness &Sons, Bedale, and they 
were in favour of July 12th, being anxious to meet the great southern 
rosarians. Mr. F. Cant said that if held on the 19th of July all southern 
growers would be excluded. Sir Alexander Arbuthnot, Messrs. 
G. Paul, W. J. Jefferies, E. Mawley, and the Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain 
were in favour of the latter date, and it was eventually decided, by a 
large majority, that the Northern Show of the Society be held at 
Halifax on July 19th. The report and financial statement, which 
are published below, were adopted. 
Report of the Committee for the Year 1893. 
The past season, owing to the continued drought and heat, proved 
one of the moat disastrous for Roses and Rose shows that has been 
experienced for many years, so that notwithstanding the loyal support 
of the exhibiting members at the three exhibitions held by the Society, 
the blooms staged were, as a rule, much below the average in number, 
size, and quality. The competition at the Show of Tea Roses held at 
the Drill Hall, Westminster, was good, also in several of the leading 
classes at Worksop, but at the Crystal Palace there were fewer Roses 
than at any similar exhibition for nine years. In connection with the 
Worksop Show, some of the stands exhibited at which were exception¬ 
ally fine, it should be stated that the success of the Exhibition was 
greatly due to the admirable manner in which all the arrangements con¬ 
nected with it were carried out by the Committee of the Worksop Rose 
and Horticultural Society, especial credit being due to Mr. H. V, Machin, 
Vice-President, Mr. J. S. Whall, Hon. Treasurer, and Mr. G. Baxter, 
Hon. Secretary. 
The new catalogue of exhibition and garden Roses was issued to 
members early in May last, and appears to have been much appreciated. 
Several foreign trade growers have already followed the Society’s lead 
in introducing into their own catalogues a separate section for Hybrid 
Teas upon similar lines to that adopted in the Society’s catalogue. 
It is with much regret the Committee announce the loss the Society 
has sustained during the year through the death of one of its Vice- 
Presidents—the Rev. J. M. Fuller—whose valuable services as Chairman 
at their meetings will be greatly missed. They have also to deplore the 
death of Monsieur J. B. Guillot, a recently elected honorary member, 
and so well known to rosarians generally as the raiser of many of the 
choicest Tea and other Roses in cultivation. 
Notwithstanding the great depression in trade which has prevailed 
throughout the country during the past year, the number of members 
as well as the number of affiliated societies has been well maintained ; 
in fact, in no previous year, with the exception of 1892, have the present 
numbers been exceeded. 
Financial Statement. 
The Committee congratulate the members upon the present satis¬ 
factory financial position of the Society. The amount in hand at the 
beginning of the year was £31 IGs, 7d., and now at its close there 
remains £81 19s. 3i. to carry forward to the next account, the total 
expenditure having been £699 Ss. 3d., while the aggregate receipts, 
including last year’s balance, were £781 23. 6d. It should here be 
stated that a special fund was raised early in the year among the 
exhibitors to defray the cost of printing and binding the new catalogue, 
so that no part of the cost of its publication has fallen on the ordinary 
funds of the Society. Although more than the usual number of changes 
