November 2, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
397 
them to become almost inseparably connected, for on that occasion the 
guests were said to have consumed about 10,000 oysters, while the tables 
had been most tastefully decorated by the ladies of the district with no 
fewer than 4000 Roses, As the President of the National Rose Society, 
the Dean of Rochester, remarked in the course of a most entertaining 
after-luncheon speech, “ He supposed there never was an occasion in 
which there was such a combination of things pleasant to the eye and 
good for food as there was that day—a combination of Roses and oysters.” 
He said, “ Well might the early Britons turn their backs on their acorns 
and flock to Colchester. Well might the judicious Roman bring his 
camp and plant it by the side of the Colne. Well might the Saxon, 
the Dane, and the Norman come and settle down at Colchester. Kings 
and great generals had fought battles for Colchester. 
“‘Why, then, the world’s mine oyster, 
Which I with sword will open. ’ 
“ Well, too, might those great ecclesiastics, the Abbot of St. John’s and 
the Prior of St. Botolph, alleviate their days of abstinence as they 
alleviated them that day.” 
I only arrived at eleven o’clock in the morning, and the feast was 
fixed for two o’clock in the afternoon, but I determined to make the 
best use of the three hours at my disposal, for I thought I could not 
well come to Colchester without giving myself the treat of visiting the 
nurseries of the two Cants. As these are both about a mile from the 
station, and more than two miles apart by road, and also about two 
miles distant from the Corn Exchange, I had little time to spare for 
either nursery. However, I did manage to see and learn something, 
and had the still greater pleasure of a chat about Roses with 
representatives of each firm. 
The plants I saw, both dwarfs and standards, notwithstanding the 
dry summer, had made excellent growth ; but it was piteous to behold 
the gaps in the rows of the latter, so many stocks having been killed 
during the trying winter of 1892-1893, owing to the frost setting in so 
early in the season, and the dry spring which followed. There were no 
flowers to be seen, as every bloom worth looking at had been cut off and 
carried away hours before to decorate the Corn Exchange. But there 
were the plants by thousands with splendidly ripened shoots looking as 
if ready for removal to their new homes at a moment’s notice. 
I was always under the impression that all the soil round Colchester 
was of a heavy retentive nature, but much that I saw in these nurseries 
was a comparatively light loam with a certain amount of sandstone grit 
in it. It is in such soils that fibrous roots are encouraged, and I was 
told that the plants become more quickly established in these quarters 
than where the soil is heavier. I happened recently to find this out in 
my own garden at Berkhamsted, where the soil is composed of yellow 
clay and flints, and where Rose plants take a long time to get hold of 
the ground, but when once established make great growth. Last autumn 
I had occasion to move about a hundred dwarf H.P.’s, and thought I 
would try the plan of using when replanting them some gritty soil— 
turfy edgings cut from the roadsides—to place about their roots. This 
plan has answered so well that the plants in question have already in 
less than a twelvemonth become as strong as I could wish to see them. 
When amateurs receive plants which have not extra strong shoots from 
the nurseries, they are, I find, invariably disappointed. This is, however, 
a great mistake, for it is the plants of moderate growth, 1 do not mean 
“ starvelings,” which have well ripened shoots and fibrous roots, like those 
I saw the other day at Colchester, which will become established most 
readily, and therefore thrive best in their gardens the following 
season. On receipt of such plants do not expose their roots to 
the drying action of the atmosphere a moment longer than is 
absolutely necessary. This is an oft-repeated injunction, but how 
seldom in practice is it followed ! Place some light fibrous soil, if 
obtainable, above and below their roots, and plant firmly. By using 
such soil as I have recommended they may be put in the ground 
satisfactorily, even when the rest of the bed is too wet for the operation. 
Afterwards secure the shoots to a firm stake, so that they may not be 
shaken by high winds. How often do I hear Rose nurserymen blamed for 
sending out bad plants when after all the fault rests entirely with the 
bad planting of the purchaser. 
Another thing I learnt at Colchester was that the demand for what 
the N.R.S. catalogue calls “ garden Roses” is on the increase. The 
individual flowers may not be so perfect as those of the exhibition 
varieties, but their colours are often most enchanting, and many of them 
are extremely free-flowering. I asked why standards were always in 
such request for suburban and other small gardens when dwarf plants 
were so much cheaper and more lasting? I was told that the owners of 
these gardens invariably replied that when they had a few standard 
Rose trees there was something to look at when they come into flower,-but 
as to the dwarfs they become hidden away among other plants in the 
summer, and so were never seen. These suburban and other gardeners 
should learn once for all that the queen of flowers will brook no rival, 
and that, therefore, it becomes imperative to provide a special bed 
however small for these bush Roses. Both nurseries are situated on 
rising ground, and this accounts for their comparative freedom from 
spring frosts. Coming from a colder and harsher climate I was 
particularly struck with the even blankless rows of dwarf Teas the result 
of last year’s budding. There were two Teas, however, which I noticed 
had suffered considerably at all events on the standards, and these were 
Perle des Jardins and that charming sport from it Sunset, the latter 
a most delightful variety, as I well know under glass. 
I had not time to see the Roses in pots at Mr. Benjamin Cant’s nursery, 
but I did manage to glance through the new Rose house at Braiswick. 
I can only say that better plants I have never seen. No wonder 
Mr. Frank Cant was able to set up such charming boxes of cut blooms 
at the Drill Hall, Westminster, last spring. I noticed that on these 
occasions the visitors, more especially the ladies, invariably deserted 
the beautiful Orchids and other exhibits in order to crowd round these 
Rose boxes. After all there is no flower like the Rose. I do hope 
Dr. Wallace, the champion of the Lily, whose acquaintance I had the 
pleasure of making at Colchester, will not notice this last hackneyed 
remark of mine. Should he happen to do so, perhaps he will be good 
enough to understand that I only meant that there was no other 
flower precisely similar to the Rose. The two most vivid impressions 
left on my mind by my hasty scramble over the Colchester hills were 
the fine pot Roses at Braiswick and a quarter of grand standard Teas at 
the nursery of that veteran Rose grower Mr. Benjamin Cant. The 
Colchester people are justly proud of their oysters, but after all the 
real “ natives ” of the district are to my mind the Roses. Nowhere else, 
considering how limited is the area covered by the three leading 
Colchester nurseries (for that of Messrs. Prior & 8ons, which I should 
much like also to have visited, must of course be included) are Roses so 
largely grown. The only wonder is that there are not more amateur 
exhibitors in this fertile district. I only know of one (Mr. 0. G. Orpen 
of West Bergholt), who from his small garden shows Tea Roses so 
brilliantly as to excite the envy and jealousy of all competing against 
him, including the writer of this somewhat rambling contribution.— 
E. M. 
VEGETABLE CULTURE IN ADVERSE SEASONS. 
{Conelvded from page 263.') 
Celery. 
This vegetable must not be neglected when in the seed bed by 
allowing the soil to become too dry, or the plants will late in the 
season have hollow stalks, or seed prematurely. Sow the seeds in 
shallow boxes, with decayed manure placed upon the drainage. Raise 
the seedlings without bottom heat if possible, and when the plants have 
produced a second rough leaf, prick them in good soil in boxes or frames 
with drainage similar to that provided for the seed boxes. Never allow the 
plants to flag, but grow them steadily without undue forcing. Have the 
trenches ready long before the plants are to occupy them. Previously 
to planting in their permanent quarters another transplanting must 
take place. Select a position with a hard bottom, put manure in first, 
then 3 inches of rich soil, make it firm and plant therein. They will 
remove from this position to the trenches with good balls of soil adher¬ 
ing to the roots and the growth will not be checked. 
Trenches in the ordinary sense I do not believe in, for such often 
means starvation to the plants during the remainder of the season. 
How can the plants be expected to flourish when all the best soil is 
taken out, and they are put into the cold subsoil ? The trenches ought 
not to be more than 6 or 9 inches deep, and if the soil be not of a good 
general depth I prefer to plant on the surface. Some decayed manure 
should be dug into the trench and well mixed with the ground, a little 
loose soil afterwards placed over it. When it is dry tread all down 
firmly. The trenches may be made wide enough to hold two rows of 
plants if so needed, but one row is preferable. Attention to watering is 
necessary, and a light mulching may be given them. Those who have 
not yet tried the plan of growing Celery on the level ground would do 
well to test it. I have done so for several seasons, and always in the 
same place. The ground was made very firm, then planted, and the 
plants watered regularly, liquid manure being applied every week, and 
a mulching of manure placed on early in the season, the plants 
soon required staking, but the growth was solid. For exhibition pur¬ 
poses a few plants treated in this way will give pleasure to the 
cultivator. 
Earthing up is often begun when the plants are 9 inches or 1 foot 
high, and from that time they suffer through want of water, because it 
cannot get at the roots. Earthing does not make the plants grow. It is 
done to blanch the stalks, and from six to eight weeks before they are 
required for use is soon enough for the first earthing to be done, 
previously giving a copious supply of water. Some growers use paper, 
but slugs get under this and eat the stems, making them unsightly. A 
few ashes and sand mixed placed next to the plants, following with the 
ordinary soil, is all that is required. All suckers and split leaves must 
be taken off. Sutton’s White Gem and Sandringham White for early 
use, with Sulham Prize Pink, Major Clarke’s Red, and Standard Bearer 
for late use, are the best varieties in my opinion, and I can strongly 
recommend them. 
Dwarf and Runner Beans. 
Runner Beans require much the same treatment as do Peas, but 
avoid sowing too soon. The seeds should be sown in an irregular line in 
the drill quite 9 inches asunder. This is not too far apart, as the plants 
fill out very quickly when well grown. Dwarf varieties ought to have 
the same space allowed them, crowding of the plants being not conducive 
to a full crop. An amateur once saw some I had planted after the 
manner described, and wondered at the waste of ground, but when he 
afterwards saw the crop he was more surprised, and said he should not 
in future sow' so thickly as he had done. If the ground is rich, and the 
plants grow freely, it is advisable to place a few short branching sticks 
to Dwarf Bean plants, as by so doing straight even pods are produced, 
which could not be if the plants were lying on the ground. No doubt 
some of the newer varieties of Runner Beans are acquisitions, and 
