280 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 6, 1892. 
banka of a stream, but too far above the water to be benefited much by 
it. It was under Willows, which to some extent protected the foliage 
from the frosts of several degrees experienced at Grahamstown. Mr. 
Tidmarsh added that he had no inside plants of this last species with 
the narrow-leafed foliage. He remarks, “We can propagate from 
cuttings of the narrow-leaved form, but fail to do so with the large- 
leaved form. This plant behaves in a similar manner to Araucaria 
excelsa ; the young growth of which, while still possessing the narrow 
Juniper-like leaf, will strike from cuttings, but we cannot succeed 
with small side-shoots from an old trunk, these latter shoots being 
furnished with a thick bark and stout foliage of the mature tree.” 
Mr. Tidmarsh raises the question whether the larger leaves of these 
Aralias may not be the naturally mature form, and the smaller foliage 
characteristic of the young stage, as with the Eucalyptus. An examina¬ 
tion of the epidermides of the leaves sent shows that the number of 
cells in the same area of the broad-leaved form is to that of the narrow 
leaved as fifty-five to thirty-eight (upper), and as forty-four to thirty- 
six (lower), so that this element does not support Mr. Tidmarsh’s view, 
inasmuch as the cells, being smaller on the larger leaf, would per so 
suggest its being the younger. 
PANSIES AND VIOLAS UNDER GLASS. 
I HAVE seen during the early part of March in some gardens Pansies 
and Violas being almost ruined by being kept shut up too closely in 
frames, the plants drawn and weakly-looking, and too tender for planting 
out and encountering cold winds and spiing frosts. I therefore warn 
readers against this practice. It is a mistake to treat Pansies and Violas 
so tenderly, and leads to disappointments. Here in Birmingham, which 
does not enjoy the best of atmospheres, I could show robust and healthy 
plants of both grown in frames in my town garden, and they have no 
protection but lights over them in bad weather, but with air admitted. 
For some time the lights have been off altogether, excepting when cold 
east winds have prevailed. 
Planting out should be done as soon as possible when the plants are 
well hardened ; the soil having been prepared, then plant rather deeply 
and firmly. If the growth above ground is long, peg it down so as 
to secure it from injury by wind. In advising planting out at once, I 
have in my mind the possession of strong, well rooted plants, which can 
be removed with some earth about the roots. 
Purchasers from florists should insist on having only strong, well- 
rooted plants sent, each rolled up in a piece of paper securely, with 
damp moss about the roots, not sent, as many are, several in a box, 
scarcely rooted, and arriving in a dry state. Such plants should not be 
planted out at once, but be nursed in a frame or small pots until 
they can be put out with safety. Weakly plants do not come into good 
bloom until July, when the weather is generally very trying to Pansies. 
I am assisting a friend in the midlands who does a very great business 
in Pansies in getting away his orders, and from 3000 to 4000 plants 
pass through my hands each week, each done up separately, well rooted, 
strong stuff, rejecting any which are badly rooted and not likely to 
please.—W. Dean. _ 
As a southerner, I should like to add my testimony to that of 
Mr. W. Dean (page 156) on this matter. After reading the remarks on 
“ Florists’ Flowers ” by “ D., Beal" I came to the conclusion that the 
plants are coddled too much. I have a few hundred plants, and I have 
not lost six other than by the havoc of moles. During the cold weather 
the moles burrowed through the frame and turned out a few plants. 
Apart from this calamity I do not think I have any losses to record. 
My plants are protected in small frames made of half-inch match¬ 
board, and the lig’nts are old windows pulled out of dwelling houses. 
They neither fit into grooves or lay flat on the framework, and this is 
the only covering or protection the plants have had all winter. During 
severe weather the soil and plants were frozen very hard. After the long 
spell of frost a little loose litter was thrown over the lights till the bed 
was properly thawed. The cracks in the boards are numerous and wide, 
and every current of air that blows goes right through the frame, and 
this I credit with assisting to keeping my plants healthy. Not a sign of 
damping is to be seen ; the plants remained at a standstill all the 
winter, so that the mildew as well as damping is unknown. Now the 
plants are commencing to grow a little they will, perhaps, be more 
susceptible to these evils. The lights have been left off the frame for 
weeks together, and the plants have only been watered by the rain. The 
protection is afforded to provide against extremes of weather, not to 
resist the cold. I consider March the most trying month for Pansy 
growers. A couple of days with an east wind will do more damage than 
a whole winter. 
I quite endorse Mr. Dean’s remarks anent early planting. If there is 
a secret in Pansy growing it is in planting as early as possible. When we 
get the plants out early in March it is seldom we are troubled with that 
mysterious “ going off ” too prevalent in many gardens. Last season I 
lost very few plants where early planting had been followed, but I lost 
many seedlings through late planting. I think last summer was a fair 
test too in this respect. It is only the fact that my soil is exceedingly 
heavy and retentive that has made me abstain from planting so long. 
The plants are easy to shelter from the bitter east winds if 6-inch pots are 
employed to cover them. They can be placed over the plants each 
night, and in severe weather remain over them for a day or two without 
doing any appreciable damage.— Jas. B. Riding. 
Rose Show Fixtures in 1893. 
June 20th (Tuesday).—Westminster (N.R.S). 
„ 28th (Wednesday).—Clifton,* Richmond (Surrey), and Windsor. 
„ 29th (Thursday).—Eltham. 
July let (Saturday).—Crystal Palace (N.R S.). 
„ 4th (Tuesday).—Bagshot, Canterbury, Diss, and Gloucester. 
,, 5th (Wednesday).—Croydon, Ealing, Hereford, and Lee.* 
„ 6th (Thursday).—Bath, Farningham, Norwich, and Sutton. 
„ 7th (Friday).—Hitchen. 
„ 8th (Saturday) Reigate. 
„ 11th (Tuesday),—Wolverhampton.f 
„ 12th (Wednesday).—Tunbridge Wells. 
„ 13th (Thursday). — Worksop (N.R.S.), Harleston, and Wood- 
bridge. 
„ 14th (Friday).—Helensburgh. 
„ 16th (Saturday).—New Brighton. 
„ 20th (Thursday).—Trentham. 
„ 22nd (Saturday).—Manchester. 
„ 27th (Thursday).—Halifax, and Southwell. 
* Shows lasting two days. f Shows lasting three days. 
I shall be glad to receive the dates of any Rose Shows not mentioned 
above for publication in my next list of fixtures, which will be issued 
early in May.— Edward Mawley, Rosebanh, BerTihamsted, Herts. 
Early Roses. 
Whilst strolling in the neighbourhood of Enfield on Easter Monday 
I noticed a Gloire de Dijon Rose growing on a wall facing south, and 
some of the young shoots of the current year’s growth were several 
inches in length, the flower buds being discernible. I do not know if 
Roses generally are so early this year, and on this point perhaps some 
of your numerous readers can enlighten me. It would also be inter¬ 
esting to have a record over series of years as to the dates when the 
first Roses expanded in the open air. Certainly there are prospects at 
present of our having outdoor Roses by the end of April if frosts do not 
check their career.— Suburban. 
The Parentage of Roses. 
In my former article (page 214) upon this interesting subject, I 
spoke chiefly of the origin of Hybrid Perpetuals, though I had some 
incidental allusion to the beautiful modern Noisettes and Teas. Among 
the most delicately graceful of these is Belle Lyonnaise, which owes its 
characteristics to the Gloire de Dijon, and of which I may add there is 
an absolutely perfect and most exquisitely coloured illustration in 
Mr. William Paul’s book, entitled “ The Rose Garden,” perhaps the most 
comprehensive work existing on Rose cultivation. There also will be 
found a very fascinating artistic delineation by an eminent artist of the 
Mar^chal Niel, which, as I learn from other publications, the great 
Waltham rosarian was the first to introduce into England. He was also 
the first cultivator of Gloire de Dijon, so greatly eulogised for colour, 
substance, fragrance, and durability by the Dean of Rochester in his 
book on the Rose. Its merits receive almost equal recognition from 
another high authority, Mr. Thomas Rivers in his “ Rose Amateur’s 
Guide,” which I have recently been reading with exceptional interest. 
The Mar4chal Niel, which is perhaps with one exception—that of 
its grandsire —the grandest Noisette Rose in cultivation, is directly 
descended from the Cloth of Gold through Isabella Gray, an American 
production. Cloth of Gold—a superb Rose, of which in this country an 
absolutely perfect specimen is seldom to be seen—is the offspring of 
Lamarque, which I recently saw in all its integrity at Inch Manse, in 
Wigtonshire. The finest Mar^chal Niel I have ever seen is also in the 
same county. It is the much-valued possession of Mr. David A. McClew, 
of Chapel Rorsan, in Kirkmaiden. It covers the whole side wall of his 
conservatory, and has often towards the end of April as many as 
500 simultaneous blooms. The flowers would doubtless be considerably 
more imposing in dimensions than they usually are if he allowed fewer 
of them to grow ; it is, nevertheless, at that early season of the year a 
very impressive picture of floral luxuriance. 
Most of the leading English rosarians, such as Mr. Paul of Waltham 
and Mr. Cranston of Hereford, grow their Tea and Noisette Roses in 
large houses specially constructed for this purpose. There is, however, 
at least one striking exception. Mr. Benjamin R. Cant of Colchester, 
who won last year the fifty guinea cup of the National Rose Society, 
grows all his in the open air. Towards the end of the leafy month of 
June, when all Teas and Noisettes cultivated in glass houses are “faded 
and gone,” he has thousands in full bloom. His greatest achievements, 
nevertheless, have been gained through the medium of Hybrid Perpetuals. 
I see that your correspondent, “ D., Deal" (page 251), makes some 
references to my first article in the Journal of Hortimdture upon the 
“ Parentage of Roses.” In reply to his observations, which are charac¬ 
terised by courtesy, I have to say I neither affirmed that the 
modern Roses he specially alludes to were seedlings, nor denied that 
