292 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 13, 1893. 
In reply to “ Suburban’s” inquiry on page 280, Eoses here are very 
early. If fine bright weather still continues I think probably Mar^chal 
Niel, Gloire de Dijon, Lady M. Fitzwi liana, Niphetos, and others will 
bo fully expanded in a fortnight’s time. Some may be earlier from a 
south aspect.—G. F., Trafalgar, Salisbury. 
Climbing La France Rose. 
An American contemporary, Gardening, in a recent issue to hand, 
publishes an illustration of the climbing La France Rose, which to all 
appearances is a charming variety. The illustration was prepared from 
a photograph taken in Peter Henderson & Co.’s nurseries last November. 
The variety is described as being “a strong, stout climber, healthy and 
with fine foliage, and it bears large fine blooms. But it has every appearance 
of being a somewhat shy bloomer. Commercially, perhaps it may not 
be grown for cut flowers, but amateurs will like to have a pLnt or two 
of it in their greenhouse to run up the rafters in company with Gloire 
de Dijon, Lamarque, and Mardchal Niel.” 
The Roses of our Childhood. 
No flowers seem fairer to our vision or our remembrance than those 
which are links between the present and the past. During the last six 
months I have introduced into my garden at least seventy modern 
varieties of the Rose : Hybrid Perpetuals, Bourbon®,Noisettes,and Teas; 
Roses from Austria, Persia. China, Japan, France, Holland, and even from 
America ; but the old red Rose (which has grown from time immemorial 
at the corners of the garden), so loved of my father, an ardent horticul¬ 
turist, has been lovingly retained. 
I fear that many of our beautiful old-fashioned Roses are fast 
disappearing from the regions of cultivation. Tnere are however— 
thanks to the efforts of our greatest rosarians—some striking exceptions 
to this general rule. Among these I may mention the Harrisoni, the 
Austrian Copper, the Persian Yellow, and the exquisitely fragrant 
“Provence” Rose. That one fine variety of the last-mentioned species 
should ever have received the name of “ Old Cabbage ” has excited the 
indignation of the Dean of Rochester, who, in his book on the R 'se, 
suggests that the title in question may have been invented by a tailor, 
though I think it more probable that it was created by a vegetarian. 
No such name, most fortunately, has been applied to the White Provence, 
which Mr. Cranston describes in his book on Rose culture as the 
“ purest in cultivation.” Unl ke many modern and more formidable 
white Roses—such, for example, as the White Baroness and Merveille 
de Lyon (for the most part partaking of the character of their venerable 
parent, the Baroness Rothschild) — the White Provence, also called 
“La Blanche” or “Unique,” is remarkably fragrant, this indeed 
constituting, quite independently of its beautv, a supreme attraction. 
In my garden, therefore, I have given this Rose a central position, 
with Rosa Harrisoni, for the sake of artistic contrast, on either side. 
The Moss Rose derives its origin and most of its attributes from the 
Provence, a fact which must be transparent to any rosarian who has 
carefully studied and compared their formation. The former came to us 
originally from Holland ; the latter, though hearing the name of a very 
historical and romantic French region, identified with afl that is heroic 
and chivalrous, is generally supposed to have been of Italian extraction. 
—David R. Williamson. 
RHODODENDRONS. 
I DOUBT not that “ E. M.” (page 271) is right in maintaining that 
these showy shrubs will not thrive in tne turfy loam obtainable at 
Swanmore, because from the excellent description he has given of it, 
it is quite clear that lime enters largely into its composition ; thus it 
belongs to that class of soils which I stated on page 250 should be 
stricly avoided for Rhododendron culture. I do nor, however, agree 
with “ E. M.’s ” suggestion that soils c 'ntaining only a small per¬ 
centage of lime are unsuitable, if not fatal, to the growth of Rhododen¬ 
drons, simply because nearly all soils contain lime in small quantities, 
and I doubt if any fertile s>'il in this country could be found totally 
destitute of it. Yet in many instances these popular shrubs flourish in 
the natural soil, and develop into splendi t specimens. 
In some parts of Kent, Surrey, and Wiitsh re I am acquainted with 
fine banks of Rhododendrons which may have been planted in pre¬ 
pared soil, but the roots have hmg since found congenial quarters in ' 
the natural soil around. Now it is evident these soils cannot oe entirely 
destitute of lime, because Hops, fruit trees of all descriptions, and even 
Yines grow well in the same soil, which they would not do if a small 
per-centage of lime were not present. Tnis, I think, proves that it is 
only wheu soils are largely impregnated witn lime ihar they are wholly 
unsuited to the growth of Rhododendrons, and that with liberal addi¬ 
tions of the dec lying refuse described in my previous note may be 
rendered quite suitable. 
In thesoilat VVarwick they grow freely enough when well established 
if treated liberally, but there is some difficulty m secuiing good growth 
in the early stages. This I attribute to the fact that the soil is rather 
light and poor ; being also thoroughly well drained, the plants suffer 
from drought if not given special attention in watering. When, however, 
the roots have pushed well into the surrounding soil, with frequent 
top-dressings the plants flourish. Before these top-dressings are given 
I find it is a good plan to loosen the surface of the soil with the point 
of a fork. Although this practice has been frequently condemned, I 
am convinced it is of great benefit to the plants especially when in a 
young s ate, as it enables the rains to percolate and carry nutriment to 
the roots. I was led to adopt this practice by noticing how well a few 
young plants thrived when planted in a mixed shrubbery which is 
forked over each spring. I thoroughly agree with “ E. M.” as to the 
efficacy of cow manure as a top-dressing for Rhododendrons, but 
unfortunately I am not able to obtain it in sufficient quantities for that 
purpose. 
In conclusion, I may say that I do not dispute there are many soils 
so impregnated with lime as to make Rhododendron culture an im¬ 
possibility in them, and where this has been proved to be the case they 
should be planted entirely in peat, leaf soil, or any refuse I have 
previously recommended ; but I am also convinced there are many 
instances where they would flourish in the natural soil if it were 
properly prepared. It is an easy matter for anyone to find out if they 
are so grown anywhere in their locality. If not, let them try a few 
plants for themselves, we should then have the culture of one of the 
most showy of hardy shrubs greatly extended.—H. D. 
THE LARCH DISEASE. 
I HAVE not noticed any correspondence in the Jounial respecting the 
Larch disease for some time now. I should be glad to know if that 
means that it is not so bad in the country generally. My reason for 
asking is that it is very bad in this district, and has been for several 
years now, whole plantations being destroyed by it. In some parts it 
appears to be caused by the Larch aphis or bug—Ghermes Laricis; in 
others by the Larch canker, which I suppose is caused by the parasitic 
fungus. It is so bad that planters are hesitating very much with respect 
to continuing their annual planting of Larch. 
I should also be glad to know if the Abies Douglasi has been planted 
extensively with a view of superseding the Larch anywhere, and if it has 
been a success ; also its value as a timber tree compared with the Larch, 
as it appears to grow very well here, although we have not yet planted it 
extensively.—R. C. Williams, Crosswood Park, Aberystioith, 
POPULAR HALF-HARDY ANNUALS —SOWING 
THE SEED. 
What a fine floral display can be produced in the flower garden 
during the summer and autumn by sowing seeds of annuals at once 
where the plants are intended to flower. Beds may be filled exclusively, 
and with admirable tffect too, with the best and most distinct and 
telling varieties of the Calliopsis, Goietias, Coruflo-ver (Gentaurea 
Gyanus), Alonsoa Warscewiezi, Nemophilas, Nigella damsscena (Love- 
in-a-mist), Limnanthes. Glarkia (Garter’s Morning Glory), Gypsophilas, 
Gaillardias, G iilinsia, Eschscholtzla compacta, Pnlox Drummondi, Asters, 
Stocks, dwarf TropjEolums, and Zinnias. 
For sowing in patches in herbaceous borders Shirley Poppies, Malope 
grandiflora. Larkspur, Lupinus, Prince’s Feather, and Love-lies-bleeding 
may be added to the above list. As the descriptions and average heights 
of all of the plants mentioned above may easily be obtained from the 
trade list of any leading seed merchant there is no occasion to give 
them here, further than saying that Galliopsis Drummondi, 0. tinctoria, 
and G. Burridgei, Godetias Sutton’s Ladybird, Lady Albemarle, and 
Apple Blossom should be included in every list of select annuals. 
Individual beds fi led with Alonsoa Warscewiezi compacta, a half- 
hardy annual attaining to a height of 1 foot, and having dark green 
lanceolate serrated foliage and racemes of bright scarlet flowers, are very 
telling in effect when contrasted with surrounding beds of Galliopsis 
Drummondi, yellow; Godetia Ladybird, flowers pearly white, plants 
6 to 9 inches high ; Gollinsia grandiflora, purple and blue, height 1 foot; 
Tom Thumb Nasturtium “ Aurora,” varying in colour from primrose to 
pale pink ; N. coeruleum roseum, flowers rose, tinged with blue ; Phlox 
Drummondi. S ocks. Asters, and other things. The beds having been 
previously dieased with some light, well-decomposed manure, dug and 
trodden, should be raked before scattering the seed very thinly on the 
surface. The soil should then be scratched over with a fine-toothed 
rake, and then watered through a fine-rose can, repeating the water¬ 
ing every afternoon in the absence of rain until the seedlings appear. 
Thin the young p ants sufficiently to allow of their making a sturdy and 
consequently more florifemus growth than would otherwise be the case. 
Where the soil is of a sdff nature it will be advisable to scatter a little 
fine, light, rich mould over the surface before and after sowing the seed, 
finishing off witn a firm, even surface. Waste soil from the potting 
bench parsed through a quarter-inch mesh sieve would answer this 
purp 'Se admirably. 
Slugs frequently work havoc among young plants of annuals, there¬ 
fore a sharp look-out sh"uld be kept for these destructive pests in ihe 
evenings just before dark, or afterwards with the as-istance of a bull’s- 
eye lamp, when they will be found engaged in the demolition of the 
plants, and needless to say the siugs should be collected and destroyed. If 
the plants are dusted over with a mixture of lime and soot when damp 
it will preserve them from being injured in the direction indicated.— 
H. W. VVakd, Longford Castle. 
