50 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 21, 1892. 
£3 The compost for these should consist of fibry loam of a mode¬ 
rately light texture, or it should be rendered so by the addition of 
sand. The loam should form two-thirds of the bulk, and the other 
third of leaf mould ; to this should be added sand and one-seventh 
of decayed manure. For plants in active growth under glass a 
5-inch potful of some quick acting artificial manure may be added 
to each barrowful of loam used.— Wm. Bardney. 
Striking Rose Cuttings. 
Raising plants by means of cuttings is often delayed until too 
late in the season. If cuttings of half-ripened wood are taken 
off with the foliage attached, cut into lengths of two or three 
joints, and inserted in sandy soil before they flag, nearly every one 
of some kinds will root. The cuttings should be inserted in hand- 
lights placed in a shady position, and the top eye only left above 
the soil. After insertion a good watering should be given, and the 
hmdlights kept as airtight as possible. In about a month they will 
be well rooted, and may be carefully lifted and placed singly into 
4-inch pots. If encouraged to grow under glass afterwards they 
will become well established before winter, and will make capital 
plants the following season, whether they are planted out or kept 
in pots. Such kinds as Gloire de Dijon, William Allan Richardson, 
and others of similar growth will, if well grown under glass the 
following season and potted as they need it into 8 and 10-inch pots, 
make good plants for forcing the following spring. Nearly all Tea 
kinds do well grown in pots, which is advisable if required for 
flowering under glass. Hybrid Perpetuals do better, and make 
greater progress if planted out in spring in deeply dug and liberally 
manured ground. Many Teas and Hybrid Teas grown under glass 
the whole of the first season will give a bountiful supply of blooms 
in autumn, when they are scarce outside, and often prove as 
valuable as if produced during the spring months.—O. M. A. 
Famous Prize Boxes. 
I observe that in his report of Hitchin Show your veteran 
correspondent, “ D., Deal,” refers to Mr. Lindsell’s stand of forty- 
eight at Earl’s Court on July 5th as the very best box of Roses he 
ever remembei’s to have seen. The Journal reporter, too, con¬ 
sidered it “a superb stand, perhaps one of the best he (Mr. 
Lindsell) had ever arranged ” (see page 14). While fully admit¬ 
ting the great beauty and quality of the stand, I am tempted to 
ask if “D Deal,” has taken into account the marvellous stand 
exhibited by Mr. W. J. Grant three years ago? I refer to the 
forty-eight with which he won the amateurs’ challenge trophy at 
the Crystal Palace in 1889. Of the hundreds of fine stands which 
I have seen during the past few years that recurs to my recollection 
vividly as the queen of them all. Though the flowers have long since 
“ faded and gone,” I seem to see them before me in living beauty. 
Immense blooms they were, massive but shapely, and of wonderful 
substance. In colour, in freshness, and in finish they were perfec¬ 
tion. The production of such a stand was a great achievement 
that I do not think has since been excelled. Would that Mr. Grant 
were showing this season in the same style as then. His meeting 
with Mr. Lindsell would have been a battle of giants ; but we 
must be thankful to have the grower with us, and the rest, I hope, 
we may leave to time. I should be very much interested to hear 
remarks from others about famous stands of the present and the 
pist.— Rosa. 
SIR CHARLES E. ISHAM’S ROCK GARDEN. 
Referring to an illustrated account of the Lamport Rock 
Garden in a June number of the Journal of Horticulture in 1872, I 
find it is twenty years since Dr. Hogg, with the Rev. M. J. Berkeley 
of botanical eminence, honoured the same by a visit, it having been 
commenced twenty-five years previously. The position which the 
rockery occupies prevents its enlargement; it is therefore much the 
same now as then, except that the improvements imparted by age 
and unremitting attention have been the means of its development 
into an object of contemplation far beyond the dream of its 
originator, and it probably possesses characteristics differing from 
all other similar structures. Consequently, should a visit from 
lovers of that style of gardening be inconvenient, another short 
notice might not be considered out of place, especially as it is pro¬ 
bable that it may not continue many more years in its integrity. 
The Lamport Rockery being located in no remote corner nor 
being in the proximity of trees has enabled it to become what it is. 
The narrow entrance abuts on the mansion, and consequently is in 
momentary access to one who arranged every stone and planted 
every plant. Nevertheless strangers are unaware of its existence 
until they find themselves in the midst of it. 
Although of comparatively small dimensions one of the crags 
is 20 feet elevation. There have been added since Dr. Hogg’s visit 
ruggedly constructed excavations in the ground, a feature as 
effective as it is unusual. The structure being of red sandstone is 
amenable to the hammer and chisel for the perforation of stones 
through which the roots of alpines may penetrate into the gritty 
soil beneath, giving an appearance of incrustations on the solid rock, 
an effect only to be found in Nature where she displays her rarest 
charms. 
The plants are selected on their merits rather than with regard 
to variety. The stones being arranged with the utmost care and 
irregularity present effects of light and shade in the crevices and 
recesses to an extent which would impart beautiful effects even 
were all vegetation to disappear. This feature would be absent 
under the stratified system, which is usually recommended as most 
correct in the formation of rock gardens. 
The crevices are, by unremitting attention, kept properly open, 
not a leaf being permitted to remain which does not add to the 
desired effect. Were this to be neglected for a season it would be 
difficult to rediscover many crevices, and this beautiful if not 
unique feature would in a measure cease to exist. 
The elaborate finishing touches which the rockery daily receives 
might to some suggest puerility, but it would be difficult to explain 
why they should be more so in the real thing than in a representa¬ 
tion on canvas. Since we are all differently constituted, and as 
it is not everyone who can appreciate details which require an eye 
educated for that object, it might be desirable to refrain from 
writing more than might be received by the general observer. 
C. E. ISHAM. 
LAYERING CARNATIONS. 
Propagation by layering is in general a more convenient 
method of increase than by cuttings. It is the method most 
commonly employed for increasing or supplying a young stock of 
Malmaisons, for the florist section of Carnations and Picotees, 
and for self and border sorts. By means of layers Malmaisons can 
be successfully propagated at any season. Most of our Malmaisons 
are layered in light soil laid on borders, but as a rule it is a better 
plan to use for each shoot to be layered a small flower pot. The 
plant becomes well rooted when so treated, and can be repotted at 
once without any check such as in many cases would occur on 
lifting from a bed of soil. 
Ordinary named sorts flowered during summer in pots are very 
readily manipulated if the plants are planted out thickly and put 
into the soil at such an angle as to bring the shoots to be layered 
close to the ground. These may be rooted out of doors, but I 
much prefer giving them the protection of a frame, in which they 
root more quickly. I have occasionally rooted this section in pots, 
but more often on beds of soil. 
Border Carnations are sometimes left year after year in the 
same place without fresh plants being set out. It is only on some 
soils that this can be done. At the best it is not a method of 
culture that can be recommended, for fewer flowers are produced, 
and those that are are of inferior quality. The layers ought to be 
taken in July. Early-rooted plants are superior in every respect 
to those which are not rooted until late in the season, and some¬ 
times so late that no roots whatever are produced. The operation 
of layering is quite simple. As I was taught, it was more complex 
than I have found either profitable or necessary. All that is needful 
is to make a slit down the shoot chosen, turning the penknife 
outwards when the slit is an inch in length. The tongue thus 
made is then pressed into the soil and secured with a peg if it 
springs upwards ; if not, nothing further is required beyond firming 
it into the soil.—B. 
Ccelogyne Sanderiana. 
This rare and beautiful Ccelogyne was introduced by Messrs. 
Sander & Co. in 1887, through their collector Forstermann. A 
very fine plant was exhibited at the meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, in the Drill Hall, Westminster, on July 12th. It 
had three good spikes, each carrying ten flowers, and was shown by 
Mr. W. Robins, gardener to J. Yanner, Esq., Camden Wood, 
Chislehurst, Kent. The pseudo-bulbs are roundish and wrinkled ; 
the leaves are 12 to 15 inches long, and about 3 inches broad, erect, 
light green. The racemes droop somewhat, are about 16 inches 
