1G2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 1, 1894 
and table decorations which they have now seen for several years 
at many of our shows, may be safely relied upon, I think, to as a 
rule give sound judgment.—J. A. Williams. 
[It will be perceived that the term “ hardy flowers ” embraces 
those which are not herbaceous, including Roses and other flowering 
shrubs which pass the winter in gardens.] 
National Eose Society—Gold Medal Roses, 
I AM glad that Mr. Williamson (page 145), and no doubt others also 
think it only right that our gold medallists and their Roses should have 
a page of honour allotted to them in our Society’s publications; but 
surely it is neither advisable nor necessary (the omission having thus 
early been pointed out) that any delay, such as waiting for a new 
catalogue, should occur in supplying these descriptions, as a small part 
of the annual report and schedule could easily be assigned to describing 
such important awards. The schedules are usually issued in May, and 
this is February, so that there is ample time for all the information 
which is now asked for being put in type and properly tabulated; as the 
names of the medallists and their Roses have not hitherto been published 
all the information of the years long past should be clearly specified, as 
well as those of 1893. This correction should be promptly made —Bis 
(lat qui cito dat. 
Synonymous Roses. 
I congratulate the Society and the majority of the Committee on the 
good sense shown on the 13th inst. in restoring the synonymous Roses, 
which had been erroneously omitted, there having been no authority 
given to omit them, there was no special authority required beyond that 
of the Committee to rectify an obvious and serious blunder. 
The Clashing of Rose Meetings. 
Cannot this unfortunate clashing be in some wav obviated / We 
have now three Rose fixtures arranged for the 27th June, and two for 
the 4th July. Every member who takes an interest of any kind in the 
“dear old National” will most naturally prefer to go to the Society’s 
meeting at Windsor; but rosarians who have attended the meetings at 
Sutton and Farningham as I have (in the case of Sutton for eight or 
nine consecutive years) will regret that they cannot go on the same day 
to these pleasant places. In the same way, as I have before pointed 
out, Croydon and Reigate, both important fixtures, are clashing, and 
none but professional and big growers can send Roses to both places. 
Could we not have for our Rose societies an annual day of meeting 
for delegates, such as is usual amongst the cricket clubs ? The cricket 
club captains and secretaries meet at Lord’s in the winter, and under 
the guidance of the M.C.C. Secretary, settle the principal fixtures, so 
that no important dates can clash. I do not think this has ever been 
suggested, but it is high time that the matter be taken in hand, and I 
think it is the only solution of a difficulty which has existed for years 
without anyone suggesting a remedy. If the National Rose Society had 
or has the power and position which it should hold, its decision on such 
questions would be accepted as final, and the secretaries and committees 
of smaller societies would see the propriety of everything being done for 
the general good of rosarians. Most of us, in the short time possible for 
the Rose to be seen in perfection, wish to attend as many Rose shows as 
are available, but none of us having the dual existence of Sir Boyle 
Roche’s famous bird, can manage more than one Rose show per diem. 
More’s the pity ! 
The Best Twenty four Hybrid Perpetuals. 
It may interest your rosarian readers, as a recent election of a 
similar character attracted much interest amongst Chrysanthemum 
growers, to know the result of a small election recently held on the best 
twenty-four Hybrid Perpetuals. The electors numbered in all fifteen 
rosarians. Four of the selections used were obtained from those set forth 
in the recently issued number of the “ Rosarians’ Year Book,” being the 
opinions of Mr. Foster Melliar, Mr. W. J. Grant, Mr. George Paul and 
myself, and the other eleven selections were sent to me by the following 
noted growers: Messrs. Burch of Peterborough; Benj. Cant, Frank 
Cant, 0. G. Orpen, and Prior & Son of Colchester; Alex. Dickson 
and Sons of Newtownards, Ireland ; Harkness & Sons of Bedale, 
Yorkshire; E. B. Lindsell, Hitchin, Herts; H. V. Machin, 
Worksop, Notts; Henry Merry weather, Southwell, Notts, and Alf. 
Slaughter of Steyning, Sussex. Dr. Budd of Bath also sent me a list; 
although too late to enter in the analysis, bis list agreed in great part 
with the final result obtained in the election. I left it open to the 
discretion of each elector to decide as to whether he would use or leave 
out the Hybrid Teas in his list of twenty-four Hybrid Perpetuals, and to 
this option and to the fact that Mr. Foster Melliar and Mr. George Paul 
did not mention any Hybrid Teas in their “Rosarians’ Year Book” 
selection of best twenty-four Hybrid Perpetuals, may be ascribed the 
loss of three votes by La France. Fifty-nine Roses came into the 
election, of these twenty-eight had to be placed, this being caused by 
the last five being bracketed equal. The names of those chosen as the 
best, and the votes they obtained are as follows :— 
15 votes 
• A. K. Williams 
Alfred Colomb 
Charles Lefebvre 
Horace Vernet 
Madame Gabriel Luizet 
^ Mrs. John Laing 
Her Majesty 
Marie Baumann 
( Suzanne Rodocanacii 
■’ ( Ulrich Brunner 
c Gustave Piganeau 
12 „ I La France 
( Merveille de Lyon 
11 „ Duke of Edinburgh 
—Charles J. Grahame. 
( Dupuy Jsmain 
10 votes j Eirl of Duffeiin 
( Edenne Levet 
9 ,, Comte de Raimbaud 
8 „ Louis Van Houlte 
I Duchess of Bedford 
Frir. 9 >i.« Michelon 
General Jacqueminot 
Pride of Waltham 
'Dr. Andry 
Duke of Wellington 
- Lady Mary Fitzwilliam 
Maiie Finger 
Prince Arthur 
Rose-growing Under Glass in America. 
The description given on page 145 last week of American methods as 
observed by Mr. G. Nicholson is very interesting. I have before heard 
of Roses planted out in shallow boxes, also that these clever Americans 
“ strike ” their own-root Roses from pieces of wood having only one 
“eye,” and that “eye” being the top of the eutting, and out of the 
soil! Has Mr. Nicholson any description as to this method, or any 
description as to how they root their cuttings 1 It would be very 
interesting if information could be given through the Journal of 
Horticulture, —S, S. 
Early Growth in Roses. 
A gentleman sent me a piece of new growth, broken oS a plant 
of Madame Berard Rose, grown on a south wall in the open air at 
Colwyn Bay. Although Colwyn Bay and Gateford are in about the 
same latitude, still I have no Eose on a south wall anything like as 
forward as this Madame Berard must be, from which the enclosed shoot 
was taken by Rev. J. H. Astley of Trinity House School (Colwyn Bay). 
It is probable that the earliness of vegetation in the west is brought 
about by the current of air conveyed by the Gulf Stream.—H y. V. 
Machin, Gateford Hill, Worlisop. 
[The growth is 3 inches in length and the leaflets f inch in 
diameter.] 
Lacharme's Hybrid Noisettes. 
In this class we have several Roses which figure among the Hybrid 
Perpetuals in the majority of catalogues. In a list of twenty varieties. 
Monsieur Lacharme is responsible for half. All of them are different 
shades of white ; Boule de Neige, sent out in 1868. being probably the 
best. But there are two or three which are seldom met with, and 
which are thoroughly distinct and reliable. One of these, Madame 
Alfred de Rougemont (1863), is a great favourite with me. It is 
small, pure white at first, changing to a rosy flush at the edge ; very 
free blooming and early. Coquette des Blanches, sent out in 1873, is 
the most perpetual flowering Noisette I am acquainted with. A very 
hardy Rose, with a lasting flower of the purest white ; a semi-climber. 
Madame Francois Pittet (1878) I expected to have seen much grown as 
a pot plant. I fail to sec any reason why this Rose so soon dropped out 
of cultivation. It is free as the Fairy Roses, of short and compact 
growth, and literally covered with small pure white blossoms of globular 
form, and opening well. Baronne de Maynard, Coquette des Alpes, 
Lady Emily Peel, Louise Darzens, Madame Gustave Bonnet, and Perle 
des Blanches were all introduced by the same raiser, and are very useful 
where white Roses for decoration are an object. Those which I have 
described are of a particularly lasting character.— Practice. 
COMMON GARDENING. 
On page 102 of the Journal of Hor It culture “A. D.” adroitly 
manages to introduce some remarks recently made to him by a 
friend, who appears to have spoken somewhat disparagingly of 
what he termed “ the eternal talk of common gardening.” 
“ A. D.” goes a step further, and suggests that his friend seemed 
to convey the impression, “ that garden writing should now deal 
a little less with mere routine, and go back somewhat to first 
causes.” By all means let us have writings on both the theory 
and practice of gardening, but to my mind the bulk of informa¬ 
tion given in gardening periodicals should deal in up to date 
methods of culture, which give safe and definite lines to work 
upon, instead of shadowy ideas which have frequently only a 
momentary existence in the imagination of the writer. 
No one values more than I do the great advantages which we 
are continually deriving from the teachings of science ; but these 
teachings have to be ground up as it were with everyday practice 
to prove thoroughly useful to the majority of readers, whose 
positions depend upon their supplying consumers with the 
produce they require. If they fail in that, no amount of scientific 
excuses and statements of operating causes will be of much service. 
I have lived long enough to find out that it is not the men who 
have the greatest amount of knowledge that make the most 
progress in life, because the world does not judge by knowledge. 
