226 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
March 23, 1894, 
ground, and that, too, when Rose cultivation has just made a promising 
start in the Island. It is probably the only town in the Island that 
would do, because of its easy access from Portsmouth without encoun¬ 
tering our awful railways. In any case let the “ southern ” show be 
in^an honestly southern town.—G. E. Jeans. 
Htbrid Perpetuals in Pots. 
That this section of Roses is not so much grown in pots as was 
formerly the case will, I think, be acknowledged by all. I see no great 
reason for this, except the more perpetual blooming properties found in 
the Teas and Noisettes, more especially among the former. But if we 
get freedom in flowering, and a much wider extension of usefulness, we 
are minus the glowing colours to be found among the Hybrid Perpetuals. 
A greater depth of colour is only a question of time in the Tea-scented 
division, and in spite of the general feeling among rosarians that deeper 
shades spoil the chaste effect of the soft colours at present prevailing in 
a stand of Tea Roses, there can be no doubt the advent of deep reds 
with the more perpetual properties of Teas will be welcome. Until that 
time arrives, however, we are dependent upon the Hybrid Perpetual 
section for the dark Roses under glass as well as in the open border. 
Neither W. F. Bennett, Reine Marie Henriette, nor Alphonse Karr 
give us the intensity found in G4n6ral Jacqueminot, Fisher Holmes, and 
A. K. Williams; not to mention the deep maroon shades of Charles 
Lefebvre, Prince Camille de Rohan, and Abel Carri^re. More than 
once my friends have expressed no little surprise when I have recom¬ 
mended the last named Rose for potwork. “ Too shy a bloomer ” is 
their objection to it ; but I have had shoots carrying from ten to twenty 
well formed flowers, which, if not large, were all that could be desired 
in colour. 
It is of the utmost importance that strong growers should mature a 
good proportion of stout wood made late in the season. When plants 
are in the open ground we encourage this, and secure a number of 
flowers from bending and pegging down these vigorous growths. In pots, 
however, we often overlook it; nor do the plants have sufficient 
opportunity to make the desired growth. The plants are usually removed 
to the open as soon as possible after the flowers have been gathered. 
Although we need the house room for some other plants, there is no 
reason why the Roses should be neglected. By the time they have 
finished their first and main crop of bloom, they will be carrying 
healthy growths and breaking strongly from the base. When this 
receives a severe check we have practically spoilt our best chance of a 
good display during the ensuing spring. I make a practice of standing 
them in another house, or in n deep pit. Here they are easily kept 
growing by a little attention to syringing, watering, and the protection 
of lights according to weather. 
We should not look for good autumnal growths from plants in the 
open air if they were to experience a sudden drop in the temperature of 
fully 20°, together with extreme drought at a time when growth was 
very active after the early summer bloom; and yet this is exactly 
what we are too often subjecting our pot Roses to. They need quite as 
much, if not more attention at this stage. Without properly matured 
wood it is impossible to have a good crop of bloom, while quality is 
quite hopeless. 
Another grave error is too hard forcing at first. We need steady 
advances in temperature even more with this section than in the case 
of Teas and Noisettes, or a large proportion of flowerless growth may 
result. Nor is it well to aim at too great a number of varieties. I 
always avoid the light coloured forms. A few really good dark H.P.’s 
for forcing are G6n6ral Jacqueminot, Eclair, Fisher Holmes, A. K. 
Williams, Countess of Oxford, Abel Carriere, Prince Camille de Rohan, 
Madame Victor Verdier, and Souvenir de Charles Montault. 
Large pots are not necessary if we use sound rich loam as the staple, 
and pot firmly ; but I would repotevery other season, and also introduce 
a few young plants from the nursery rows annually. These could take 
the place of the least useful veterans as they fall out of the ranks. 
When is the best time to pot seems rather a vexed question with many. 
Much depends upon why you are repotting. If because you wish for a 
larger plant it may well be done immediately the blooms are secured, 
and thus afford the roots new soil for the formation of more wood ; but 
if you can secure sufficient wood for your purpose without repotting at 
this time I would do so by all means. Help them with liquid manures. 
A friend of mine has been very successful with plants in this condition 
by placing sheep droppings on the surface soil. At each watering a 
certain amount of nourishment was washed down. 
If the repotting is being done because the soil is considered 
exhausted, I would choose for the operation a few weeks after the 
plants have become ripened, then turn them carefully out of the pots, and 
remove as much of the soil as possible without unduly disturbing the 
roots. I am aware that this plan is not in favour with many, they 
having an idea that any root disturbance, from whatever cause, is pre¬ 
judicial to a good display of bloom. But I do not advocate any serious 
disturbance of the roots ; what I advise is simply the addition of fresh 
soil, in which the future roots can revel at pleasure. How the idea of 
extended root growth being detrimental to a good supply of bloom came 
to be so firmly fixed in the minds of many gardeners I am at a loss to 
account. The same grower who will uphold this opinion has no hesita¬ 
tion in letting his plants of Mar4chal Niel and others extend their roots 
at will ; and when we note how quickly a plant makes new roots if 
fresh soil be added at any time after root growth is completed it would 
seem that this is the best period for repotting. 
I encourage autumn planting because a small quantity of new roots 
get established before the rigours of the winter are upon us. If there 
is any useful purpose served by this at a time when the plants are 
facing a falling temperature of long duration, how much more is such 
the case when plants are placed under cover and gradually brought 
into a gentle heat at the decline of the year. In the latter case they 
reap enormous benefit from these early roots. Such, at any rate, 
is the belief and the experience of— Practice. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
March 13th. 
Scientific Committee. —Present: R. MacLachlan, Esq., F.E.S. 
in the chair. Messrs. Blandford, Wilson, Jenner Weir, Michael, Dra 
Hugo Mueller, Scott, and Masters. 
American Blight. —Mr. Blandford, alluding to the matter discussed 
at the previous meeting, expressed the opinion that the woolly aphis 
(Schizoneura) does go down into the soil, but the Coccids do not. 
Beetle Attaching Orchids. — Mr. Blandford stated that he had 
received specimens of the pseudo-bulb of a Dendrobium perforated by 
a blunt-headed beetle, Xyleborus morigerus (Blandford), and described 
by him in “ Insect Life.” 
This led to a discussion as to the increasing necessity of putting 
imported Orchids into quarantine before introducing them into the 
Orchid houses, lest those structures should be overrun with exotic insects. 
Bisulphide of carbon was recommended as useful for this purpose. Its 
highly inflammable nature must, however, be borne in mind. 
Mr. Michael, speaking of the presence of Acari in dust-sweepings, 
alluded to the immunity which these creatures possess against poisonous 
substances, such as bisulphide of carbon. Desiccation is the only 
method of killing these creatures, but this cannot always be carried 
out to a sufficient extent without injuring the plant. 
''Blue" Primroses, S^'c. —Mr. G. F. Wilson showed various seedling 
Primroses of a dark slaty blue colour, and some plum-coloured with a 
yellow eye. He also showed flowers of a hybrid Narcissus, presumably 
between N. cyclamineus and N. Johnstonei. 
Exfoliated Barh in Pears. —Mr. Jenner Weir showed shield-shaped 
masses of bark, 2 or 3 inches long, 1 or 2 inches broad, which became 
detached from the stem of a Beurr4 Clairgeau, the wound so formed 
subsequently healing up by “ occlusion ” in the ordinary way. 
Camellias, Azaleas, ^'c., Biseased. — From Christchurch came 
branches of Camellias, Rhododendrons, and Azaleas gradually shrivelling 
and dying, more than twenty large plants having died during the last 
two years without apparent cause. The Camellias were badly infested 
with scale, but nothing could be seen to account for the condition of 
the other plants. It was suggested that a salt blast might have affected 
the plants. 
Ivies. —Dr. Masters brought shoots of numerous varieties of Ivy 
growing on a wall facing the west, to show the very different way in 
which they, though all belonging to one species, suffered from the 
effects of frost. In some the leaves were quite killed, in others wholly 
uninjured, with every intermediate degree of injury. Mr. Jenner Weir 
pointed out that the variety himalaica was notoriously more tender 
than many others. Dr. Masters thought it most probable that the 
whole of the varieties now grown in gardens originated from home¬ 
grown plants of Hedera helix. He had himself seen two or three forms 
growing on the same plant. Hedera helix is noted by Mr. C. B. Clarke, 
in Hooker’s ” Flora of British India,” ii., page 739 (1879), as growing 
throughout the Himalayas at altitudes of from 6000 to 10,000 feet, and 
in the Khasya mountains at elevations of from 4000 to 6000 feet. 
" Cedar ” of Goa. —Dr. Masters contributed the substance of a paper 
on the history of this tree, which will be inserted in the Journal of the 
Society. The tree in question is a Cypress, the only known large 
examples of which exist at Bussaco in Portugal, where they have been 
known since the beginning or middle of the seventeenth century. They 
are supposed to have been introduced from Goa, but no such Cypress 
grows wild in that region. C. lusitanica, alias C. glauca, is now com¬ 
monly planted in India and in South Europe. In some parts of the 
British Isles it thrives, but is in most places tender. The tree mentioned 
in the Conifer Conference Report as having attained a height of 39 feet 
at Ross Dhu, in Dumbartonshire, was erroneously called lusitanica, as 
shown by specimens now received from Ross Dhu and exhibited to the 
Committee, and which were clearly referable to C. Lawsoniana. 
Root Galls. —The Chairman alluded to the existence of Biorhiza 
(Cynips) aptera on the roots of the Plum, Oak, Deodar, Beech, and 
Birch, and stated that it had now been proved repeatedly that the insect 
producing the root gall is exclusively female, and is always destitute of 
wings. The male form of the same species produces the spongy galls on 
the leaves of the Oak, known as Oak Apples. The only true Cynips is 
Cynips Kollari, that which makes the round galls on the Oak. This 
insect has been introduced within the last thirty or forty years. Other 
galls, supposed to be the work of different genera of insects, are now 
known to be the work of two stages or generations of one and the same 
species, Teras or Biorhiza terminalis. 
EXHIBITING CUT FLOWERS. 
Tw^elve Varieties, Dissimilar. 
I KNOW, Mr. Editor, that you rather like to have a nut to crack now 
and then, so send you one, and pray illuminate our darkness, for we are 
in a fog. The committee of a society which I need not name, and of 
