June 1 , 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
455 
plants take their chance. We shall all know “all about it ” in another 
month or six weeks, and the decisive action of some, or the masterly 
inactivity of others, will be shown to be right—perhaps both will be 
right in their way. In any case I have followed Mr. Lindsell, and so 
has Mr. Romaine, in his treatment of the wounded ; whether it be 
right or wrong we are in good company. 
The Late Rev, F. H. Gall. 
I should like to add a few lines of tribute to the memory of this 
courteous, kindly, and genial old gentleman. It was only on last Wbit- 
Monday I had a long chat with him on the Hitchin Cricket Ground, 
and he was saying in a jocular way that he was going to compete for 
the Queen’s cup. In regard to one slightly jarring note {cui hono F) in 
Mr. D’Ombrain’s otherwise kindly remarks (page i35), 1 would say that 
I also have often heard people wonder (very naturally, I think) whether 
Mr. Gall had a living and officiated, but I am happy to say that I 
never heard anyone speak in anything but the most kindly and sym¬ 
pathetic way of his great infirmity, which must have been a great trial to 
him. Would that all rosarians were as enthusiastic and kindly hearted 
as he was, and as unselfish in their ways.— Chaeles J. Grahame. 
National Rose Society.—Dates for Metropolitan Shows. 
Under the above heading (page 414), and referring to the N.R.S. 
annual meeting, 1892, Mr. Grahame says, “ Mr. J. Bateman prophesied a 
terrible season of arctic character for 1893.’’ As prophesying of any 
sort with reference to so proverbially uncertain a matter as the British 
climate is a subject I have never been rash enough to venture upon, 
perhaps you will allow me a little space in which to say that at the 
meeting in question I did nothing of the sort which Mr. Grahame alleges. 
All that I did was to allude to the fact that a well-known weather chart 
then just issued for 1893 stated we were likely to have a frost as late in 
the year as June. I think you will agree that there is a great difference 
between doing anything (whether “ prophesying ’’ or libelling, or any¬ 
thing else) oneself and alluding to what has been done by another. 
Farther down on the same page your correspondent says, “ One of 
the speakers .... stated that about two counties were generally 
represented at the Palace.’’ I am sorry to have again to contradict Mr. 
Grahame, but as a fact no one stated any such thing. Mr. Grahame 
himself was the only one who mentioned any number of counties as 
having been represented in the previous season, and he said sixteen, not 
two. What really happened was this ;—One of the speakers in favour 
of an early date said that a late fixture would preventKent, Surrey, Sussex, 
Devonshire, and Somersetshire showing in their proper form, and in 
reply to this I remarked that the history of past shows did not bear out 
the assertion, but that, even if it were so, it was not right for a 
“ National ’’ Society to make arrangements for the benefit of four or 
five (not two) counties only, to the exclusion of the rest of the country. 
Expressions of opinion upon subjects your correspondents may be 
free to indulge in, but when (without any permission or right) they 
bring the names of persons into their statements of facts (?) they 
should at least take care to be correct in what they write.— 
Jno. Bateman, Highgate. 
Rose Congress at the Antwerp Exhibition. 
As previously announced in the Joxmial of Horticulture a Show of 
Roses and other flowers will be held at the Antwerp Exhibition on 
July 1st and 2nd. In connection with this a Rose Congress commences 
on Sunday, July 1st. A programme of the proceedings has been issued, 
and amongst other subjects discussed will be the formation of an Inter¬ 
national Rose Society, synonyms of varieties in cultivation, a popular 
vote as to the best 100 Roses, best methods of managing Rose shows, 
different species for grafting, and the reduction of the number of 
varieties of Roses in catalogues. Those persons who intend to take part 
in the Congress should communicate with Mr. J. B. Lenaerts, 60, Rue 
des Fortifications, Antwerp, Belgium, from whom further particulars 
may be obtained. 
Roses in New Zealand. 
We must all try to help “Rimu” (page 435), the rosarian brother 
on the other side of the world, in his perplexities, and I hope someone 
will do it better than I can. The best book on the species is “ The 
Rose Garden,” by Mr. William Paul; but the whole matter of classifica¬ 
tion is in an unsatisfactory state, and is likely to become still further 
confused as hybridisation goes on, unless fresh, broader, and wider lines 
of demarcation are agreed upon. 
It is difficult to distinguish Rosa centifolia from R. gallica by mere 
description, or even in any case ; or R. arvensis from some of the old 
forms of R. multiflora, unless it be that the former species has more 
slender and rapidly running shoots, and is generally more hardy ; but 
R. alba, not being a climber, is easily distinguished from these, and is 
probably meant by the shrubby bush bearing white flowers once a year. 
In Polyanthas, the variety known as Polyantha simplex, and now 
being tested as a stock, according to the recommendation of Mons. 
Viviand Morel at the Chiswick Rose Conference, is of strong climbing 
growth, while Paquerette, with its charming companions, is miniature 
in growth as well as in flower. The pink Rose, used as a stock and 
called “ Celini,” would, I suppose, be De la Grifferaie, but I do not 
know the Seven Sisters. 
Many Roses are more or less red-barked, though R. rubrifolia is 
conspicuous in this respect; but why does “ Rimu ” bother about single 
and summer Roses, when he can obtain and grow Hybrid Perpetuals, Teas, 
and Noisettes? A climbing Noisette called Rev. T. C. Cole is unknown 
to me, and so for the matter of that is Madame Zoutman. In sulphide 
of potassium it is the sulphur which is the specific for mildew, applied 
in a different manner and form doubtfully better than the old way, 
—W. R. Raillem. 
Rose Notes. 
One rather expected a letter in to-day’s Journal (Jlst May) from 
Mr. C. J. Grahame suggesting a date later than July 7th for the N.R.S. 
Crystal Palace Show, but perhaps he is sitting penitent in his “ back 
seat.” * During the somewhat heated discussion on the date of the C.P. 
Show I kept silence, not because I had no opinions to air, but because 
of the practical uselessness of airing them. However, I can remember 
quite as many dates fixed which have proved too early as those fixed too 
late. The month of May this year has upset all calculations, and has 
doubtless disappointed woefully many of our most enthusiastic exhi¬ 
bitors. The weather in Herts, Beds, and Surrey must have been excep¬ 
tionally severe, while in some parts of East Anglia great havoc has been 
wrought. In my own garden, which stands high, no damage worth 
noticing has been done. Potatoes and Runner Beans were not touched. 
I have just been through many acres of early Potatoes, and failed to find 
a single black leaf. Of course, owing to the cold winds, rain, and hail, 
all vegetation has been stopped. Mr. Lindsell’s letter on page 433 is sad 
reading, but he should not give up all hopes. It is wonderful how 
quickly Rose trees recover themselves after a fall, providing really 
genial weather immediately follows and continues ; a second check, of 
course is fatal to an exhibitor’s hopes. 
We in north Suffolk must be considerably later than our more 
southern friends, as my first “ Gloires ” on the house are only now 
opening, and yet I have a few Teas almost out in the open borders. 
Rubens has usually been the first to bloom with me, but this year 
Jean Pernet, strange to say, touches the tape first, followed by Souvenir 
d’un Ami and her “ princely ” offspring, with Marie Van Houtte and 
Madame Lambard in close company. Mr. Dunkin (page 433), I notice, 
is in favour of early pruning, weather permitting, and his remarks 
remind one of an article on the subject of pruning, in the “ Rosarians’ 
Year Book” of 1880, by the late Mr. George Baker. Mr. Baker wrote 
these words :—“Many, I know, advocate delaying the work [of pruning] 
until the month of March, though I confess I prefer rather an earlier 
date, and should say the last week in February, provided, of course, the 
weather be genial, for the nature of the season must always more or 
less guide our decision. My own experience has induced me to be in 
favour of the earlier date, because I fancy Rose trees cut about that 
time usually break more slowly and evenly, and by so doing are less 
likely to be injured by any low change of temperature we may after¬ 
wards experience. As the spring advances they also make more growth 
than those trees that are cut later.” 
I have often wished that the N.R.S, would reprint in leaflet form 
this article on pruning by the late Mr. G. Baker, and enclose a copy to 
each member of the Society when the annual report is sent out. I am 
very glad to hear that the Roses under Mr. H. Dunkin’s good care have 
escaped injury. About two miles from Warwick Castle, in my brother’s 
garden, the plants have been injured.— East Anglia. 
P.S.—Mr. C. J. Grahame objects to your correspondents adopting a 
nom deplume. Perhaps he keeps a private secretary ! My own experi¬ 
ence, after signing my full name and address, has been such as to more 
than justify the modest request of the Editor of the Journal, “ that no 
one will write privately to any of our correspondents, as doing so 
subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and expense.”—E. A. 
Rose Jottings. 
Except in a few cases rosarians are probably in better spirit about 
their favourites than two weeks ago. We certainly experienced a rough 
time, both as regards frost and cold winds, but there is not so much 
damage in my district (Sussex) as I feared a short time back. Warm 
weather and showers are hurrying the growths on again, and although 
we are likely to suffer with deformed flowers from the earliest buds, the 
main crop seems fairly safe. _____ 
Summer pruning of climbers and extra vigorous growers has been a 
practice with me for some years, and we shall soon commence upon 
walls and among a few which are pegged down in front of a shrubbery. 
In the latter case we cut away the flowering wood and tie up the new 
shoots to a neat stake ; meanwhile pricking out some annuals in the 
space between each stool. This avoids the blank and gives a welcome 
change of colour. I do not remember such as Madame G. Luizet to flower 
more freely than they promise this season, and Margaret Dickson is 
almost equally full as regards numbers, but I am disappointed to find it 
so thin under glass, and also last autumn out of doors. 
Stocks for budding need a little attention now. Briars for standards 
must be confined to the few breaks to be operated upon, or we shall have 
considerable difficulty later on to work among them, seeing they are 
breaking and growing so freely. Dwarf stocks may also be looked over 
and any suckers removed. Briar seeds sown last spring did not germi¬ 
nate during 1893, but this season are coming up in a more than usually 
satisfactory manner, while those transplanted during the past season 
look very promising ; indeed, all Rose stocks present a vast contrast to 
last season at this time. 
