November 8, 1837. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTaGE GARDENER. 
377 
The descriptions are as exact as we can present them, 
and the results of the examination interesting and sugges¬ 
tive. Mr. Castle grows Buckland Sweetwater well, but 
he has not stated whether it forms seeds freely or not. 
"We have often seen large berries of it defective in that 
respect. Much more might be said on the setting, ston¬ 
ing, and swelling of Grapes, and the subject is left for the 
consideration of cultivators.] 
HELLEBORES. 
From the middle of November, and even earlier than this, 
when the giant of its race, H. altifolius (maximus) commences to 
flower, onward to the end of February, Hellebore flowers may be 
had in profusion. It is no wonder, then, that they rank among the 
.choicer flowers of the market at this time of the year. It was not 
of their value sn a cut state, nor yet their beauty in the garden 
generally, that I wish to say a few words, but to give a few brief 
observations as to the best season for planting them. The question 
is a vexed one, and one which is not easily settled. The old rule— 
viz., “ divide the roots immediately after flowering and transplant 
them,’’ does not hold good in the case of the varieties of Hellebores, 
■for at this time they will have made many of their new roots, 
which it is of the utmost importance should be retained, and this 
can hardly be the case if planting is done late in the season, or 
what will be more readily understood, after they have ceased 
flowering. Whatever may be the right time for planting these 
favourite flowers, I doubt not but that many have this year dis¬ 
covered the wrong time. One of the surest as well as one of the 
.most general signs of the varieties of Helleborus niger being un¬ 
happy is the absence of their foliage in summer time, the loss of 
which is due in a great measure to the new roots having been made 
and the planting done some three or four months after. The 
primary points for consideration, then, are these, that the planting 
ha done at a season when the newly forming roots may be preserved 
and the foliage retained intact. 
I have been watching these Christmas Roses for some years, 
and have noted some of their habits. The result of my observa¬ 
tions, as applied to the proper season for planting them, is that this 
should be done during October, or even at the end of September. 
My reasons are these. Towards the end of September the varieties 
of H. niger begin to emit new roots, which is continued throughout 
■October and November, and it is this particular set of roots which 
all who court success should endeavour to preserve. These early 
.autumn roots I place much faith in ; they are those large fleshy 
roots which are in healthy clumps emitted so freely direct from 
the rhizome which continue to grow for several weeks. In good 
soil they go down to a depth of 2| feet. Soon after the flowering 
is complete, which will vary according to the varieties, the young 
leaves commence to push forth, ar.d simultaneously with these 
begins the formation of a complete mass of small fibrous roots, the 
value of which can hardly be over-estimated. Therefore to pursue 
planting at such a time cannot but endanger the larger roots, and 
at the same time inflict an irreparable check on the smaller fibres 
which will take a season to recover. Too often is the loss of these 
xoots followed by the loss of foliage, and if a dry summer like that 
•of 1887 ensues, the plants will have a dry hard time indeed. I 
have been considerably assisted in these observations by growing 
.them largely in pots, by which I have been enabled to examine the 
plants from time to time without injuring them. 
Some eleven years since, in a garden under my charge, I had 
occasion to move some large clumps fully 2 feet across, the foliage 
of which spread out on the lawn, on account of their being planted 
too near the margin originally, and consequent upon their being 
.moved at a wrong time they lost the whole of their leaves, and 
pitable objects they were, notwithstanding that a large ball of 
.earth was taken with them and apparently little harm done to 
the roots. Luckily it was only necessary to move about three such, 
so that the remainder, of which there was a score of plants of 
■equal size, had the opportunity of displaying their superiority, and 
at the same time affording an illustration beyond doubt of their 
preference for remaining undisturbed. My advice, then, for all 
Hellebores of the niger section, is to plant at once, and for those 
who are desirous of lifting old clumps for the decoration of the 
greenhouse later on, to lift these and pot without delay, as by so 
doing the great majority of their roots will be saved. In the open 
ground it is almost impossible to provide them with a soil too deep 
or too rich, and once planted, allow them to remain for years un¬ 
disturbed, when, if all is well, you will annually be repaid by 
numbers of their useful flowers ; and if you can assist old 
established clumps with liberal supplies of liquid manure during the 
ummer time, it will all add to their vigour both in foliage and 
flowers. 
Of the varieties of H. orientalis and others, which constitute 
the Lenten Roses, I will not speak in detail. These may be planted 
now with equal success as the forms of H. niger, and any new 
planting should be made at once. In this particular they are not 
so fastidious, and may safely be planted any time from now till 
March, and I have planted them after flowering is complete, though 
I do not recommend its general adoption, since you entail the risk 
of losing much of the then current foliage, and which add consider¬ 
ably to their general beauty and picturesque bearing.—J. H. E. 
MELONS IN 1887. 
This year I grew in frames Melons A. F. Barron, received 
from Mr. Gilbert ; Marston Park, received from Mr. Iggulden ; 
and two of Mr. Abbey’s seedlings, which were sent me as W. 
Iggulden, but proved to be nothing like so good as that useful 
Melon, the seed of which I unfortunately lost when moving, and 
I am sorry to find the raiser (Mr. Abbey) is in the same plight. 
I also grew Read’s Scarlet, a seedling of my own, and Lunefield 
Hybrid. The results are as under. 
A. F. Barron I found rather tender at first, and it evidently re¬ 
quires a good deal of heat. It was with me deeply ribbed, but a 
friend of mine who grew it in a house had fruit with very slight 
ribs, and another friend who had it in a frame had only the very 
slightest sign of ribs. A peculiarity about this Melon is the 
rapidity with which it turns from a very deep green to yellow when 
ripening. In twelve hours I saw a fruit turn from deep green to 
yellow, much to my surprise. The skin is extremely thin, the flesh 
white and luscious, the flavour delicate, but in the latter quality it 
is surpassed by Marston Park. 
Marston Park, another whiteflesh, seemed at first as if it meant 
to perish, and I could not induce it to set the fruit, and when it did 
it was a long time ripening, but I was amply repaid, for the fruits 
were most delicate in flavour ; in fact, surpassed any Melon in that 
particular I ever tasted, and no doubt the hot summer contributed 
to this. The skin is very hard, and this will no doubt prove a good 
keeper. 
The two seedlings which ought to have been W. Iggulden were 
nothing like so good as the Melon whose name they borrowed. 
Lunefield Hybrid, a free setter and beautifully netted scarlet 
flesh, oval in shape, did not turn out so well as last year, but it is 
a good Melon. 
Read’s Scarlet is a first-class Melon for frame culture, and 
the fruits are extremely handsome, being very round, and the 
netting everything one could wish. It sets well, is hardy, and the 
fruits are very heavy. It is full flavoured, and several friends pro¬ 
nounced it the best Melon of all, but I cannot agree with that 
opinion, although it certainly was by far the most fruitful and use¬ 
ful. After I had cut the last fruit it set another crop, which would 
have matured had I not required the frame for another purpose. I 
can strongly recommend it for framework to those who like a 
scarlet flesh. I may add it keeps fairly well. 
Next season, through the kindness of Mr. Abbey, I hope to grow 
successfully his J. Wright, and if it only equals his W. Iggulden 
it will indeed be a good one, for T consider the latter the most 
useful and profitable Melon grown with quality to boot. 
Although it was a hot summer I gave no shading, and I attribute 
the extra quality of the fruit a good deal of this circumstance. To 
make up for want of shading I gave more air than usual, keeping 
the lights well up till three o’clock during the hottest part of the 
summer, and I was rather sparing with the waterpot. Good 
ventilation is in my opinion the main thing, feeding being a 
secondary consideration.—H. S. Easty. 
MILDEW ON ROSES. 
Mildew on Roses this year has been very prevalent in many locali¬ 
ties, and, on page 337 your correspondent, “ Olton,” asks, “ Is dryness at 
the root a cause ? ’’ I have long since pointed out that drought was one 
of the main causes by which the plants w. re ch. cited, and thus predis¬ 
posed to an attack of this destructive disease. Mildew no doubt may be 
brought into existence by many causes other than the one named—for 
instance, a wet, cold, saturated soil, the atmosphere in the same condi¬ 
tion, poor soil, overfeeding, in fact any cause that would enfeeble the 
energies of the plant and bring growth to a standstill. Any one of these 
causes or a combination might result in an attack. It is sometimes 
difficult to trace the origin of the disease to the right source. In 
seasons like the past it cannot be attributed to a saturated atmosphere 
or soil. It might, however, have its origin when the plant is growing in 
soil of an unfertile nature. If the plants are growing on well drained, 
deeply worked fertile soil, then in hot dry seasons it may safely and 
surely be the outcome of an insufficiency of moisture about the roots. I 
am of opinion that it is more often due to this cause than any other, or 
