442 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND vOTTAGE GARDENER L 
[ November 21, 1867. 
N.R.S. Catalogue, 1880. The rise of the Rose to its 
present glory is clearly traced. Rivers started the 
standard Rose, and a Duke paid .£1000 for 1000 plants. 
'Jhe Geant des Batailles came out in 1847. How many 
of our modern exhibitors ever saw it ? yet Rivers sold 
8000 plants of it in 1849. lie was superseded by General 
Jacqueminot in 1859, a superb blood-coloured H.P., 
which even yet can hold its own. Chas. Lefebvre was 
given to the world in 1861. He is a prime favourite with 
the reviewer, who tells a story well worthy of the witty 
Canon’s Rose book, how a mechanic somewhere told him 
that he had often “ run a mile and a half in his dinner 
hour just to get a peep at * Charlie,’ tvlio was then at 
his best.” 1864 was the great year of all, that gave us 
Marechal Kiel, a seedling from Isabella Crag, and one 
most utterly unexpected ; “ very much,” says Canon 
Hole, “ as if a dingy old sparrow had hatched a canary! ” 
I am glad to see Marie Baumann meets with full 
appreciation, “ the rule of form, more of the perfect than 
any other'Rose.” I must admit, however, to have rather 
failed in allegiance. A. K. Williams to my mind is now 
the only best and most perfect H. P. Also perhaps the 
Hybrid Teas hardly meet with the recognition they 
deserve. Mr. George Paul’s Cheshunt Hybrid and the 
red Gloire Reine Marie Henriette are little likely to be 
surpassed in their particular department. There is a 
handsome recognition of Mr. D’Ombrain’s services to the 
N.R. Society, which he may well be proud of, and with 
whose name should be joined Mr. Mawley’s, who becom¬ 
ing joint Secretary rather later has largely helped to build 
is up. 
One aspiration of the great unknown’s all will certainly 
join in heartily—Oh for “ a snow-white Charles Lefebvre, 
a Mdlle. Blanche Marie Baumann, a scarlet Lamarque, 
and a crimson Marechal Niel.—A. C. 
THE SETTING, STONING, AND SWELLING 
OF GRAPES. 
Two practical voices have been heard on the subject of the 
West Lynn Vines, the cultivator and his critic. Would there be 
any objection now to a word from the theoretical or quasi scientific 
observer of the West Lynn practice who “ gently put ” the question 
upon temperature at flowering time, and who is very much in¬ 
terested in more ways than one in all that concerns successful Vine 
culture ? The difficulties of complete fertilisation and of perfect 
stoning at West Lynn are not newly developed. Some singular 
freaks were early exhibited by some Black Hamburgh bunches. 
The berries were absurdly small, and the stoning abnormally de¬ 
ficient. A very accomplished critic on that occasion laid down two 
confident propositions, which were these—1, That no berry could 
develope to a satisfactory size without a proper complement of 
seeds ; and 2, that a sufficient addition of lime would, in this case 
at least, correct the defective stoning. Lime in great abundance 
was added at once, and yearly since, without effecting a cure, and 
Grapes of large size have often enough been found—are, I believe, 
to be found now—containing only two seeds. Thus it seems that 
the root of the evil requires to be sought in another direction. 
Now it appears to be assumed hy some that efficient stoning is 
synonymous with successful fertilisation, but I have not yet met 
with sufficient evidence to convince me of this, although some 
colour is given to the theory—if it be one—by the fact that quite 
unfertilised berries are always also stoneless. Yet Grapes giving 
every evidence of successful fertilisation, and as I have said, of 
good size, are grown with less than their proper complement of 
stones. On the other hand, the difficulties and defects of ferti¬ 
lisation at West Lynn are so apparent that attention may well be 
concentrated upon them for the present, whether successful stoning 
follows their correction or not. The berries here often will not set 
at all with the ordinary “ tap ” of the wires, but require a direct 
application of the pollen. Or, again, a bunch will sometimes set 
and produce respectable Grapes with the tap only, whilst other 
bunches which have been more carefully and directly fertilised, 
from the Hamburgh say, have yielded decidedly better berries. 
I, for oDe, do not at all believe that there is any solution in 
questions of soil or plant food. The soil contains naturally all 
other plant food but lime in great abundance, and clearly lime has 
been sufficiently added. I can answer for it also that any possible 
oxhaustion has been more than met by a generous supply of all 
that could be required. That lime is in a sense a liberator of plant 
food is undoubtedly true ; but mineral manures, whether set free 
by its means or not, are washed away very slowly indeed, though 
of course the same is not true of nitrogen in any form. Then as 
regards the mechanical nature of the soil. There are borders at 
West Lynn of very light, as well as of much more adhesive soil, 
and some are so constructed as to prevent the possibility of the. 
roots straying beyond them, and there is no difference in the 
obstinacy of the Grapes to fertilise. That such difficulties should 
have occurred at all to a cultivator so observant and careful as. 
Mr. Castle, seems to me an indication not only of the unexpected 
obstacles which all gardeners may expect at some time or other in 
their pursuit, but probably it is one also of some peculiarity of 
situation, or other local atmosphere or surrounding, such as that 
to which our present critic has directed attention hy a probably 
very valuable hint. Such peculiarities as lowness of situation,, 
nearness to the sea, and an area of retentive soil around the 
vineries may require to be met with differences of temperature 
and ventilation at a critical time to those usually provided, and 
may even necessitate some important departures from ordinary 
routine. 
It is to be hoped that an honest and modest confession of 
occasional and exceptional shortcomings amidst considerable merit, 
may be the means of benefiting others beside him who has made it. 
—Proprietor. 
[We cannot speak too highly of the manner in which Mr. S. 
Castle, the manager of the West Lynn Vineries, places facts before 
the public, whether they are in his favour as a cultivator or not.} 
I read with great interest the article by Mr. Stephen Castle 
concerning the fertilisation of Grapes, and I think we must look to 
other sources than lime in some instances to get the desired effect— 
i.e., the normal quantities of seeds, as on that depends the size the 
berries will ultimately attain. If we can induce the berries to per¬ 
fect the proper quantity of seeds it is an easy matter to get the 
berries to swell to a large size. One seed is not enough, as feed 
how we will the berries will not attain half the size they would if 
they contained three or four seeds. A good set is half the battle ia 
Grape-growing, and it is vexing when we see other gardeners, with¬ 
out the least trouble, induce the Grapes under their charge to set 
properly. In the late vinery here we have the following varieties :— 
Mrs. Pince, Alicante, and Lady Downe’s ; but the most surprising 
part is that with Mrs. Pince, which is considered a shy setter, we 
do not have the least difficulty ; it sets as freely as Black Ham¬ 
burgh, and the berries have from three to four seeds each. The 
berries are of good size, the bunches large and compact. Lady 
Downe’s also sets pretty well, but Alicante, which is considered a 
free setter, we have some difficulty with. It is rarely that the 
berries have more than one seed, but this is of a good size. Last 
season we had only one presentable bunch on three rods, in the 
others the berries being about the size of peas. This year we 
fertilised every bunch, but even now the result is not so satisfac¬ 
tory as we should like, although the bunches are full, and an 
ordinary observer would not notice them much. The soil used 
both for making the border and top-dressing is off the limestone 
formation in which Rhododendrons will not thrive unless the beds 
are prepared.— A. Young. 
ON FLOWER GARDENING. 
What a glorious season the past has been for out-of-door 
flowers! We had a cold late spring, and Roses and some other 
summer flowers were poor and of short duration, but the set-off 
has been all on the side of plenty. We perhaps have an advantage 
over many, inasmuch as we grow all kinds of flowers—annual, 
bedding out of all kinds, florists’ flowers and herbaceous plants— 
always with the proviso that they are in each case free-flowering 
and effective, and each sort is grown in sufficient quantity to make a 
good display. Bedding plants are in disfavour in some quarters 
owing chiefly to the unsuitability of the plants grown. The 
system I have adopted is to grow only those which are always 
satisfactory in our own garden, rigidly excluding those of even 
doubtful effect. The result, in a season like the present, has bee n 
complete success. Exactly the same system has been adopted with 
hearbaceous plants, and instead of having the portions of the 
garden devoted to these bare of flowers, we secure a continuous 
supply, and an effective display quite as good as, though of a 
different character from, the bedding plants. Some of the old 
flowers are still indispensable, but we occasionally obtain novelties 
