August 1 G, 1888 .1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
143 
those that would possess the requisite colour and size to be saleable 
during those months. For home use, however, delicate buds in quantity 
.■may be had if a house is devoted to their culture. Few flowering plants 
will yield a return that will be more highly esteemed. 
Two courses are open for the attainment of this object. The one is 
-to grovv the plants exclusively in pots, and the other in pots up to a 
■certain stage, eventually to be planted out. For years we followed the 
former, but prefer the latter, not solely on principles of economy, but 
because the plants that will be recommended for the purpose have youth 
and vigour on their side. Young plants worked in spring or rooted 
from cuttings are suitable for this purpose. Plants on their own roots 
are decidedly the best, because they push up more freely from the base, 
although the former may be resorted to if wood for cuttings is not 
available. If the plants are to be grown in pots they should have the 
treatment described for young plants up to the middle of September, 
when they may be allowed to make growth and form buds. For plant¬ 
ing out, cuttings must be rooted in February, and potted twice, first into 
‘3-inch and finally into 5-inch pots. If the plants are grown in heat 
until the middle of June they should be gradually hardened, and placed 
afterwards in cold frames with a fair amount of ventilation until the 
end of July or early in August, when they should be planted out. From 
that time small Melon houses or similar structures can be set at liberty, 
and are admirably suited for the purpose. Some of the soil in which 
Melons have been grown can be removed, and leaf soil moderately 
rough may be added to nearly one-half, with about one-seventh of horse 
droppings or decayed manure. A few wood ashes may be added ; they 
will do no harm, but the reverse. Old Melon soil is only given as an 
illustration. If good loam can be used it is preferable, but it is not 
necessary—in fact, the short time they are intended to occupy this posi¬ 
tion soil that has produced another crop will answer the purpose very 
well indeed. The soil need not exceed 6 or 7 inches in depth. 
A large number of Hoses can be planted out in even a small 
structure, as the beds may be filled to start with, and the more turned 
out the greater the quantity of flowers that will be produced. Plant¬ 
ing moderately thick without unduly crowding is advised. The 
plants should be turned out without breaking their roots, and in ten 
days or a fortnight they will be .rooting freely in the light soil 
surrounding them. Keep them close for a time after planting, and 
then carefully but liberally ventilate until the middle of September. 
As the temperature decreases both by day and night admit no air to 
the plants. The plants will grovv freely, and push up strongly from 
the base by the end of October. If the temperature at night is kept 
about 55°, they will continue growing, and flower profusely up to 
Christmas; in fact, we have had them continue until the end of 
Jannary, when it has been a pity to remove them, for the blooms have 
-then increased in size and colour. 
What is to be done with the plants afterwards depends upon circum¬ 
stances. If the house is wanted and blooms from other sources are 
ready to meet demands, they should be kept cool to harden them, when 
they may be lifted and stored in frames to be planted outside in 
February. If it is decided to pot them, they can be lifted with fairly 
good balls of roots, placed at once into 7-inch pots, and stood in a cool 
house or cold frame. Under any circumstances frost should be kept 
from them for a time. They should rest until the middle of March, and 
then be pruned closely back, nearly level with the surface of the soil, 
and allowed to break into growth under cold frame treatment. These 
plants need not be followed further, for they can either be grown for 
■ culture in pots to flower again in the autumn, or, better still, for 
flowering in spring the following season. To save the labour of raising 
young plants, they can be retained in the 7-inch pots and planted out 
again for flowering up to Christmas, but should not be kept after the 
second year. Persons wanting blooms at that period, and not having 
prepared for the purpose, may purchase worked Roses now in 5-inch pots, 
and plant them oirt as detailed. 
Rose blooms can be had from plants established in pots if they arc 
started early in the season, so that a good growth is well matured by the 
middle of June, when they may be repotted if they need it, and the thin 
puny growths removed by the middle of August. The plants will then 
break into growth, and have formed quantities of flower buds by the 
time it is necessary to house them. By close genial treatment indoors 
the plants soon break into growth, even while producing the flowers that 
are set outside, and flower freely up to Christmas. But when plants are 
confined inpots for several years, and subject to flowering at that period, 
they soon become weak, and need a season’s complete rest to recruit 
them. How to recruit exhausted plants will be more fully dealt with in 
another contribution.—W m. Bardxey. 
THE CHISWICK APPLE AND PEAK CONFERENCE. 
A schedule and circular of the Conference to be held in the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick, October 16th to 20th this 
year, have just been issued. The schedule enumerates thirteen classes 
for Apples, one each for fifty, twenty-four, and twelve varieties, with 
four others for twelve and six varieties of dessert and culinary varieties 
respectively, the others being for Apples from cordon, bush, or pyramid 
trees, standards in orchards, Bear trees on pyramid stocks as grown 
and sent to market, and for new varieties. To Pears ten classes are 
■ devoted, >arranged in a similar manner, but the largest class is for 
■thirty-six varieties. No mention is made of prizes or medals. 
In the circular the following particulars are given :— 
•“ In consequence of the great success of the Apple Congress in 1883, 
and the Pear Conference in 1885, and in order to bring up the reports 
then published to the present date, the Council of the Royal Horticultural 
Society has decided to hold another Conference on Apples and Pears 
in the Gardens at Chiswick, from the 16th to the 20th of October next. 
In the previous conferences it was held desirable to secure the repre¬ 
sentation of every variety of these fruits in cultivation, whether 
valuable or otherwise, so as to arrive by comparison at an estimate of 
their worth. This having been done, and duly recorded in the published 
reports, it is not now considered necessary to go over the same ground 
again. In the present Conference it is proposed to invite the exhibition 
of such varieties only as find favour, or may be considered thoroughly 
worthy of cultivation. 
!! One object of this Conference is to illustrate by facts and examples 
the present state and future prospects of commercial fruit culture in 
this country. It is consequently desired that contributors should 
endeavour as far as possible to furnish samples of fruit that are in 
favour in the markets of their several localities. All fruit growers are 
invited to exhibit, and the more widely the collections are procured 
(within the limits of the schedule), the greater the interest the exhibition 
will create. It is very desirable that every collection should be accom¬ 
panied with as much information as possible with regard to soil, 
exposure, and physical condition of the districts in which they have 
been grown ; for which purpose the accompanying forms are enclosed. 
All fruits exhibited should be distinctly labelled with the name or 
names under which they may be known, and as the specimens sent are 
strictly for examination, they must necessarily be at the disposal of the 
Committee if required. 
“ Persons willing to contribute papers bearing upon the subjects in 
hand are requested to communicate with Mr. Barron at an early date, 
stating the particular subject they are prepared to treat of. Arrange¬ 
ments for reading or publishing papers wPl be made by the Committee. 
All packages should be addressed to Mr. A. F. Barron, Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Gardens, Chiswick, and must be delivered on or before Monday, 
the 15th of October. Exhibitors staging their own fruit may do so on 
the 15th or on the morning of the lGth, to be ready for the inspection 
of the Committee. Notice of intention to exhibit must be given not 
later than Wednesday, 10th of October, stating the class or classes in 
which it is intended to exhibit, or the amount of space that will be 
required. All exhibitors will be admitted to the gardens free, and will 
receive a certain number of tickets, according to the extent of their 
exhibits. It is recommended that heavy packages be sent by goods 
train.” 
MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. 
On reading the article in No. 2073 (June 21st) of the Journal on 
the “ Duties and Difficulties of Gardeners,” many thoughts flitted 
across my mind. I thought of old associations, and many incidents 
of early life came vividly before me. Thoughts of old friends, 
successful friends, and unsuccessful friends. Some appeared to 
flourish and thrive go where they would. On the other hand, some 
always seemed to find uncongenial surroundings ; although they 
appeared to strive hard and keep on the road to prosperity, yet 
there always seemed to be a something to frustrate their endeavours. 
That the article by “An Old Servant ” contained some trenchant 
and practical sentences must be readily admitted ; but the genial 
ring which pervaded it, and the excellent advice given throughout, 
made it most instructive and readable. At the same time not a 
few gardeners were “ hard hit,” and I for one have not the least 
objection in stating that some of his thrusts went straight home. 
But to return to the heading of my paper. After nearly thirty 
years’ experience in the busy world of hjrticulture I have had 
some ups and downs, and have seen many who were considered 
good men fail, and even fall, when a few moments’ serious thought 
would have saved years of toil and trouble. Some have failed a,t 
one obstacle and some at others ; some from being too precipi¬ 
tate, and some through want of energy ; whilst not a few have 
blundered on the subject of this paper—“ Making Improvements. 
It is a fact tolerably well known that in many in-'tances on a 
gardener taking charge of a new situation he is not slow to find, or 
at least attempt to find, fault with his predecessor, and his inaugu¬ 
ration of his new office is marked by a continued agitation for 
alterations, or, as he is pleased to call them, improvements, when at 
the same time his employer is very reluctant that the existing state 
of things should be materially disturbed. With elderly peisons, 
more so than with younger ones, a disposition is often evinced to 
retain all the old associations of their homes as long as possible, and I 
think in such a case a gatdener should do all that he can towards 
keeping the place in a satisfactory state on the old lines to which 
his employer has become attached. I was in charge of an old 
garden some years ago, and not being satisfied with one part of it, 
I had the temerity to suggest an improvement, but was met with a 
mild rebuke that has lasted me to this day. It was an intimation 
that when the owner wanted improvements of the nature suggested, 
which involved cutting down trees and planting, he would take me 
into his confidence and say what he wanted, as he added, “ I shall 
most likely have to pay.” It may be readily inferred that if I 
