262 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f SeptfemBer 20; 1888.. 
grew ‘just anyhow.’ The owner fearing to lose the crop gathered them 
early, and they do not appear to have attained full size.” 
The fruits have unfortunately been gathered too soon, and have 
shrivelled in consequence without the flavour being developed. It is 
evidently an early dessert Apple. Mr. Garrod considers it resembles 
the “ Margeton,” some fair specimens of which we shall be glad to see 
with the object of determining their identity ; in the meantime we 
a 1 vise the owner to take care of his sportive seedling, protect the 
blossoms from frost next spring if necessary, and we shall be glad to 
know of the nature of the succeeding crop of fruit. 
THE MANETTI STOCK. 
How strange Mr. Murphy’s praise of the Manetti as a stock reads on 
pige 251 of the Journal. Personally, I long since came to the conclusion 
ill it except for manufacturing yearly Rose plants upon—particularly 
for, late budding—the Manetti is worse than useless, for if most Roses 
cannot live without it they will not live with it in many soiD, and I 
even think some good Roses have gone out of cultivation chiefly through 
it; Olivier Delhomme, for instance, and Marie Baumann hate it.—S. S. 
SPORTS. • 
“ Y. B. A. Z. ” gives some information as to his experience of Mer- 
veille de Lyon sporting. It is not at all unusual where a number of 
this Rose is grown, as is the case here, to see pink flowers growing on 
plants here and there. More than this, I have seen several times Rose 
blooms one half white and one half pink. I should say that these 
blooms are generally a little imperfect. Last summer being very dry, 
I noticed a great number of the blooms were pink, but I think in all 
cases the blooms this season have returned to the proper colour—viz,, 
white. My general experience of Merveille de Lyon is, that it is very 
similar to Lady Mary Fitzwilliam and the new Lady Alice this far, 
that where we plant twenty-four Merveille de Lyons we shall probably 
get one or two Baroness Rothschilds, and where we plant a dozen Lady 
Marys half of them will be Lady Alices early in the season, and the 
o her half will he ditto later on.—D. Gilmour, jun. 
HANETTI8 AT NE WTOWNWARDS. 
Mr. Murphy mentions my name in connection with his article on 
page 251, and seems to be labouring under the impression that if Roses 
do well on the Manetti the first year, or from the bud in a genial 
climate, that the Manetti must be the proper stock to grow Roses cn. 
It is notorious that Manetti Roses will make a grand growth and bloom 
well the first year with the nurseryman. Poor consolation to the buyer, 
who finds them fail w r hen he gets them. It is notorious, too, that after 
the first year the growth and the blooms together grow “ small by 
degrees and beautifully less,” “until death closes the painful scene.” 
I could go on pitching into the Manetti over several sheets, but I 
fear the editorial pen might strike some of it out. I will, therefore, 
content myself with two facts and a prophecy. Fact one—Nearly all 
the leading amateur prizetakers are dead against Mr. Murphy’s stock. 
Fact two—My experience of the Manetti extends over many years and 
over many thousands of plants. The Yankees say “ Never prophesy 
unless you know,” but in spite of this I believe and prophesy that 
twenty years from now the Manetti will not be known in the leading 
nurseries.—D. G. 
ROSES IN WINTER, 
(Continued from page 243.') 
I like Roses on their own roots, but should not think of thus working 
up a stock of Niphetos for planting. Without doubt it will do better 
on the seedling Briar anil grow with greater luxuriance. Those 
worked close upon the root are preferred, so planting or potting is 
impossible without burying the union ; deep j lanting is then avoided, 
and the consequences that might follow such a practice. 
If I grant, for the sake of argument, that plants either on their 
own roots or suitable stocks become exhausted when planted out 
earlier than those grown in pots, then I should advise the former system 
of culture in preference to the latter. I do so because in the end it 
would be the most economical, and the greater quantity of blooms and 
their superior quality would more than compensate for recruiting, or 
even the renewal of the plants and borders. If I were to attempt, 
which is not necessary, to draw a comparison of the co-t of production 
in each case, the balance would undoubtedly be in favour of planting 
out. If the strain of forcing plants in pots and the treatment necessary 
to keep them as healthy' as possible did not enfeeble their growth, why 
do so many growers have two batches and plant them outside alter¬ 
nately ? Without entering into details, such practice points uumistake- 
ably to the conclusion that has already been arrived at. 
If we glance at a batch of plants under pot culture, is the treatment 
they must annually receive calculated to keep them in' luxuriant health V 
When they are placed into large pots and established' in them, how long- 
would they remain in a satisfactory condition at their roots if the soil 
was not partially renewed annually 1 Let the plants alone at their- 
roots, and the soil in a very limited period will not encourage robust 
growth, without which blooms of the first quality and in such quantity 
as to render them remunerative cannot be produced. Repot them: 
annually, and healthy strong growth will certainly be insured provided 
other necessary treatment is right, but it cannot be accomplished 
satisfactorily without mutilating the roots to a serious extent. As far 
as I can judge, the treatment that must be accorded to plants in pots is- 
of such a nature as to bring them into an exhausted condition in a third 
the time that would be the case with those planted ont. 
I have proved that Roses planted out will last for at least a dozen 
years without the renewal of the plants and borders. The evil to be- 
avoided is overfeeding, and more plants fail from this than any other 
cause. Strong doses of liquid soon poison the border, and the renewal 
of it and the plants is a certainty within a very limited time. 
If exhausted plants are to be recruited, they should not he allowed 
to decline too far before they are operated upon. If they are neglected' 
until they reach the last stages of their existence, then the rubbish 
heap is the best place for them, restarting with young plants. With- 
those planted out, when the bolder needs trenching up and partially or 
wholly renewing, as the case may be, perhaps the best course is to have 
strong plants in 9 or 10-inch pots ready to take their place, so that no- 
serious break in the supply of blooms will occur. But the old plants 
can be restored to health. These should be lifted in June after they 
have made a fair quantity of firm wood and show signs of resting. As 
many fibres as possible should be preserved, and the plants potted' 
quickly. If they can be placed in a shady position outside, and well 
syringed two or three times a day to keep their foliage fresh, they will 
soon commence root activity. When this takes place they will not be 
long before they start into growth, by which means they quickly become 
established. The border in the meantime should be renewed and the: 
plants placed in it again by planting them without breaking the balls.. 
They will continue making weak growth, and must be thoroughly 
rested during the winter. They must be pruned hard back in January,, 
and if allowed to start slowly it is surprising what strength they will 
attain within a year from the time they were lifted. To recruit plants, 
in pots that have been forced early, the balls should be reduced to at 
least two-thirds by carefully working out the old soil from amongst the 
roots. They should be placed in smaller pots, and afterwards shifted as 
required. After reducing the balls and repotting, the plants should be- 
plunged in a shady place at first. During the winter prune them 
closely, leaving only a few inches of the old stems above the soil, and 
if allowed to come forward in a cold house or frame they will push 
shoots of the most vigorous description. If the old stumps were not 
visible at the base, they would within a year have the appearance of' 
robust young plants.— Wm. Bardney., 
PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Although Strawberries are easily grown, they are very often- 
carelessly cultivated, this entailing a waste of labour as well as of 
land, and resulting in poor crops and deficient fruit. Some varieties 
will endure more ill and careless treatment than others, but all are- 
more or less impaired by improper treatment. Many growers of 
Strawberries make no provision whatever to protect and select the 
runners, nor even to treat those they obtain with the care that is 
necessary for producing fine plants and fruit. A very usual custom,, 
even in some otherwise well-regulated gardens, also in market 
gardens, is to gather the fruit and tread down the runners, at the- 
same time spoiling most of them, and apparently caring for none. 
When the runners are lifted the work is often done roughly, the 
young plgnts thrown into a basket, then often allowed to stand 
in the sun for a considerable time drying the roots. This check at 
the outset is fatal to the production of a satisfactory crop of fruifc- 
Sometimes basketfuls of runners are placed in a shed for several 
days, and more mischief is done in dressing them by cutting off 
many leaves. No good leaf should be removed from a Strawberry 
plant. After all this manipulation and mutilation, the plants are- 
either laid in rows as thickly as they can be packed, or planted 
permanently with a common dibber, the roots in both cases being 
pressed tightly together. This entirely prevents free growth, and 
substantial fruitful plants cannot result from the process. A 
plantation of Strawberries thus carelessly made' never yields a fair 
or even half a crop. 
Strawberry bods are too often allowed to become a mass of 
runners and weeds, and to remain so until the autumn, if not till 
the following spring. The labour in cleaning the plantation is then* 
considerable, and the ground is filled with seed's for raising more- 
weeds to choke the Straw'berry plants. All this is preventible by 
the timely application of a hoe, and at less than a twentieth part of 
the expense incurred through dilatory action, while a gain of 
100 per cent, follows correct treatment. Weeds. In the soil and 
