312 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 4, 1888. 
the lasting qualities of Rose plants on the Manetti stock, and one 
staunch supporter of the foreigner in his vigorous onslaught upon 
“ D. G.” asks for the opinion of others upon the subject. Since we had 
hut a few stocks yearly, just as many as my sister and I can manage 
between us—we have no Rose man—my experience is certainly a limited 
one, and it must be taken for what it is worth. We have tried the stock 
in question on many soils but a really good Rose soil, and whether on 
light land with a gravel subsoil or stiff yellow clay, it makes no differ- 
-ence, the Manetti is a failure as regards its lasting qualities. We have 
discarded it as a stock for the last two years, and are gradually getting 
rid of all cut-backs budded upon it. Perhaps it may find favour with 
some large growers for the following reasons:—1, Cuttings of it strike 
well; 2, It does not ripen as soon as the Briar, and so may be budded 
when these have ceased to run. Another advocate states that he has 
plants on Manetti “over twenty years old, and still vigorous and 
healthy.” Then I should say they are really flourishing on their own 
roots, with the Manetti just existing but required no longer. This, at 
least, is how plants on Manetti serve us; and I do not like own-root 
Roses for exhibition purposes. The seedling Briar, perhaps, requires 
more care as a stock; but when budded it certainly with us produces 
finer and more lasting plants than any cutting stock, and I believe it to 
be the stock of the future. The foreigner must go home.— Joseph H. 
Pemberton. 
It would be an interesting contribution to the Manetti controversy, 
on which there is much to be said on both sides, if someone would 
write to say he had lifted Manetti-worked Rose plants, not less than, 
say, five years old, on which no sucker had ever appeared, and found 
good living Manetti roots to them. I have never succeeded in such 
cases in positively identifying any of the live roots as belonging to the 
Manetti; and if, as some think, the Manetti invariably dies sooner or 
later if it cannot form a shoot of its own, there is no hope of sustained 
life for a Rose budded on it except in making roots for itself, which 
it, generally succeeds in doing more or less. If this be true the flourish¬ 
ing old plants of Mr. Murphy and Mr. Russell are simply Roses on their 
own roots, and it seems to be doubtful if the Manetti can properly be 
called a stock at all in the usual acceptance of the term. 
But Mr. D. Gilmour is probably mistaken in thinking it will there¬ 
fore fall into disuse. It is easier and more certain in budding, and 
makes more wood the first year than any other stock, and these qualities 
.alone render it a most desirable one to use for the propagation of new 
and valuable H.P. Roses. It is also early to grow and to bloom, and 
many K.P.’s do well on it the first year. “ S. S.” speaks of Marie 
Baumann disliking it. I cannot get this Rose to do well on any stock ; 
it seems to be deteriorating, as it used to be considered the one Rose 
always good in any season. But the best twelve I ever saw of it, shown 
by Mr. B. R. Cant, were cut, his foreman told me, almost entirely from 
Manetti. Messrs. Harkness also use Manetti exclusively I believe for 
H.P.’s, and Mr. R. N. G. Baker, the present holder of the amateur 
champion challenge trophy, used to rely upon it very largely if he 
does not now. Lesser lights in the Rose world, like myself, may well 
consider these examples, but some will succeed where others fail. 
I, though quite willing to be convinced, can do nothing with it, 
except in “ manufacturing yearly Roses,” which I find to be quite 
worth while in the case of some varieties ; and I suppose it is no crime 
for an amateur to do this, especially if he gives the plants away in 
November, and honestly tells the recipients of his bounty that they will 
not grow.—W. R. Raillem. 
PROGRESS OF FRUIT CULTURE. 
Judging from what is taking place in the West of England, 
the rising generation will undoubtedly be better supplied with 
home-grown fruit than has been the case for some years past. 
On all sides large numbers of the most serviceable varieties of 
fruit are being or have recently been planted, and I am informed 
that the demand for Apple trees especially is so much on the 
increase that stocks for grafting purposes cannot be bought under 
at least twelve months’ notice. Excessive zeal frequently needs a 
wholesome check, as it is easy for an enthusiast to err in planting 
in a wrong place ; and also what may not after all prove really 
profitable to anyone. An orchard situated far away from a large 
town or from a railway would be a doubtful investment, and should 
be avoided as much as possible. 
Those who are on the point of commencing hardy fruit culture 
on a large scale cannot be too often warned against putting all their 
eggs in one basket. In other words, it is most unwise to depend 
solely upon one or two classes of fruit. It is the mixed orchards 
that pay much the best in the long run, as in these a general failure 
rarely, I may say never, occurs. By failure I mean in the sense of 
no crops resulting, as, unfortunately, it is possible for immense 
crops of some kinds of fruit, notably Plums, to be obtained, and 
a loss be the consequence owing to the difficulty of obtaining 
remunerative prices after railway and other much too heavy charges 
have been met. The intending planter ought not only to seek 
•competent advice as to what should be planted, but he ought also 
to look well ahead in order to feel certain he will be able to dis¬ 
pose of his produce to the best advantage. Inexperienced capitalists 
or landed proprietors who may fortunately have a good sum of 
money at their disposal, ought to be told that there are no Heaven 
sent or born fruit growers, and all should walk before they attempt 
to run. 
Much depends upon the nature of the soil, and more especially 
the subsoil, as in some districts it would be little short of madness 
to attempt fruit-growing on a large scale. I may be told that it 
is possible to improve and render almost any land fit for fruit 
culture ; but granting this for the sake of argument only, the 
question yet remains, Would it pay to do this ? I say no. A good 
site may be a decided gain ; but here again the question arises, 
What is a good site ? As a matter of fact, the experienced planter 
would much prefer to establish several orchards in different posi¬ 
tions rather than be confined to one site. In this way he guards 
against a huge failure. The low-lying orchards stood the drought 
well last year ; and thanks to this and the shelter afforded were 
but little injured by cold winds, and are the most productive this 
season. At least such is the case as far as my experience goes, and 
at all events I have it on the best authority that the distributed 
orchards on one large property are a decided success, no mistake 
being made in planting in that way, a general failure not having 
resulted since the outset, or say for five consecutive years. 
It is the owners of landed property that should do the planting, 
even if they do not actually conduct the experiment to a successful 
issue. Not only have they every advantage in their being in a 
position to select various sites, but they have also the knowledge 
that they will not, at a short notice, be obliged to quit the land 
and leave to others the benefits that ought to accrue to themselves. 
The least that those who rent land can do is to insist upon having 
it on a long lease, or say not less than a twenty-five-years term. 
Some may have been debarred from planting with the idea that 
several years must elapse before they get any adequate return for 
their outlay. If any ordinary Apple or Pear orchard is planted, 
it is several years before much fruit can reasonably be expected; 
but the experienced or well-advised planter closely crops the inter¬ 
vening spaces till such times as the trees cover the whole of the 
ground. Rows of bush fruits are planted between the standard 
trees, and between the former are grown Strawberries. The latter 
are the first to be productive, and remain profitable till such times 
as the Gooseberries, Currants and Raspberries want all the space. 
All the latter eventua'ly make way for the now large and most 
profitable Cherry, Damson, Plum and Apple trees; and in this 
manner not more than one or the first season is lost. This intro¬ 
duces another advantage attending the system of extending the 
planting over a series of years rather than making one large planta¬ 
tion at the outset, as, in addition to gaining good experience as to 
what is the most reliable, the requisite supply of small fruits is 
ker t up. It is the latter that will always prove the most constantly 
prolific ; and if a ready sale is found for this class of produce will 
in the end be found the most remunerative. 
Here comes in the greatest difficulty all fruit growers, whether 
on a large or small scale, have to contend with—viz., the uncertainty 
attending the marketing of the fruit. This ought always to be 
faced and well thought out before any planting is done As a 
rule most small towns are fairly well provided with fruit, or at 
any rate few are capable of absorbing all that is produced in their 
immediate vicinity in yeirs of plenty. Of the difficulties and the 
disappointments attending upon a system of packing and sending 
the bulk of the fruit to a great distance, there is no need for me 
to enlarge. This part of the subject is only too apparent to all 
but quite superficial observers ; and if such fruit as Cherries, Plums, 
Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries and Strawberries have first to 
be carted a considerable distance to a railway station, and eventually 
handed over to the tender mercies of the salesmen in markets, it 
is a bad look-out for the grower. Enthusiasts overlook this diffi’ 
culty, and 1 am afraid have in many instances persuaded others 
that they have only to grow the fruit, and the demand will follow. 
On no class does the uncertainty of a fickle climate or the difficulty 
of effecting ready sales for a glut of fruit fall more heavily than 
it does on the proprietors or holders of small plantations or orchards. 
Unlike the large proprietors, they have no system of insurance, 
their eggs, to repeat a homely phrase, being all in one basket; and 
as a rule, they find large and regular buyers always prefer to do 
business with those who can guarantee a good and heavy supply 
every season. Apples and Pears can be sent away or stored, and 
good fruit can usually be sold to advantage ; but, as I have tried 
to prove, these alone will hardly pay. 
Evidently there is good room for numerous jam factories, and 
a never failing demand for good, wholesome preserved and bottled 
fruits generally, as well as for crystallised and dried fruits. One 
very large plantation or series of orchards is capable of keeping a 
large factory well employed all the year round; and if a number 
of smaller growers would co-operate, these, too, might share in the 
profits attending the business. A factory would absorb all the 
fruit grown; and if in the hands of an independent firm would 
