December so, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
562 
beautiful delicate creamy yellow in colour, habit identical with Madame 
Desgrange. Another sport, deeper yellow, has also appeared ; the colour, 
however, is not greatly wanted. Piercy’s Seedling, orange yellow, very 
free and good habit, will do without staking. Alice Butcher, bronze 
sport from Lyon, very free, the best of its colour. Grace Attick, white 
Japanese, opening in July. M. Van Hulle, bronze, fimbriated petal, 
very free. 
Mr. Piercy of Forest Hill, though only possessing a garden of very 
modest proportions, has been doing good work in seedling raising. He 
finds that if old plants are put out early enough to bloom in July, with 
a few semi-doubles, as Hartland’s Marguerite among them to supply 
pollen, the bees and flies will cross enough flowers to secure plenty of 
fertile seed. I saw three extremely promising varieties, at present only 
under numbers, which will be sent out next year if stock permits. 
Of new incurved I have seen nothing worthy remark except the fine 
bronze sport from Mr. Bunn, H. Shoesmith, which will be a useful 
addition. The purple sport from Princess of Wales will be acceptable 
to the exhibitors, but is rather dingy in colour. 
There are two or three fine additions to the Anemone class—Madame 
Robert Owen, grand white; Sabine, pretty primrose yellow; and 
Nelson, purple, the last being least desirable, being rather coarse. 
After the rush of new Japanese the last few years bringing some fine 
novelties, if much that was inferior, it is disappointing to have very little 
beside rubbish to chronicle this year. It appears that the Frenchmen 
having made a market are proceeding, as they did with Roses, to deluge 
it with utter trash. Of ten of Ddlaux novelties, which I purchased as 
the cream of the set, nine are now on the rubbish heap, the exception 
being Madame Louise Leroy. Of new kinds which have been exhibited 
the following appear valuable :— 
M. Bergman (Ddilaux).—Style of Mr. Garnar, but richer and deeper 
in colour. 
Magicienne.—Fawn, shaded bronze and yellow. 
Etoile de Lyon.—Blush white, shade rosy pink, but rather coarse. An 
immense flower, but rather coarse. 
Vieil Or.—Old Gold, grand flower, after Golden Dragon, but narrower 
in petal and much fuller flower. Then the finest novelty of the year, 
Sunflower, bright golden yellow, grand flower, with very long outer 
petals, which droop gracefully all round in the same manner as in Belle 
Paule. 
In addition to these a number of very promising seedlings, which it 
would, perhaps, be unwise to particularise until seen in better order, 
have been imported via America. These, though suffering from the 
effect of the early frost which did so much mischief, appeared to me so 
promising as to give hopes that we may shortly be independent of the 
continental raisers, and enabled to give them what they so much need 
—viz., a year or two’s complete leisure from selling to enable them to 
prove their seedlings instead of delegating that work to us. 
WINTER CUCUMBERS. 
Those whose task it is to keep up a continuous supply of 
Cucumbers through the winter months are well aware of the careful 
treatment the plants require to keep them in a healthy bearing 
state, and any hints that can be obtained are sure to claim atten¬ 
tion and criticism. The cultural notes by Mr. W. H. Ward on 
page 513, useful as they no doubt are to many, are open to some 
comment. 
In the first instance does Mr. Ward seriously believe that front 
and top ventilation in December absolutely necessary to insure 
success ? If such is the case I should imagine the climate in his 
immediate neighbourhood is of exceptional mildness. I think I can 
lay claim to having been and still being fairly successful in their 
cultivation, and we never find it necessary to open the ventilators 
either top or bottom after the first week in November. Our only 
weakness for a fixed temperature is shown in the endeavour to 
maintain the temperature as near 60° as possible both day and 
night through November and from December onwards, raising it 
5° or 10° according to circumstances. Should we be favoured with 
a glimpse of sunshine through these generally dull months growth 
is stimulated by the rise of temperature, and also consolidated by 
the additional light. What I consider so prejudicial to healthy 
fruitful growth is the practice of forcing hard through the dull 
dark days. Weak attenuated growth is the result of that, and 
generally the total collapse of the plants before the end of the 
year. From experience I have come to the conclusion that what I 
term the “ sun bath ” is an important item in obtaining fruitful 
growth, which nothing but the rays of the sun can produce. The 
practice of giving air is, I consider, open to several objections. W e , 
let the previous sun-heated air escape that gives life and energy 
to the plant and admit in its place a body of cold air. For what 
purpose ? merely to keep the temperature at the precise point 
prescribed by horticultural faddists. We also promote evaporation 
and favour the escape of moisture, and consequently induce the 
attack of red spider, mildew, and other pests. 
Why do we ventilate ? is a question I have sometimes asked 
brother craftsmen, and if the answer is more amusing than instruc¬ 
tive it is, I suspect, because this simple operation is practised more 
by rote than by circumstantial requirements. I hold the minimum 
temperature should be the only fixed one, and this should be ruled 
by the number of degrees rise that the sun will produce at that, 
particular time of year. For instance, through November, when 
the maximum temperature desired is 80° or thereabouts, the power 
of the sun’s rays, owing to the obliquity of the earth, can seldom 
raise the temperature of a plant house more than 20°, so that the 
minimum of 60° will be found about right. Towards the end of the 
month and through December the minimum can be raised to meet 
the still less heating power of the sun, and continue to do so until 
the turn of the year, even if the temperature should rise to 85° or 
even 90°, as it will sometimes do in bright frosty weather. When 
the fires have been kept going sharp to keep up the increased 
minimum there is no occasion for alarm, much less for opening the 
ventilators, as owing to the low point of the sun’s meridian at this 
time of the year its influence is of short duration. 
After the turn of the year, contrary to what would seem the 
proper theory—viz., to reduce the minimum according as the sun’s- 
power increased, we find that the plants will finish their career 
creditably towards the end of March under very strong heat, a 
plentiful supply of moisture, and absolutely no ventilation what¬ 
ever, and this, with a freedom from mildew and red spider, that 
advocates of free ventilation appear to suffer from. 
One word as to mildew. Mr. Ward appears to believe that its 
appearance is caused by the excess of atmospheric moisture. How 
he arrives at this conclusion would, I think be interesting to many 
who are troubled with this dire pest, though I believe this is a 
theory that is very popular. I am totally opposed to the idea of a 
hot moist atmosphere being favourable to its growth, and why this 
opinion has gained ground I am at a loss to say, unless that the 
mould engendered by damp organic matter is believed to be in 
some way connected by a fancied similarity of organism.— 
M. Coombe. 
ANOTHER ROSE BOOK. 
Cultural Directions for the Rose, with Descriptions of the Newest and 
Best Roses in Cultivation adapted to various circumstances and 
situations, $c. By John Cranston, King’s Acre Nurseries, near 
Hereford. Seventh Edition, revised. 
If “ in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom ” then ought 
Rose-growers to be amongst the wisest of the earth ; books of all: 
sorts are written for them, and instructions are weekly provided in 
the various horticultural publications, of which there is certainly no- 
lack. Amongst those who have given to the world the result of their 
experience is the author of “ Cultural Directions for the Rose,” which 
was published thirty years ago, and has now reached its seventh 
edition. Those who have seen Mr. Cranston’s flowers at Rose shows, 
and, above all, those who have ever visited his nurseries at Hereford, 
will be fain to acknowledge that no one is better qualified to tell us 
about the Rose than the popular author of this book, and in this- 
edition he has certainly striven to make more secure his claim to be 
one of the best instructors we have on the subject of which he writes. 
On the subject of stocks there is still a good deal of difference of 
opinion. The tendency is unquestionably towards the substitution of the 
Briar for the Manetti. Mr. Cranston is a strong advocate for the latter ; 
he has strong reason to praise it, for it has stood him in good stead in 
times past; but on such a soil as his we should have supposed that plants 
on the Briar seedling or Briar cutting would have succeeded best 
indeed, the last time that we visited his grounds we noticed large 
quantities of the seedling Briar were being worked, and it is somewhat 
remarkable that although other stocks have been from time to time 
praised up, still the two which Rose-growers mostly know are the Briar 
in some of its forms and the Manetti. 
On the subject of pruning there are some excellent directions given.. 
Although perhaps a little too much stress is laid upon the obtaining of 
symmetry in the plants, it is easy to give directions, and with the com¬ 
paratively young plants of a nursery it is more practicable than in 
private gardens, where plants of four or five years of age will not 
conform themselves so readily to the operator. Like most Rose-grower& 
