January 5, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
followinsf way :—About H inch of hay is spread over the bottom 
of the space left, and four sheets of packing paper are broken up 
and made soft by rolling them in the palms of the hands. These 
are spread so as to cover half of the space at the bottom, and the 
other half to-hang over the sides and ends of the box for turning 
over and packing in on the opposite sides when the packing is 
finished. A sheet of tissue paper is then spread over the bottom 
and up the sides, and the largest bunches of Grapes are placed in 
the four corners and wedged in with smaller bunches in the middle, 
and all are packed as closely together as possible. When the box is 
full another sheet of tissue paper is spread over the top of them 
and tucked in at the sides. The paper hanging over the sides is 
tightened and turned over and packed down on the opposite side, 
and the spaces between the sides of the box and the paper are 
packed as firmly as possible, so that it is impossible for any of the 
contents to move, no matter in what position the box is turned. 
Sufficient hay is packed on the top of the Grapes to render a little 
pressure necessary in screwing down the lid. The box is then roped, 
labelled, and despatched some 400 miles by rail and twenty by sea, 
after which it has to be conveyed some five miles by cart before 
reaching its destination. I have practised the above system of 
packing for the last twenty years, and I have never had a com¬ 
plaint made during that time of the fruit arriving in bad condition. 
Indeed, I have been told repeatedly that the fruit arrived in 
splendid condition, and that the Grapes looked as fresh after the 
long journey as if they had been newly cut off the Vines. 
Peaches are packed by themselves in tin trays, which hold two 
dozen each. The tray is divided into compartments and the fruit 
packed singly. A little hay is placed in each compartment and the 
fruit rolled in tissue paper, then enveloped in cotton wadding, and 
dropped gently into its compartment, and the corners packed with 
hay. The trays are dropped into a neatly fitting box, which hold 
three, and the lid screwed down tightly to prevent oscillation, 
which is all the packing necessary to ins are them for travelling 
long journeys without injury.—A. Pettigrew, Cardiff. 
THE SEEDLING BRIAR. 
Mr. W. R. Raillem’s article on Roses in the last number of the 
Journal was very interesting, and I read it with pleasure, as doubtless did 
many others, but I should like to correct a common error in connection 
with the seedling Briar. It is said that it sends its roots down deeper 
than the cutting does. This is a mistake, at any rate it does not apply to 
places where the treatment of this stock is understood. The seedling 
Briar, like all other seedlings, sends a shoot straight up into the air and a 
root straight down into the soil, and if we never transplanted it, but 
budded it, and allowed it to remain permanently in the seed bed, I am 
quite ready to admit that it would form a tap root, but I have ho doubt 
that most amateurs have received cutting Briar Roses from the nurse¬ 
ries with long coarse tap roots to them. Well, what do they do with 
them 1 “ Cut back short, of course,” says everybody. This is exactly 
what should be done with the seedling Briar when it is transplanted 
for budding. If it is done the roots will grow out just as horizontally 
as the cuttings do. If Mr. Raillem will allow me, I shall be glad to 
send him, through the Editor, a plant on the seedling Briar, when he 
can judge for himself if I am right or not. While on the subject of the 
seedling Briar, I may say that, in my opinion, the greatest merit it has 
is that it is grown from seed, seedlings being, as a rule, much more 
vigorous than cuttings. 
A word about Her Majesty. I give my experience for what it is 
worth, having grown 1500 plants of this variety last season. In my 
opinion this Rose is a decided acquisition ; coarse, no doubt, when grown 
in fertile soil and heavily manured, but if treated properly—that is, 
grown in poor soil and not pruned too hard—I believe the blooms will be 
exquisite in form and colour. I am afraid its weak point is mildew. 
Like Mr. Raillem, I never noticed thrips until this season, but I had an 
attack of it then. Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Captain Christy, Merveille 
de Lyon, and Her Majesty were in many cases completely spoiled. In 
dry seasons I fear thrips will always be a nuisance which knows no 
cure. 
I quite agree with Mr. Raillem that the non-ripening of the autumn- 
grown wood through loss of leaves or other causes is immaterial ; it is 
the lower buds on the spring-grown and summer-ripened branches that 
we should look to for next season’s blooms.—D. Gilmour, jun. 
ROSE MILDEW. 
The difficulty mentioned by Mr. W. Raillem on page 5.32, as to 
mildew appearing on forced Roses in a house which has never h.ad a 
Rose in it before and during the wintry months, is easily expLained. 
The simple spores would in all probability be taken into the house with 
the Roses. They are often present on Roses in large numbers when 
quite invisible to the unaided eye. The minute damp-proof and frost¬ 
proof boxes (perithecia) are only produced on the approach of cold and 
inclement weather. The fungus in this manner protects itself against 
impending destruction. In a greenhouse the fungus finds itself in a 
paradise of unchanging temperature, therefore as it has no need of 
winter perithecia it does not produce them, but goes on producing the 
simple spores in the summer fashion during the wintry months. To the 
fungus winter in the greenhouse represents capital summer weather, 
just suitable for mildew.— Worthington G. Smith, JDiuufahlr. 
MILDEW AND THRIPS. 
In reply to Mr. W. R. Raillem, in his interesting “Notes on Pa.st 
Rose Season” he will find the “perfect” mildew destroyer, which is 
a liquid preparation of sulphur, a great improvement on the old method 
of applying sulphur. It leaves no sediment on the leaves. The “swift 
and sure ” insecticide makes a capital destroyer of thrips. It is largely 
composed of petroleum, which is made perfectly soluble in cold water 
without the aid of an alkali. It can be used on plants in full bloom 
with safety. These preparations of the Horticultural and Agricultural 
Chemical Co. of Glasgow have been frequently advertised in your 
columns, and can be had from seedsmen.—S. C. B. 
ROSE STOCKS FOR ROSES. 
We hear a good deal from time to time about the relative merits of 
seedling Briars, cutting Briars, and Manetti stocks. I once procured a few 
Roses on all of them, and could not perceive any substantial advantages 
that one kind possessed over the other. Do all varieties of Roses succeed 
alike on these stocks ? I have also raised several Roses from cuttings, 
and found all the strong growers so established thrive quite as well and 
produce equally good blooms as when the varieties were budded on any 
of those stocks ; and, moreover, stocks of Gloire de Dijon, John Hopper, 
and some others when budded with different varieties appeared to 
answer as well as Briar stocks, seedling or budded, and the Manetti. 
There are always plenty of cuttings in gardens where Roses are grown, 
but it does not do to wait till the regular pruning time in March or 
April before inserting them, as not one in ten will strike then, but if 
made and inserted in October or early November few will fail if ripe 
wood be selected and a length of 6 inches is placed ivithin the ground 
and 1 or 2 inches remaining above it. Rose cuttings will strike root if 
inserted now, at least some of them will, but the sooner they are put in 
after the leaves change in the autumn the better. Inserting buds in. 
some of these own-root Roses was a freak of fancy, the employment of 
a few idle moments, without any calculation of ultimate results, which, 
however, proved satisfactory.—A Peddler. 
ARTIFICIAL MANURE.—A NEW ROSE. 
I DO not go in for Orchids. The only glass structures I have, in 
common with Mr. Chamberlain, are a few handlights, tumblers, and 
wineglasses, but will “ Dum Spiro Spero” tell me whether the artificial 
manure he recommends will do for Roses in the open air I If so, as an 
experimental philosopher, I will try it if he will furth r tell where I can 
get it, and when best to apply. My ambition for more than thirty 
years has been to obtain Rose blooms of the diameter of a dessert plate, 
and I have hitherto failed 1 I have a promising seedling Rose,which I 
purpose naming “ The Dean of Rochester.” So please register the 
name for two years, Mr. Editor, until I have fairly tested it.— Nil 
Desperandum. 
EXHIBITING AND JUDGING BOUQUETS. 
The various letters upon this subject have contained numerous points 
of interest and more or less importance, but there is one matter that 
seems to have escaped the attention of your correspondents, and to this 
I now wish to call attention. The principal object of classes for 
bouquets and other floral decorations at shows is presumably to improve 
the taste for such work generally, and especially amongst gardeners, who 
unfortunately seldom receive as much training as they need to meet the 
very numerous calls upon their skill in these times. That being so, I 
think classes should be devoted to gardeners as in other departments, 
some being open or for nurserymen. It places a gardener at a great 
disadvantage when he has to compete with persons in trade who buy 
large quantities of the choicest flowers, and can consequently always 
select the best for exhibition. Besides, the worn is often entrusted to 
specialists whose whole time is occupied in the business, and conse¬ 
quently the advantages are greatly in favour of the trade exhibitor. 
While these are allowed to enter with gardeners and win all the leading 
prizes year after year there is not likely to be any great a Ivance in the 
number of competitors, as in several cases it has practically amounted 
to a monopoly of the first prizes. No one can reasonably object to the 
florists taking advantage of this state of affairs, it is part of ^ their busi¬ 
ness, and they are perfectly justified in endeavouring to win as many 
prizes as possible ; in fact, numerous shows would present a very un- 
ktisfactory display in this department if it were not for their 
exhibits. It is, however, worth the attention of horticultural societies 
in all cases where their funds will admit, and if they can expect a fair 
number of competitors, the classes should be divided as suggested. 
The minor matters can be safely left to the judges where professional 
men are employed, and the chief causes for complaint have arisen when 
the task has been assigned to amateurs, either ladies or gentlemen. I 
