28 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
miles of home, and in many instances with much more simple flowers 
than were used by other exhibitors, the prizes being double and treble 
the value of the flowers. The long distance shows I did not gain by, 
nor could I expect to when travelling 300 miles from home. The size 
of bouquets is the chief point to be considered. Let that be settled 
satisfactorily and exhibitors can show what flowers they can obtain. 
How often we all see good flowers spoiled by bad arrangement, crowded 
in bouquets and floral decorations. Let the size be the guide and all 
will be fair. —J. K. Chaed. 
In my letter last week there are two mistakes, partly my own. In¬ 
stead of “ one of my objects,” read “ my only object,” and for “ he took 
no showy Cattleyas ” substitute “• he took to showing Cattleyas in his 
bouquets.” —A Leaenee. 
Ho doubt many of your rosarian readers would, like myself, be glad 
to see that you had devoted a column specially to Eoses, and I shall 
expect to see something of interest under its tasteful heading every 
week. Amateur Kose-growers are now very numerous, and there is so 
much connected with their agreeable hobby worth repeating, that we 
may hope and expect some of the veterans to assist us younger enthu¬ 
siasts w ith hints and advice. 
This very mild weather is not encouraging, and the buds of some of 
my Eoses look ready to start, and this they will do quickly if the present 
temperature continues much longer. Then with the never-failing frosts 
we shall have some serious damage to buds and shoots. My Eoses are 
not pruned yet beyond what may be termed a little “tidying up” in 
the way of shortening straegliug branches, and they will be left as long 
as possible before the final cutting in is done to save the back buds.— 
M., Surrey. 
EOSES IN WINTEE. 
I AM at a loss to know how the beautiful Tea Eose buds and blooms 
that are now somewhat plentiful in the market are produced. I have a 
good light greenhouse in which they ought to grow, but do not under¬ 
stand how to set about the work for inducing the plants to flower in the 
winter. I have some good sized ones in pots, but have gathered no buds 
since November, and scarcely expect to have any for two or three 
months. Will some gardener who really has Eoses in the winter oblige 
by telling me how he manages his plants 1 —A Subueban Amateue. 
THE EOSAEIANS’ TEAE BOOK. 
The issue of this work for 1888 is just to hand, containing, as usual 
under the editorship of the Eev. H. Honywood H’Ombrain, much that is 
useful and interesting. The frontispiece is an excellent portrait of Mr. 
T. B. Hall, Larchwood, Eockferry, who has been a most successful 
exhibitor since 1879, having taken no less than “ 1.54 first prizes, 
seventy-six seconds, thirty-nine thirds, and three fourths ; eleven gold, 
six silver, and three bronze medals; and, to crown all. the challenge 
trophy at Edinburgh.” Following some partievdars like the above is 
“ A Symposium on Stocks,” in five chapters, by Messrs. E. Mawley, 
D. Gilmour, jun., B. E. Cant, Eev. J. H. Pemberton, and John Burrell. 
“ My Tea House ” is contributed by Mr. T. Hall; “ Decorative Eos s,” 
by Mr. T. W. Girdlestone ; “ The Eose and the National Eose Society in 
1887,” by the Editor; “ Why I Came South,” by Mr. Alexander H. 
Gray ; a tabulated list of prizes won by amateur members of the National 
Eose Society in 1887, by Eev. F. E. Burnside ; “Standard Eoses,” by 
Mr. G‘orge Paul ; “ Our Eose Cot at the Children’s Hospital,” by Mr. 
D. Gilmour, jun. ; and Mr. Mawley's “ Weather of the Past Eose Year.” 
The subjects named will give an id' a of the vari ty and interest of the 
“ Year Book” for the present season, and with this note we must leave 
it now, though hoping to refer to it again in another issue. It is pub¬ 
lished by Bemrose k, Sons, 23, Old Bailey, London, and Derby. 
WILLIAM ALLEN EICHAED30N. 
Can this, to my mind the most charming of summer Eoses, be made 
to flower freely under glass at this season of the year, or in early spring ? 
What I mean is, is it suitable for growing under glass or for flowering 
only in the garden 1 Admiring some boxes of blooms at a flower show', 
I have ordered some plants, and do not want to spoil them. I have a 
span-roofed house, and could have one or two plants in pots, or perhaps 
plant them out; but is it worth while—that is, would there be a fair 
chance of success with careful watering, cleanliness, and ventilation ?—■ 
A Lady Gaedenee. 
INTEODHCTION OF THE MOS3 EOSE. 
In reply to a correspondent, Mr. E. Markham, this old favourite is said 
to have been introduced or raised in Holland probably at the close of the 
seventeenth century, for Dr. Martyn in his edition of Miller’s “ Gardeners’ 
Dictionary ” says it is in Furber’s catalogue in 1724. We have seen a 
copy dated 1727 ; it is entitled “ Catalogue of English and Foreign Trees 
Collected, Increased, and Sold by Eobert Furber at his Nursery over 
against the Park Gate at Kensington, near London.” Faulkner in his 
“ History of Fulham ” says that Mr. Eench was the first to introduce 
the Moss Eose into this country, the original i lant of which is supposed 
to have been brought from Holland. Eench lived at South Field Farm, 
near Parson’s Green, a farm possessed by his family for tw'o centuries. 
He was buried in Fulham churchyard, where there is this inscription to 
his memory on a headstone—“ Under this stone are deposited the re¬ 
mains of Nathaniel Eench, late of this parish, gardener, who departed 
this life January 18th, 1783, aged 101 years.” So he may have intro¬ 
duced the Eose before 1724, for in that year he was forty-two years old. 
The Moss Eose was first portraited in the “ Botanical Magazine,” 
plate 09. It is described as the Eosa muscosa, or Moss Eose, and the 
plate is dated December, 1788. Mr. Curtis observes that, though Miller 
thought it a distinct species, Linnseus considered it only a variety of 
Eosa centifolia. 
GRAPES SETTING AND STONING. 
I HAVE read repeated contributions by your correspondent, Mr. 
Stephen Castle, on the above, and before making a note or two on his 
article on page 530 I would first say that no more amiable correspondent 
contributes to your pages than Mr. S. Castle. He was known to me 
over twenty years ago, and it is a pleasure to watch the footsteps of 
an old friend. I have not devoted such keen attention to Grapes for ths 
last few years that I used to do, still I succeed fairly well. Making a 
practical observation on Muscat setting, I would say that one of the best 
sets, if not the best, I ever had W'as in a house where very little air was 
given when the Vines were in bloom. Indeed, I have been very chary 
about letting air or draught suddenly into the house when the Vines 
are in flower, no matter how mild the weather may be. Of course, when 
the sun comes out strongly it is impossible to do without ventilation.. 
The application of this practice has a bearing upon the matter similar 
to Mr. Castle’s r. duction of front air throughout the season, which 
means “ventilate but keep out draughts.” From the same Muscat 
Vines above referred to, from liberal or uncareful ventilation, when the 
weather apparently invited it, I could have found you many a sample 
of bad setting, such as the shoulder only well set perhaps and all the 
rest of the bunch very ragged. 
I am not particular about keeping my houses dry at flowering time ; 
indeed I would rather see them moist, and syringe them in the after¬ 
noons to keep red spider in check. Syringing at that time once a day 
has never yet caused a failure, whereas by the lack of moisture I have 
seen many a case where red spider obtained a good footing and 
remained the rest of the season. The principle of having the ovary 
well set, using a practical term, holds good as a matter of course in all 
fruit culture. But many a good set is enfeebled afterwards, and may 
be so from various causes. For example, Muscats earl\ in the 5 'carwill 
not swell the same amount of fruit as later, and will act similar to 
Melons of different ages on the same plant. After a certain stage some 
will swell and some will not properly, though there is very little doubt 
about their being properly set. Again with Peaches I feel certain that 
after having had a perfect set the embryo fruits nearly all fell from 
unfavourable circumstances—namely, dry soil at the roots and cold 
draughts. 
The circumstances that with me have produced the finest Black 
Hamburghs are as little forcing as possible considering the usual 
practice—so much so that I was in doubt often w'hether they were not 
too cold. Of course, this was during summer.—E. M. 
In answer to Mr. S. Castle’s question whether the Grapes other thaa 
Alicante, and which set without much trouble, have more seeds than the 
Alicante, I am able to inform him they have, but are rather irregular. 
We are tt'inking of fertilising all the bunches this season. What 1 can¬ 
not understand is that such a free setter as the Alicante should give us 
so much trouble. At the late Birmingham Chrysanthemum Show no 
one could fail to notice the large berries of the Alicante exhibited by 
Mr. W. Taylor, whilst others seemed to me deficient in seeds, I mean 
those exhibited by oth-r growers. Does Mr. S. Castle have the same 
difficulty with the Black Hamburghs if not artificially fertilised ?— 
A. Young. 
Allow me to assure “ Proprietor ” and Mr. Stephen Castle that I 
readily grant the Vines at West Lynn are treated with more than average 
skill, and that I fully expect some day to find the produce from them 
rathertoo good for my comfort, for such indomitable pluck and enthusiasm 
as is possessed both by “ Proprietor ” and his energetic manager is sure 
to triumph in frhe end. 
But enthusiasts are just the persons who make the greatest blunders. 
Perhaps I have made more in my time than any other grower. The less 
enthusiastic are more timid and are satisfied with an ordinary amount 
of success. What we call a failure might sometimes be classed as a 
success by persons of less ambition, and when I speak of Vines being 
starved at West Lynn it must be understood that I speak only in a 
comparative sense, and that were these same conditions found under .a 
less able manager I should speak and write differently. But “ Proprietor” 
and Mr. S. Castle do not want my flattery, they want to grow Grapes 
with which to meet myself and other successful growers on the 
exhibition boards with a fair chance of success. Therefore I shall 
endeavour to speak plainly. 
