August 20, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
161 
foliage naturally doing best in a watery summer. Among less known 
varieties Georges Lusuir, Unser Fritz, the new Albert, and Commander 
were very good. Laxton’s Latest of All is a fine large fruit of the 
highest flavour, and Competitor is a very promising kind, but Laxton’s 
(this year’s) White Knight is a very distinct and remarkable berry, 
which in a drier season will, we believe, be of first class flavour. No 
others in our large collection from which we are selecting the finest for 
adoption have proved of marked excellence, but two or three years’ trials 
are necessary to establish the reputation of any variety of Strawberry.— 
Geoege Btjnyaed & Co., Maidstone . 
SEASONABLE WORK IN PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Where pleasure grounds are extensive the work of pruning shrubs 
and trees is an item of great importance, and should not be confined to 
one season of the year only, but should be continually going on as the 
necessity for the operation arises and the opportunity for carrying 
it out occurs. Unfortunately in many instances pruning becomes 
necessary to a far greater extent than is desirable, on account of too 
close planting. In the case of shrubs which are only employed as an 
undergrowth, and which are destined to be cut clean away as the 
permanent trees develop themselves, close planting is sometimes 
desirable. It is a mistake to plant trees intended to be permanent too 
close together, for the obvious reason that the difficulty cannot after¬ 
wards be overcome satisfactorily by removing some of the trees, because 
those left are not in the exact positions in which they are required, 
unless in the first place those intended to be permanent are planted 
with that object in view, and for the sake of immediate effect, the spaces 
between them planted with supernumerary trees, which will in the 
course of a few years prove useful for removing to other parts of the 
grounds. At the present time of the year an opportunity occurs in 
most gardens of giving shrubs and trees special attention, not only in 
the way of pruning, but also by marking those that require trans¬ 
planting in the autumn, and by determining other alterations neces¬ 
sary. When evergreen and deciduous trees are intermixed (as they 
should be for the sake of effect) it can be more accurately deter¬ 
mined what alterations are necessary while the foliage is still upon the 
deciduous trees. Any that require cutting back severely can then be 
left till the early spring months, while the work of pruning those 
which only require a little cutting into shape and shortening can be 
done now as w T ell as at any season of the year. As the experience of 
the last year or two shows how urnvise it is to leave so large an 
amount of work for the winter months, with the result that planting 
cannot be performed at the most suitable times, and failure is often the 
sequel. 
The operation of pruning and clipping should first be performed 
upon hedges of Yew and Box, as when clipped at the present time they 
make just enough sturdy growth to look well throughout the winter ; 
and during the spring months, when everything is fresh and green 
around, the young growth on the hedges is in keeping with surrounding 
scenes. The same remarks apply to Box edgings, the clipping of which 
cannot be performed at a better season, and wherever blank spaces 
occur good bushy pieces of Box may be inserted with a certainty of 
their taking root if the soil is pressed firmly around them and they are 
kept watered for a time. Rhododendrons of the ponticum type when 
planted near the edges of walks or at the back of mixed borders quickly 
cover their allotted space, and begin to encroach upon walks and borders. 
The best way to treat these is to cut away a few of the most straggling 
shoots, drive a few stakes and pegs into the ground, and tie some of 
the strongest shoots back to them, and the smaller shoots can be tied 
loosely to the main branches. By these means they may be kept within 
proper limits for several years without cutting away many of the 
flowering shoots. Laurel and Yew bushes that require annual pruning 
to keep them within bounds should now have the strongest shoots cut 
back to two or three buds at the base, while the weaker shoots can be 
left uncut, always taking care to prune in such a way as to leave as few 
cuts as possible visible, and by taking out a few large branches here and 
there shrubs of this description may alw r ays be kept within proper limits 
without pruning them back in the formal mop-headed style in which 
we often see them. 
The general overhauling of shrxrbberies which should take place at 
this time of the year often reveals young trees (which give promise of 
making fine specimens) threatened with being permanently crippled by 
surrounding shrubs unless prompt action is taken. In my opinion it is 
a suicidal policy to pass over such cases to be dealt with in the winter 
when the evil is daily becoming worse. Every effort should be made to 
cut away shrubs at once so that the young trees, whose welfare is the 
greatest consideration, may have the benefit of light and sun to prepare 
them for the winter by solidifying and ripening their growth. Any 
young trees that are not thriving in a satisfactory way, apparently by 
reason of the poorness of the soil in which they are growing, should have 
a few inches of the surface soil removed and be top-dressed with fresh 
soil to which an equal quantity of well decayed manure and a good 
sprinkling of burnt refuse has been added. If this is done within the 
next few weeks the rains of autumn and winter will wash the enriching 
properties of the top-dressing down to the roots, so that the trees may 
receive the fullest benefit from it. It left till the spring the little rain 
we usually get during the summer months is kept from the soil by the 
overhanging branches; the trees cannot, therefore, derive the fullest 
amount of benefit from the top-dressing.—H. Dijnkin. 
Laege and Small Rose Geowees. 
Anothee season of exhibiting has passed and nothing has been done 
by the Committee of the N.R.S. to relieve the grievance still existing— 
viz., to allot to each grower of Roses the bond fide class, or classes, in 
which he ought to compete according to his capabilities. 
All the arguments of “ J. B.” and myself in the previous numbers of 
your Journal that were brought to prove how utterly unfair the framing 
of the schedule is, as it now stands, have been of no avail. 
Is it not positively clear that growers in the upper divisions can 
compete in the lower ones if they choose ? 
Have they not done so? will they not do it again to suit their 
purpose when circumstances arise ? Has there not been a case in point 
this year at Hereford, where a gentleman, who, I believe, has been 
accustomed to show in the upper division, entered in the class for 
twenty-four varieties ? On arrival at the Show, I suppose, he found the 
competition too keen for him, so he re-entered in the classof twelve. By 
some means it became known to the exhibitors in that class, and had it 
not been for their vigilance in entering a protest against such tactics, 
no doubt someone would have been deprived of winning a prize ; but, 
thanks to the prompt action of the Committee (in this case), his designs 
were frustrated, according to Rule II. members not being allowed to 
enter in more than one class. 
I ask, Is it right that this sort of thing should be allowed any 
longer to exist ? Is it fair to the small grower, who pays his con¬ 
tribution the same as the larger one ? This being the case, why should 
he not have the same consideration from the Committee? Fair play is- 
the jewel I will continue to ask for ; it is all the small growers want, 
and it is only just that they should have it.— An Exhibitoe. 
[“J. B.” desires the address of our correspondent, but it will only 
be furnished when sent for that purpose with a special request that it. 
be forwarded.] 
A Fine Weeping Rose. 
We have received from Mr. Ismay Fisher of Sturton, near Brigg, 
Lincolnshire, a photograph of a remarkably fine weeping standard Rose. 
We thought of engraving it, but find that by reducing it to the size of 
our page its multitude of small blooms could not be adequately repre¬ 
sented. The Rose was budded on a Briar twelve years ago. Its height 
is 9 feet 3 inches, and the branches arch over and reach the ground. 
The diameter of the Rose a foot above the ground is 14 feet, circum- 
fererence 44 feet. The circumference of the stem at the ground i& 
12 inches, 5 feet from the ground 9£ inches. The tree is a fleecy mass of 
flowers and a beautiful object on the lawn on which it stands. A 
comparison of the flowers and foliage with other climbing or weeping: 
Roses in Mr. William Paul’s collection at Waltham Cross determines 
the Rose to be the Ayrshire variety Ruga. Mr. Fisher is a great 
admirer of Roses, and grows them well. He canters off with first prizes- 
at local shows, and his name is among the prizewinners at one at least of 
the Shows of the National Rose Society. He can do more than grow 
Roses, he can make “ farming pay,” a much more notable achievement, 
and we congratulate him on his success in growing both food and 
flowers. 
THE NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETY. 
NORTHERN DIVISION, MANCHESTER. 
The annual Exhibition of this division of the Society was held in 
the Botanic Gardens, Manchester, on Saturday, the 15th inst., and there 
was a large attendance of growers. Amongst those from Lancashire 
and Yorkshire were Messrs. Lord, Whitham, Geggie, Samuel Barlow, 
Shaw, Edwards, and others. The midland exhibitors were Messrs. 
Herbert (Thomson & Co.), Sydenham, A. W. Jones, A. R. Brown, 
J. P. Sharp, and W. Bacon, Derby ; and the more southern exhibitors 
were Messrs. Joseph Lakin and George Chaundy from Oxford, and 
Mr. Charles Turner, Slough. The Exhibition was decidedly in advance 
of last year, and the blooms generally were of fine quality. 
In the class for twelve Carnations, dissimilar.—First, Mr. T. Lord, 
Todmorden, with a very fine Master Fred, Sarah Payne, Gordon ^Lew is, 
J D Hextall, Master Stanley, Wm. Skirving. Sybil, Robert Houigrave, 
Richard Beeley, Admiral Curzon, Mayor of Nottingham, and Henry 
Cannell. Second, Messrs. Thomson & Co. with a capital stand of Master 
Fred Duke d’Aumale, very fine indeed ; Sarah Payne, Robert Thomson, 
Thalia, C. H. Herbert, Rifleman, Alismond, Matador, Florence 
Nightingale, Robert Houigrave, and a crimson bizarre sport from 1’iin 
Bobbin, very fine. Third, Mr. H. Geggie, a very good stand consisting 
chiefly of seedlings. Fourth, Mr. Joseph Lakin. 
Twelve Picotees, dissimilar.—First, Messrs. Thomson & Co., Avith a 
stand of large well-built refined flowers, consisting of John Smith, Becky 
Sharp, Gertrude, Little Phil, Zerlina, Thomas William, Mrs Sharp, 
Favourite, Campanini, very fine ; seedling, Mrs. Payne and Brunette. 
Second Mr. T. Lord, with rather small but very refined blooms of Zer¬ 
lina Favourite, Clara Penson, Mrs. Sharp, Campinini, Alice, Ihomas 
