February 25, 1886.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
151 
These, after an interval of a week or ten days, should be removed 
from the west side of the plants to prevent their making a weakly 
growth, and, weather permitting, a couple of weeks later the 
remunder of the boughs can be removed, the plants being 
earthed up in due time. It will be obvious to practical readers 
that plants thus treated are subject to little, if any, check in the 
process of being transplanted, and that a few plants turned out 
of the pots carefully and planted about the same time at the foot 
of south walls and protected from the attacks of slugs, as indi¬ 
cated above, will yield an early supply of small useful heads. 
Later plantings should be made from those pricked out in 
pits and frames at intervals of a week or two, the plants being 
taken up carefully with as much soil adhering to the roots as 
possible, and be transplanted in the manner detailed above. 
Young plants resulting from seed sown in heat the middle of 
last month should be pricked out 4 inches apart in boxes or in a 
warm border under sashes or handlights, watered, be gradually 
hardened off, and when large enough planted out as above 
described, minus the spruce boughs. Sowings of the same 
varieties—Early London, Walcheren, and Yeitch’s Autumn 
Giant - should be made in the open on a warm border about the 
middle of April, May, June, and July, and plants resulting from 
these sowings, if subsequently attended to as already described, 
will give a good supply of Cauliflowers well into the new year. 
In the summer the leaves should be bent over the “flowers” with 
a view to keeping the latter firm, as well as retarding them by 
protecting them from the direct rays of the sun. In early winter 
the same practice should be had recourse to as a protection 
against a few degrees of frost I need hardly remark that during 
a dry summer, if good results are looked for, the plants should 
have liberal supplies of water given them at the roots, and it will 
be all the better if they are watered occasionally with liquid 
manure.— H. W. Ward. 
MILDEW ON ROSE TREES. 
I wish to apologise to Mr. T. C. Clayton, and hope that he will not 
think me discourteous in not replying to his letter on page 70, for I over¬ 
looked his communication. I am very pleased to observe that he has 
altered his opinion about softsoap, and can now write favourably of its 
beneficial effects for the purpose for which I have frequently recommended 
it in your pages. I grow my Tea Roses in a heated structure from the 
beginning of November until the weather is sufficiently genial in spring 
to dispense with fire heat, when a night temperature of 55° to 60° can be 
insured. After this time sun heat is entirely relied upon for forcing 
forward the Roses if they are not coming forward as fast as we desire 
them. The difference, as referred to by Mr. Clayton, does not arise from 
the cause pointed out, for we syringe twice daily—that is, early in the 
morning and again in the afternoon; in fact softsoap is used whenever the 
trees are syringed. During winter syringing can only be done once a 
day, and during bad weather not so often, but at that season of the year it 
is always done in the morning. Mr. Clayton will thus see that no harm 
is caused to our Roses by the sun shining upon them after syringing, or 
while the foliage is wet with soapy water. 
I have pointed out on several different occasions that one cause of 
mildew upon Roses is an injudicious system of ventilation. Cold draughts 
on all occasions must be avoided, as if any check is occasioned to the plants 
mildew is certain to appear. There are many mistaken notions respecting 
he ventilation of Roses when forced under glass during winter and early 
spring. From the hardy nature of the Rose many conclude that a liberal 
ventilation must be provided or the growth will be weak and the plants 
ruined, yet this causes them to be attacked by mildew and green fly. It is 
only reasonable to suppose that this would he the case when it is con¬ 
sidered that the young tender wood and foliage is developed in a warm 
genial atmosphere, they are not prepared, and therefore cannot endure the 
cold external atmosphere. It is many degrees colder than the temperature 
of the house in which they are growing, causes a chill, and predisposes 
the plants to disease. 
My advice to all who force Roses under glass during winter and early 
spring is to grow the plants without admitting air by means of the venti¬ 
lators and doors, the latter only being opened when it is necessary to pass 
in and out. By this means, and through the laps of glass, sufficient air 
will be admitted for the proper support of the plants. I do not object to 
the admission of air when the atmosphere is warm and genial, and can be 
done without lowering the temperature of the house. Young men in 
charge of such structures will find this non-ventilating system much easier 
to be mastered and carried out than the intricate one practised in many 
gardens. The system of providing a circulation of air by day and night 
during forcing operations in winter and spring cannot be too strongly 
condemned, for no advantages are derived from so doing, but on the other 
hand the plants are checked, and thereby subjected to disease, the coal 
bill is increased, and the man in charge worried nearly to death by the 
lectures he daily receives on the mysteries of this wonderful system. 
It would indeed be difficult to say why Mr. Clayton’s Roses escaped 
the annual attack of mildew. But I should say it was escaped in his un¬ 
heated house because he provided a suitable atmosphere, other conditions 
being also agreeable, which probably was not the case exactly in previous 
years. In regard to those growing outside, it is certain that all conditions , 
favourable to the growth and development of the Rose surrounded his 
plants, or they would have been attacked.—W. Bardney. 
A Devonshire correspondent writes as follows on the late 
SPRING: —‘ We are still almost without a symptom of spring, and have 
hardly seen the sun for a fortnight. Frost again this morning (February 
22odj and everything a month behindhand. But everything comes to 
him who waits, and we shall no doubt be fully repaid for the cruel 
nipping we have had for the past two months.” 
- We are informed that Messrs. Messenger & Co. of Lough¬ 
borough have just been awarded the Gold Medal, the highest award, by 
the Society of Architects for the general excellence of their horticultural 
buildings, at the annual exhibition of the Society, which is being held 
this year at Sheffield. 
- Judging by the annual report of the Southampton Horti¬ 
cultural Society affairs are not in a very flourishing condition. It 
appears that at the last Summer Show £100 less was received than in 1884, 
at the Chrysanthemum Show £70 less, and the annual subscriptions are £46 
less; also 150 members have been lost and only ninety added. Still with all 
this the Society has a favourable balance, having received a donation of 
£196 from the funds of the Races Committee. This, however, is not 
satisfactory, and it is hoped the coming season may bring more 
success. 
-A well-known gardener, Mb. David Doig, of Rossie Priory 
Gardens, died recently at his house in the gardens, where he has 
served for the past twenty years, succeeding Mr. J. Kidd, with whom 
he commenced his gardening career as apprentice. He held several 
head situations before being appointed gardener at Rossie Priory, and was 
noted as a skilful horticulturist and for his knowledge of British plants. 
- The York Floral Fete is fixed for June 23rd, 24th, and 
25th, and is to be held, as usual, in the Bootham Field. Ninety-six 
classes are provided in the schedule, the prizes being of the customary 
value, from £20 to 3s. 
- Mr. John Burn, Felton, Northumberland, writes :—“ Can any 
of your readers tell me how to prevent Caterpillars eating Fruit 
Tree Blossoms inside orchard house? as last year I had some Apple 
blossoms totally destroyed, and they were so thick I could not get at the 
caterpillars with my fingers.” 
- The Rose Show at Moreton-in-the-Marsh will be held 
on July 13th. Good prizes will be offered, and as the Society is affiliated 
to the National Rose Society, and the Revs. F. Burnside and J. W. Clarke 
are Secretaries, there is every prospect of a successful exhibition. Many 
rosarians will be sorry to hear that there is not to be a Rose show at 
Darlington this year. 
- An Orchid grower sends the following note, entitled A Blue 
Orchid : “ It appears that an important addition has been made to the 
few blue-tinted Orchids we possess, for in the recent issue of one of your 
contemporaries, in a paragraph describing Mr. Philbrick’s Orchids, it is re¬ 
marked that ‘ Odontoglossum pulchellum, of sky-blue colour, and finely 
scented, was found in abundance, on one plant eighteen spikes were 
counted.’ Is it possible that ‘a sky blue’ variety of this pure white 
Odontoglossum can have been obtained by Mr. Philbrick P If so it will be 
valuable ; or couid the writer have mistaken white for blue ? ” 
- At a recent ordinary meeting of the members of the WAKEFIELD 
Paxton Society, Mr. T. Senior, the President, was in the chair, and. 
Councillor Milnes occupied the vice-chair. Ascording to the syllabus, 
Mr. E. B. Wriggles worth, one of the collectors in the waterworks depart¬ 
ment of the Corporation, should have read a paper on “ Properties and 
Causes of Scent,” but as he was unable to fulfil his engagement Mr. 
Herbert Chapman, the Honorary Secretary, read a paper by the Rev. 
Canon Hole on “ The Happiness of a Garden.” A vote ®f thanks was 
given to Mr. J. B. Charlesworth, J.P., of Hatfield Hall, for a gift of a 
