June 6 , 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
465 
greatest mistake possible to purchase trees which have been pinched 
whilst in the open quarters. I remember calling the attention of the 
fruit manager in a large nursery to this practice, and he candidly 
assured me that he would not plant them himself, but as they were 
often asked for them they were obliged to have them in stock.— 
A. Young. 
HOSES BREAKING BADLY. 
Dwarf Roses especially seem to have suffered during the past 
winter, as I do not remember seeing them break so weakly before. In 
our case they remained in an active state much later than usual and the 
wood did notripen. It is not, therefore, very surprising that a moderately 
severe frost should cripple them somewhat. Very few were killed out¬ 
right, but all the more delicate varieties are growing very weakly. The 
hot sunshine and warm nights experienced during the greater part of 
May brought on Roses against sunny walls very rapidly. We have 
already cut a considerable number of blooms of Marecbal Niel, 
Safrano, Climbing Devoniensis, Catherine Mermet, Madame Lambard, 
and Alba rosea. The Banksians are smothered in mildew, and Devonien¬ 
sis is also suffering from it. - Somerset. 
ARTIFICIAL MANURE ON CUT-BACKS. 
It may be a consolation to “\V. R. R. ” to learn that his anxiety 
with regard to the sluggishness of his cut-backs is shared by us in 
reference to ours. Our cut-backs b,roke well and apparently strong, but 
are now behaving in exactly the same way as his are doing, and we have 
used no winter mulching nor any artificial manure. Some are well 
established plants, others were moved last October. Some have had a 
little stable manure in liquid, others no manure at all for a twelve- 
month. All are apathetic, those' that have had no manure less so 
perhaps than others, but the lack of enthusiasm in the approaching 
campaign extends to all. The cause, I think, is to be sought, not in the 
use or misuse of artificial manures, but in the effect of winter frost 
upon the old wood, or, which is more probable, the cold of a month ago 
upon the young shoots.—J. H. P. 
LADY DOWNE’S GRAPE SCALDING. 
I have waited in order to see if those who took up the case so 
strongly offered any advice in reply to the inquiry made a short time 
ago in the Journal. Mr. Witherspoon only has come forward, and he 
has tendered advice on the subject which is of such a nature that it 
should not be ignored by those interested in this matter. If your cor¬ 
respondents care to go back to my first contribution on the subject they 
will discover a great similarity between Mr. Witherspoon’s advice and 
my own. From the time the berries first show signs of stoning the 
temperature during the day and night should be as uniform as possible. 
The night temperature may be raised to 75°, 70° being the lowest read¬ 
ing at 6 A.M. The day temperature should be kept as near the highest 
figure as possible. No harm will be done if it rises to 80° provided the 
house is ventilated early in the morning and during the day. During 
that critical period we ventilated as freely as we could a house filled 
with greenhouse plants in order to keep the temperature down during 
bright weather. So far we have had no occasion to regret the treat¬ 
ment. The atmospheric conditions of the house during this period may 
also be kept slightly drier than usual. If the roots are working freely 
on the surface of the border by no means allow this to become so dry as 
to injure them. I am, and have been for a very long time, of opinion 
that one certain cause cf failure in this respect is overforcing, and 
this can be done by a high day temperature. Nature requires to move 
slowly while carrying out the important work of stoning, and if we 
worked on the same principle as we do in the case of Peaches and 
Nectarines we should hear less of scalding in late Grapes.—W. Bardney. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas. —Although diversity of opinion has existed in the 
minds of florists as to the best time for repotting these plants, and 
although as usual those who advocated early or late potting were able 
to bring forward most cogent arguments to enforce their respective 
methods of treatment, the general practice now is to repot after the 
blooming season is over. The main object in deferring the operation 
until August was that thereby throwing up trusses in autumn was pre¬ 
vented, but this was not borne out by facts, and it was found that there 
are some sorts which are peculiarly subject to this irregular proceeding, 
and that nothing will prevent their doing so, and so most growers are 
now busy at work. In repotting there are some things which are 
necessary for success, and some, although simple, are often disregarded. 
There is first of all the necessity for having clean pots, not merely pots 
wiped clean, but washed. I believe that particles of old soil tend to 
sour the fresh, and the Auricula likes clean and wholesome surround¬ 
ings. Then do not use any nasty stuff in your compost; three parts 
good sound fibrous loam, one part old cow manure, and one part leaf 
mould and road grit or rough sand will be as good as anyone need wish 
to have. Do not sift it; chop up the loam, look out for any worms, 
mix up well, and use the rougher pieces of the compost which will fall 
to the outside of the heap in the mixing up to place over the drainage. 
A third point is to pot firmly, distribute the roots carefully in the pots 
half filled with compost, then put in the remainder, and press the soil 
very firmly ; there is then left no room for water lodging in the soil, and 
the drainage is more effective. Where the woolly aphis is detected the 
roots should be well washed. Although our dread of this pest is not 
what it used to be, still it is better to be without it. 
It would be a pleasure to engage in controversy with one who writes 
in so genial a spirit as Mr. Horner, but I forbear, not because I feel 
that I am wrong, but because I have no doubt we should each remain 
of the same opinion ; still I do not feel at all despondent on the subject 
of seedling raising, and as it is rarely that work undertaken on sound 
principles and carried out with perseverance loses its reward, so I think 
the modern raisers of seedling Auriculas may well look for success, 
only they must bear a little with those whom age has made cautious, 
and disappointment has sometimes chilled. 
Carnations and Picotees.— The most important matter to be 
attended to with these now is tying the flower stems to the stakes as 
they advance, and pinching away all the flowering shoots except one for 
each plant. There are some varieties which are very apt to go off into 
flowering shoots, and where good blooms are looked for these must be 
done away with. Disbudding will also become necessary, as not more 
than three blooms ought to be taken from one plant, and of course the 
sooner the extra ones are taken away the better it will be for those 
which remain. As far as I can see we have promise of an early and 
good bloom ; there is as yet no green fly, and the foliage is good in 
colour. 
Pansies. —Towards the end of May the Pansies in pots are on the 
wane, but I have greatly enjoyed the rich colours and fine flowers of 
the Fancy class, a class very much laughed at at first, but now rapidly 
elbowing the Show varieties on one side. They have been with me very 
fine this season, and I am now preparing to put them into their summer 
quarters. I turn them out of the pots in which they have bloomed and 
plant them in a shady part of the garden, not under trees, cutting off 
the flower stems and generally trimming them. There they will remain 
during the summer ; and I find that it is quite enough for my purpose 
to take them up in the autumn, divide the plants, and pot them then 
into small pots. I know by many this is considered a lazy method, and 
it is often asserted that is impossible to look for such good flowers from 
such divided plants as from cuttings. All I can say is that I get very 
fine blooms and am quite satisfied. 
Gladioli. —These have come up very well, and apparently strong, 
but I shall not be surprised to find that they do not flower as strongly 
as usual, owing to the unkindly season of 1888, which has so materially 
affected Hyacinths and other bulbs. Weeding is the chief thing to be 
attended to at present, and during such showery weather it is easily 
managed if hand-weeding is resorted to—the best for them, as it is 
dangerous to use the hoe ; there is not only the risk of injuring those 
already growing, but perhaps also cut up the young shoots which have 
not appeared above ground. The. weather has been all that could 
be desired, and the rains which we lately had have helped them on 
wonderfully. 
Roses. —Now will be a busy time with Rose growers. They will 
be engaging on their campaign against the maggot, for which there 
is no remedy but careful hand-picking. As Mr. Harkness says in his 
practical little book on Rose growing, it is well in so doing to take off 
every curled leaf, as you will perhaps imagine, after you have carefully 
picked over a tree, that the next time you looked at it you have not done 
it, and thus give yourself extra trouble. Now, too, will be the time for 
disbudding. Nothing is gained by having more than one Rose on a 
shoot, for although it looks pretty to see a good big matronly looking 
Rose surrounded by a bevy of slim young daughters, yet after all you 
spoil both mother and daughters by leaving them on a'together. A 
blunt piece of stick or a quill toothpick forms a very good implement to 
do it with, and the sooner it is done the better. Aphides have not yet 
put in much of an appearance with me, although I hear of them else¬ 
where ; but the heavy rains that we have had must have disturbed them 
considerably. We hear of them on the Hops, and this is a warning as 
to what we may expect on the Roses. 
Ranunculuses.— This has been so far a grand season for thesa 
moisture-loving tubers ; not that they like a moist soil, but they delight 
in rain, and the rains we have had lately have filled the beds with, 
foliage, and I anticipate a good bloom about the middle of next 
month. Turkey Ranunculuses have gone through the winter well, and 
my bed of both scarlet and white has been very beautiful. It is a 
wonder to me that these beautiful flowers are not more generally 
known. It is true there is a difficulty in proving them and the Dutch 
roots, and, like their Tulips, you get some good, but there are many you' 
have to reject. 
Tulips. —It was pleasant to read of Dr. Hogg's Tulips and the 
pleasure he takes in them. I only grow one bed, and that not on 
scientific principles. Several of the flowers would be discarded by a 
purist, but I retain them for their showiness until I get better. At 
my time of life it is not very probable that I shall make any ad¬ 
vance, still I recollect with pleasure the treats that I have had in 
looking at Tulip beds in former years. My memory goes back to the 
grand show of them Groom of Walworth used to have, and after him 
