56 
THE FLOlUST. 
able in every respect. The French Cabbage Lettuce affords an 
immense quantity of food, and it does not go to seed as all others do 
here. The Ipswich Standard Cucumber is good in quality, and the 
plant maintained its health and vigour while two others, tried by its 
side, sickened and turned yellow. 
In conclusion, I bid all fragrarians and rosarians welcome to Rushton. 
I shall be able to show about 70 sorts of Strawberries in fruit in tlie 
season, and from 1450 to 1500 well-selected Roses, the rubbish having 
been cast aside; and I hope that “D.” will not again visit these parts 
without coming to see me. As he likes Strawberries and cream, I 
think that 1 shall be able to suit his palate. Belle Bordelaise, which 
cropped early and heavily and then gave me runners, is now in still 
heavier crop, which, were it under glass, would ripen; it is the only 
Strawberry known that will perform this wonder. Does not this 
performance speak loudly in the ears of those who have forcing houses ? 
Rushton, Nov. 28. W. F. Radclyffe. 
SAPONARIA CALABRICA. 
As a bedding plant, this has long been a favourite with many, and in 
localities where it does well I should say that it is the best plant that 
could be employed for a circular bed on Grass, or for rows of circular 
beds. Sowing it in September, however, does not answer; but any 
one wanting spring beds of the same colour has only to sow Silene 
pendula and transplant it into the blooming beds, when the autumn 
occupants are removed ; it is quite as effective during April and May 
as Saponaria is in July and August. Last season I saw, at Strawberry 
Hill, in the month of May, on the side of a walk leading from the 
drawing-room, a long row of circular beds, in which the blue Myosotis 
alternated with Silene, and a more pleasing effect I never witnessed. 
I should, however, have had every third row white Myosotis, but that 
has not yet become common as a bedding plant. 
F. 
ROSES IN DORSETSHIRE. 
In July 1859, I sent you some particulars, which you published, of a 
visit I made to the Rev. W. F. Radclyffe, at Rushton. Having made 
a similar visit last year, I venture to send you some account of it, in 
the hope that my observations may not be uninteresting to your readers. 
After a journey of above three hundred miles I reached my destina¬ 
tion, and received the heartiest of welcomes from my reverend friend. 
We were soon engrossed respecting the beauties of “ England’s proud 
Rose; ” and happy was I to review his fine collection once again. 
From the long continued wet and boisterous weather which we had 
experienced in the north, and the unfavourable accounts which I had 
received of the weather in the south, I did not expect to see Roses in 
