August 14. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
361 
MANAGEMENT OF ROSES IN CLUMPS. 
“ I shall feel much obliged by your opinion regarding the 
planting of some clumps of Roses, which were formerly 
tilled with Perpetuals, pegged down, and looked remarkably 
well during the fine weather; but late in the season, when 
the rains here are abundant, the bloom, which was very 
luxuriant, was entirely destroyed by the wet and the dirt 
which was washed up from the soil of the bed. I now, there¬ 
fore, think of putting in budded Roses, of different heights, 
to rise in the shape of a cone, and would like to know what 
heights will be best; how far apart they should be planted; 
and if they should he all of the same sorts— Bourbons, for 
instance, or Hybrid Perpetuals ? 
“ I am inclined to think that budded Roses are not so 
certain to thrive as those on their own roots (which flourish 
well here, where the soil is light and dry, and the climate 
very moist); at least, my Standards are very capricious, often 
cankering, losing their leaves, and being infested with grub 
and Green Fly. Those which do best are, Madame Desprez, 
Geant des Batailles, Pourpre de Tyre, Mrs. Elliot, and some 
other’s; the most robust growing, in short, including Julie 
Dupont, a pretty Noisette like Annie Vibert. The Climbers 
flourish here, and perhaps the Boursault would prove a 
better stock than the Dog Rose, which is always throwing 
out suckers. I budded some Roses, last year, on the Ma- 
netti stock, which stood last severe winter in the open air, 
and are now blooming well. 
“ I tried, last season, a plan suggested in your pages, which 
has failed with me; namely, planting Roses at each pillar 
in an avenue, a Climber, a Standard, and a Dwarf; they 
have, apparently, choked each other, and not more than two 
have survived at each pillar. The Dwarfs here suffered 
most, and next to them the Standards; perhaps I did not 
give them sufficient manure. I must mention that the 
situation is confined rather, and shady, but has the advantage 
of shelter.—P., Aryyleshire.” 
[This is an oft told tale. We never knew pegged-down 
Roses to do well; but surely there is moss enough in Argyle 
to keep all the Roses and cakes in the county safe from 
“ dirt and grit.” To make a cone of Roses in a bed would 
look very pretty indeed, and that is the best, practical way 
to have masses of them, provided they are not planted too 
close together. One Standard, five feet high, in the centre, j 
and four Standards in a circle round it, and three feet from 1 
it, and about four’ feet high, would be a good beginning. 
Round these again we would plant a circle of half Standards, 
three feet high and three feet apart from each other; then 
another row of bushy plants on their own roots, still keep¬ 
ing to the distances of three feet each way ; and while the 
plants were young we would use one sort all round as tem¬ 
porary plants for the first three years. If there was room, ! 
we would plant another circle of plants on their own roots 
just like the last row. Whatever the number of rows, we I 
would have the outside row of one kind, or, at most, but two : 
kinds, in alternate plants; we would mix Bourbons and 
Hybrid Perpetuals. In light soils, and in most soils, these 
classes of Roses do better on their own roots certainly, if 
we could but bring ourselves to believe so. When an acci¬ 
dent, or frost, kills the top of a worked Rose it is done with; 
but on its own roots it would push up a fresh head better 
than the first. Then, when a bed is to he altered, Roses on 
their own roots could he divided into three or four plants, 
and the big roots would make cuttings, from which the very 
best plants could be had for nothing. The Boursault is 
more prone to throw off suckers than the Dog Rose ; hut it 
grows anywhere, and all Roses do well on it for a while; 
then the extra strength goes for suckers, and if you pull 
them up the Boursault gets sulky, and all is down with 
it for ever, and no doctoring will bring it round. 
The mode of making pillar Roses of a Standard and two 
Dwarfs is only to get a head in a shorter time ; the strongest 
takes the lead after awhile, and then the other two should 
be removed, or be cut down ; but it is a good temporary plan. 
One secret for having good pillar Roses is to have no buds 
below the surface on the cuttings; then those crowds of 
bottom-shoots, or sucker-like shoots, are got rid of for ever, 
and the plant is then more balanced in strength all the way 
up. It is a misfortune when a pillar Rose is allowed to 
make too many bottom-shoots.] 
IS AN UNDER-GARDENER A GENTLEMAN’S 
GARDENER? 
| “ I beg to enclose a few of the Rules and Regulations of 
the ‘ Halifax Horticultural and Floral Society,’ and re- 
! spectfully solicit your opinion to the following question :— 
“ An individual being the second ‘ under gardener ’ in a 
gentleman’s establishment, but having a small plot of 
ground at his own residence, which he cultivates for the use 
; of his family. In which of the four classes specified in the 
enclosed rules ought he to exhibit productions grown in 
the above-named plot of ground ? 
“P.S.—The above person does ‘not employ artificial 
heat.’—W. WhItakee, Secretary.” 
[The rule applicable to the above case is this:—“7. 
j There shall he Four Classes of Exhibitors, viz.:— 
“ l9t. Gentlemen’s Gardeners. 
“ 2nd. Nurserymen and Sale Growers. 
“3rd. Amateurs, Florists, and Cottage Gardeners, employ¬ 
ing artificial heat, or who occasionally employ an assistant. 
“ 4th. Cottagers and Cottage Gardeners.” 
We are of opinion that the under-gardener in question 
must he included in the 1st. of your classes—“ Gentlemen’s 
Gardeners.” It may be hard, in his case, that he cannot 
exhibit in the 4th class, “ Cottagers and Cottage Gardeners,” 
but we must not omit from consideration that the object of 
such classification is to save the “ Cottagers and Cottage 
Gardeners” from an unequal contest with those who have 
the advantage of seeds, plants, and skill acquirable by their 
employment in a gentleman’s garden.] 
LONDON MARKETS. —August 13th. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
The market begins now to put on an autumnal aspect. 
Apples are abundant, and Pears have made their appearance. 
Among the former, we recognise our old favourites the 
Joanneting, the Margaret, and the Devonshire Quarrendon, 
which realize from 4s. to Cs. per bushel; Hawthorndens, 
and some windfalls for cooking, make 3s. per bushel. 
Among the Pears, we observed several lots of the Crawford, 
of English growth, and Amiie Joannet, from France. Apples 
and Pears, however, have a very dull sale, as there is so much 
“ soft fruit” in the market. Coronne Cherries are abundant 
and cheap, and there are still a few lots of Bigarreuux. 
Grapes are plentiful, and so also are home-grown and West 
Indian Pines. There is, this week, a supply of new Nuts, 
from Algeria, which are brought by steamer to Marseilles, 
and thence across France by rail! They are quite green, 
and as fresh like as if they had just been taken from a 
Kentish growers van. Vegetables continue abundant. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, kitchen, 
per bushel .... 3s. to 4s. 
„ dessert, doz. 4s, „ 6s. 
Pears. — „ — 
Apricots, per doz.2s. „ 2s. 6d. 
Peaches, per doz. 8s. „ 15s. 
Nectarines, doz. 8s, „ 15s. 
Cherries, Ift.2d. „ 6d. 
Plums .— „ — 
Pine-apples, 1ft... 3s. „ fls. 
Grapes, 1ft. 3s. „ 6s. 
Melons, each.... 2s. „ 6s. 
Figs .. — „ — 
Gooseberries, per 
quart. 2d. „ 4d. 
Currants .4d. ,, fid. 
Raspberries .... Cd. „ 9d. 
Strawberries, per 
pottle ........ 4d. ,, bd. 
Oranges, per 100 4s. „ 10s. 
Lemons, doz... Is. to Is. 6d. 
Almonds, per 1ft.. 2s. „ — 
Nuts, Filberts, 1ft. — „ — 
„ Cobs, 1ft. .. — „ — 
„ Barcelona, 
per bushel.... 20s. „ 22s. 
„ Brazil, per 
bushel .12s. „ 14s. 
Chestnuts .— „ — 
VEGETABLES. 
Cabbages, per doz. 9d. to Is. 
“ Red, per doz. 2s. „ 4s. 
Cauliflowers, doz. 2s. „ 3s. 
Brocoli .— „ — 
Savoys . — „ — 
Greens .— „ — 
Spinach, per sieve Is. ,, 2s. 
Peas, per half sieve 
Is. 6d. „ 2s. 0d. 
Beans. — „ — 
French Beans, per 
bushel .... 4s. 6d. „ 6s. 
Scarlet Runners 4s. fid. to 6s. 
