THE COTTAGE GABDENEB AND COUNTBY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 21, 1857. 245 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
JULY 21—27, 1857. 
Weather ni 
Barometer. 
iar London in 
Thermo. 1 Wind. 
i 
1856. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
21 
Tu 
Thorough-wax (Bupleurum). 
29.991—29.949 
75—60 
N.W. 
07 
10 a. 4 
2 a. 8 
sets 
© 
6 
5 
202 
22 
W 
Hensfoot (Caucalis). 
29.939—29.833 
83—47 
S.W. 
— 
11 
1 
9 a. 5 
1 
6 
8 
203 
23 
Th 
Carrot (Daucus). 
29.730—29.604 
86—57 
S.E. 
— 
12 
0 
9 19 
2 
6 
10 
204 
24 
F 
Corn Parsley (Sison). [1797- 
29.683—29.607 
77—54 
S.W. 
01 
14 
VII 
9 32 
3 
6 
11 
205 
25 
S 
St. James. Duchess Cams. b. 
29.953— 29.801 
76—40 
S.W. 
— 
15 
57 
9 42 
4 
6 
12 
206 
26 
Sun 
7 Sunday after Trinity. 
30.060—30.010 
76—41 
S.W. 
02 
17 
56 
9 52 
5 
6 
13 
20 7 
27 
M 
Water Dropwort (CEnanthe). 
30.103—30.022 
77-50 
S.W. 
22 
18 
54 
10 3 
6 
6 
12 
208 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 73.7°, and 52.3°, respectively. The greatest heat, 92°, occurred on the 25th, in 1844 ; and the lowest cold, 40°, 
ou the 23rd, in 1843. During the period 105 days were fine, and on 91 rain fell. 
BOSE CULTUBE AND CUTTINGS. 
I begin to write this on St. Swithin’s day, hut the 
only one of the saints in whose influence on the con¬ 
cerns of men I ever had any faith was St. Andrew, 
St. Andrew’s fair at the beginning of this century having 
had a wonderful influence oil the mind of the rising 
; generation. I am now appealed to on the score of pro¬ 
pagating Boses in summer, and I must own that I have 
some strong misgivings about the wisdom of considering 
this subject solely on scientific principles, and apart 
from all considerations on the power and influence of 
St. Swithin’s reign during the next six weeks. But I 
shall go a step farther, the appeal being from an Irish 
suitor (F. C.), and say distinctly that a propagator who 
disregards the influence of St. Patrick on the weather 
for his grafts in the spring, and that of St. Switliin on 
his buds and cuttings at this season of the year, may 
operate on scientific principles to the letter of the law, 
and yet find to his cost that science is a feeble oar when 
worked against wind and tide or all weathers. 
According to the ordcle we shall have a fine time of 
it henceforth to the end of harvest; therefore Bose 
cuttings and cuttings of bedding plants should be made 
and planted rather on the principle of holding up under 
hot weather and less moisture than usual, than strictly 
on the principles of scientific propagation; in other 
words, with an eye to the powerful influence of St. 
Swithin’s reign on the weather. 
Where to plant is the next branch of the question. 
Bedding and all other Geraniums do best if they are 
planted full in the meridian sun to the middle or end of 
August; but Roses and all woody cuttings do best on 
an east aspect, where the sun leaves them at or before 
eleven o’clock in the forenoon, and does not touch them 
again for the day ; and the reason for that is this—the 
face of nature is refreshed and put to the severest trial 
alternately every twenty-four hours. The dews and 
lower temperature of the night refresh every living 
thing, and all nature droops more or less under a 
burning sun. The propagator refreshes his cuttings in 
the evening, each kind according to its power of sus¬ 
taining the heat of the day; and on an east aspect, and 
under a wall, hedge, or other fence, the sun leaves them 
by the time they are dried from the last evening’s 
watering, and so the heat of the day is reduced to them 
to a minimum, without submitting them to the influence 
of shade under a north aspect, which shade is as 
damaging one way as too much sun is the contrary way. 
By the by, there is a most essential rule or natural 
j law for a branch of gardening which meets us at this 
point, and we ought to make a point of remembering it. 
All cuttings which do not bear the full sun should be 
on an east aspect, as the safest and least stimulating 
place; but a west wall or aspect is better than either 
south or east for all kinds of plants which are liable to 
be hurt by frost, but the reason must stand over for 
explanation. Suffice it to say, an east aspect for the 
best summer cuttings, and a west aspect for the best 
half-hardy plants. Now, would it, or would it not, be 
pushing the rule too far to say that the aspect which is 
best for a set of cuttings in the hands of a novice must 
also be the best under the ablest management? The 
novice, finding an east aspect the best for his cuttings, 
sets his frames, lights, and handglasses for propaga¬ 
tion on the east aspect also, while the man of principles 
puts all his glasses to the mid-day sun, and gives them 
such and such aspects as he knows to be best, using 
some temporary contrivance for shading. 
Let us now square up for the next start. Cuttings 
made not so much on scientific principles as on the 
supposed state of the weather, for cool, close, cloudy, or 
rainy weather say the more leaves the sooner the roots, 
and more of them; and for dry, hot, sultry, and burn¬ 
ing weather say the contrary, less leaves, less danger, and 
less attendance. An east aspect is best for such cuttings 
as will not do on a south aspect, and all glasses for cut¬ 
tings to face the meridian sun, so that when no more 
shading is requisite the young plants may receive the 
benefit of every blessed ray of our autumnal sun. I 
should not mind it much if I had to prove this “ squar¬ 
ing” in the face of all the philosophy on earth. 
The best plg.ce to strike summer cuttings of Boses is 
a slight hotbed, with the glass shaded from ten in the 
morning to four or five in the afternoon, and a close, 
moist atmosphere by a slight syringing every afternoon 
of a hot, sunny day when the shading is removed, and 
to give a little air all night as soon as the buds begin to 
start; also to give them more light by not shading them 
so early in the day, or keeping it on so late in the after¬ 
noon, and after the first week not to shade them on a 
cloudy day; also to take off the glass at night as soon 
as they are rooted, then to have them slightly sprinkled 
from a rose pot every night, and to put on the glass 
early in the day, leaving air on at the back of the frame, 
and if any of them flag with the sun to put some slight 
shade over them till they are firm enough to stand with¬ 
out it. They will be more safe out of pots if they are 
firmly planted out in any light, sandy compost about 
two inches deep, and not too much crowded. That way 
the frame and lights might be removed when no more 
necessary, and giving them their chance till the end of 
October or to the following February, when they should 
be planted out into nursery rows or beds; but if they are 
in pots the best way would be to plant out the balls 
entire in a sheltered place till the winter was over, 
when they should be shaken out and planted separately. 
When handglasses are used I would never plant Bose 
cuttings in pots, or put the glasses behind a wall, or 
under the shade of trees. I should first consider the 
best spot to winter them in a very cold situation. I 
should winter them on a west aspect, with shelter from 
the north and east, and I would leave them where they 
rooted till the end of February; and if I did not want 
the glasses I would let them remain over the cuttings 
all the winter, and treat them exactly as I would Cauli¬ 
flower plants; and when no glasses are used I would have 
them on an east aspect, and, having had no coddling, 
No. CCCCLN. Voc.. XVIII. 
