isro. ] 
n;NT.-i ON ORCHARD-HOUaE CULTURE. 
17 
KOSE COUNTESS OF llOSEBEHY. 
[Plate 
« HIS fine new Hybrid Perpetual Rose 
was raised from seed, sown in 1870, 
by Mr. R. B. Postans, of Brentwood. 
We congratulate Mi-. Postans upon bis good- 
fortune in obtaining sucb a valuable addition 
to our already largely extended list of Hybrid 
Perpetuals. This Rose, togetber witb two 
others of Mr. Postans’ raising, Ducbess of Bed¬ 
ford and May Quennell, are a trio wbicb any 
rosarian may be proud to claim. 
Countess of Rosebery was first exbibited 
at a meeting of tbe Royal Horticultural Societ}', 
South Kensington, on June 18tb, 1878, and 
was awarded a First-class Certilicate. It re¬ 
ceived a similar award at tbe bands of the 
Royal Botanic Society of London, and also at 
tbe Manchester Show of tbe National Rose 
SooictjL Tbe Gardeners' Chronicle^ in its re¬ 
port of one of these shows, says of it:—“ Tbe 
flowers are ver}^ perfect in shape, the petals 
beautifully cupped, as shown ; tbe colour is that 
483.] 
of Etienne Level, but it is a better-shaped 
flower.” It was also exbibited at tbe Alex¬ 
andra Palace Rose Show last June, ivliere, in 
company witb its companion-rose, Ducbess of 
Bedford, it almost created a sensation, and was 
admitted to be one of tbe most promising new 
varieties of recent years. 
Tbe flowers are brilliant carmine-rose, large 
and full, and of finely-cupped form. It is a 
very vigorous-growing variety, and possesses a 
strong and hardy constitution. Tbe flowers 
are produced freely in autumn. Tbe foliage is 
handsome, tbe wood smooth, tbe habit good. 
It may be justly described as combining flowers 
of tbe quality of and nearly tbe same colour as 
tliose of Etienne Level, but witb tbe free and 
excellent habit and growth of Madame Victor 
Verdier. 
This rose is at present in tbe bands of IMessrs. 
William Paul and Son, of tbe Waltham Cross 
Nurseries, by whom it w-ill be distributed 
shortly.—A. W. P. 
HINTS ON ORCIIAKD-IIOUSE CULTURE. 
tt^T is unlikely that tbe cultivation of Fruit- 
^ p trees in pots, in these useful structures, 
will increase in popularit}^ owing to the 
close attention the trees require duriiig tbe 
growing season ; and yet where amateurs can 
find time to give personal attention to them, it 
is most interesting as well as instructive to 
note the growth and development of bud into 
blossom and leaf, to watch and aid tbe setting 
of tbe blossoms, and ultimately to realise the 
full fruition of one’s labours in tbe handsome 
and luscious fruits. 
It is needless here to go into any lengthened 
details of orchard-house culture, but a few 
seasonable remarks may be useful. Tbe 
orchard-house is generally a glass structure 
of any convenient shape, constructed for its 
adaptability to grow fruits well, and especially 
in districts where the climate is not suitable, 
or in places -where tbe character of tbe soil is 
not well adapted to tbe culture of stone fruits. 
Whatever may be tbe form of tbe bouse—and 
it is worthy of note that trees will do well in 
the ridge-and-furrow, span-roof, half-span, or 
lean-to—the internal arrangements are of the 
simplest. Tbe most primitive of any that 
No. 11. iJirEEiAL series. 
have come under my observation, has con¬ 
sisted simply in a shallow trench dug in 
tbe centre of tbe bouse, tbe soil being thrown 
out right and left, and made level. Very 
few persons would be content witb this style, 
while a few shillings expended on gravel 
and edging-tiles will form neat borders and 
paths, always pleasant to look upon. A narrow 
bouse may have a path down tbe centre, witb 
a border on each side ; while one over 18 feet 
wide should have a bed in tbe centre, witb a 
narrow border all round the sides. Tbe paths 
should be about 2 ft. G in. wide, and tbe borders 
for tbe trees may be covered a few inches deep 
with cocoa-nut fibre refuse. The roots should 
not be allowed to grow out at tbe bottom of 
the pots. I place the pots on bricks, or raise 
them on inverted pots, to prevent this, and 
also to keep out worms. 
If tbe pot-trees have been wintered out-of- 
doors, they ought to be taken into the bouse 
by tbe first week in February, and they will 
require but little attention until tbe blossoms 
are expanded. See that tbe trees are well 
•watered at tbe roots, without giving them too 
much. Air freely, but keep the frost out. It 
