OCTOBER. 
215 
crude juice collected by the fibres does not produce growth until it has passed 
through the leaves, therefore the first growth of trees in spring depends more on 
the sap stored up in the branches than on that in the roots ; and regarding the 
rank growth of the shoots, much depends on thei^ position, or how they are ex¬ 
posed to the influence of the sun. This may be seen by the vigorous shoots of 
fruit frees trained in the open ground, whose shoots and leaves are more exposed 
to the light than those of the same age when trained to a wall. The same 
applies, also, to strong shoots of the previous year’s growth, which become 
weak when shaded by older branches. For instance, one-year-old shoots of 
Pear trees trained between old branches soon sicken and die, instead of bearing 
fruit; consequently, when that plan is adopted with barren trees the young 
shoots should have as much room as possible in order that their leaves may be 
exposed to the influence of the sun. 
I may have said enough to show that strong shoots of trees may be rendered 
weak without any interference with the roots, and I have no wish at present 
to enter into the various plans adopted to check the rank growth of trees in 
order to make these fruitful, but rather to notice how weak ones may be made 
strong. This can be done by leaving some of their shoots not nailed to the 
wall during summer, in order that the sun mav have more influence on the 
leaves. At the end of the season such shoots may be double the size of the 
others close to the wall, owing to the greater abundance of sap elaborated in 
their leaves, which has also increased the growth of the roots or fibres. This 
accords with the theory of there being a nearly equal balance between the 
growth of the tops and roots of trees. If there be any doubts respecting the 
sap not being stored in the roots during winter, one has only to put a piece of 
root and also a branch in the fire, and perhaps double the quantity of juice will 
ooze out at the other end of the branch that there will from the root. This I 
have noticed before in these pages ; but I may have said too little above concern¬ 
ing the objection to leaving rank shoots in trees, whether they be shortened to 
fill up blanks, or left at their full length. It is true that vigorous shoots are 
apt to produce rank wood instead of fruit; but it is also true this may be 
prevented by leaving more of their offshoots close to the wall during summer, 
exactly the reverse of what has been recommended for weak trees. Perhaps 
there would be fewer complaints about the roots of trees if the theory of 
vegetation were better understood. 
Cossey Park. J. Wightox. 
• LATE FLOWERING ROSES. 
Despite so much wet weather, so many dull, cold, and wet days—sure 
signs that the summer has passed, and prophetic of the coming death of so 
much that has been gay and beautiful; despite these, yet have many of the 
late-flowering Roses compensated to some extent for the dreariness that has 
begun 10 close about us and them. Wild winds, and pelting rains, and be¬ 
clouded skies have assailed the Roses with great severity, and presented to 
them no inviting aspect of countenance, yet have many of them put forth their 
flowers, and gilded the dreariness they could not avert. 
I walked through Mr. W. Paul’s nursery, at Waltham Cross, a few days 
ao'o. There was to be seen a great breadth of standard and dwarf Roses then in 
bloom, numbers of them not having thin attenuated flowers, but large, full, rich 
blossoms with all that desired quality sometimes looked for in vain at the end 
of June. I thought that a selection of some of those that may truly be termed 
autumnal-flowering Roses might prove acceptable to the readers of the Florist 
and PoM-OLOCisT. Before giving the list, however, I may state that invariably 
