660 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
•June 19, 1886. 
Liverpool, too, is not one of tlie "best fair- 
weather places, and although we most earnestly 
hope the weather may at the end of the month 
prove there all that is desirable, yet there are 
disturbing elements in the weather at present 
which naturally raise apprehension. The 
Royal Horticultural Society, in this its renewed 
effort at carrying out grand provincial shows, 
seems, therefore, peculiarly unfortunate in this, 
in addition to the other difficulty of having 
to encounter the probable disturbance arising 
from an excited general election. 
-->Y<-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Meetings for Next Week.— Tuesday: Meeting 
of Fruit and Floral Committees at South Kensington ; 
Pelargonium show in the conservatory. — Wednesday to 
Friday : Grand Yorkshire Gala at York. 
The Royal Caledonian Horticultural 
Society. —The council of this society has decided to 
abandon their summer show for this year, owing to the 
backwardness of the season, which will prevent the 
Scotch growers from exhibiting on the dates fixed. 
This would be a serious loss to the show, as Roses have 
always been the leading feature. We understand that 
the International Exhibition authorities are to be ap¬ 
proached with a view to holding a flower show in their 
grounds later on. ' 
Messrs. Richard Smith & Co. ’s employes at 
the St. John’s Nurseries, Worcester, had their annual 
outing on Tuesday, and fortunately had a fine day for 
the visit which they paid to the Indian and Colonial 
Exhibition at South Kensington. 
Royal Horticultural Society's Great 
Provincial Show at Liverpool. — We are 
requested to remind intending exhibitors of plants, &c., 
that the entries close on Monday next, the 21st inst. 
It is expected that this will prove one of the largest 
and most important of the exhibitions held by the 
society. Great progress is being made in laying out 
the grounds, and many of the hot-houses are already 
erected, the implement exhibition being of great extent. 
Only fine weather is required to make it a thorough 
success. Yans will be in readiness at Edge Hill and 
other railway stations to convey the plants to the 
exhibition on notice being given to Mr. Richardson, 
Curator, Botanic Gardens, Liverpool, as to when they 
may be required, and the several leading railway com¬ 
panies have agreed to carry the plants on the return 
journey at reduced rates. 
Pyrethrums and Pansies. —From Mr. W. 
Caudwell, The Ivies, Wantage, we have received a fine 
box of blooms of double and single Pyrethrums and 
show and fancy Pansies, illustrative of the strains 
which he grows largely for seed, and which are so 
good in quality as to merit high commendation. 
The double Pyrethrums, bright rose-pink and white 
varieties, are of the best, and the single forms of the 
very best types, being large with fine broad florets 
and striking self colours ; these are very fine. The 
fancy Pansies are very bright and showy. 
New Plants Certificated in Ghent.— At the 
meeting of the Belgian Chamber of Horticulture, held 
on Monday last, Certificates of Merit were awarded to 
Mr. Edward Pvnaert-Van Geert, for Fagus atro- 
purpureus tricolor ; to Messrs. Jacob Makoy & Co., for 
Masdevallia maerura ; to M. Jules Hye-Leysen (by ac¬ 
clamation), for Cypripedium grande, and for Cattleya 
Mossife var. ; to Messrs. Vervaet & Co., for Odonto- 
glossum Pescatorei var., and Yanda insignis ; and to 
Mr. C. Yan Geert, for Sambucus canadensis filieifolia. 
The Liverpool Show. —A Gardener writes : — 
No doubt there will be many gardeners, who, like 
myself, will be unable to exhibit at the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s Provincial Show, at Liverpool, but 
who will be desirous of seeing the display at as small 
an expense as possible, and I suppose that some ar¬ 
rangement will be made with the railway companies, 
to run cheap trains on certain days ; if this can be 
done, it will be a great advantage to many whose 
purses are not too heavily laden, and whose employers 
are not liberal enough to provide them with the neces¬ 
sary means. Happily, many gentlemen recognise the 
fact, that the expenditure of a few pounds, and a day 
or two’s journey on horticultural matters, is a distinct 
gain to himself and his gardener, for the latter, if an 
observant man, must gain some hints that he will turn 
to good account as occasion offers. 
ROSE CULTURE IN TOWNS. 
There is probably no flower more difficult to cultivate 
satisfactorily in town gardens than the Rose, and strange 
to say it is the flower above all others which possesses 
most attractions. It is the favourite of everyone, and 
for the very obvious reason that it possesses most plea¬ 
sing qualities. Here we have elegance of shape, 
exquisite fragrance, and an almost infinite variety of 
colour. Its inherent fastidiousness, however, must 
ever prove a formidable barrier to its successful culture 
in localities where smoke and other impurities are the 
prevailing features. 
It may certainly be got to bloom in the suburban 
districts of our large towns, though even in the most 
favoured outskirts, and with the most careful cultivation 
possible, the blooms are vastly inferior to those com¬ 
monly seen in almost any cottage garden in country 
villages. I would advise everyone who is determined 
to try his hand on Rose culture in towns, not to engage 
with the standard, lest he should become disgusted 
with his experiment. Those on their own roots, or 
what is perhaps better still, those on the Manetti, will 
be likely to give most satisfaction, and especially the 
hybrid perpetual class. 
I have found John Hopper, Baroness Rothschild, 
General Jacqueminot, Dupuy Jamain, Charles Lefebvre, 
and William Griffiths to thrive as well as any ; also 
Gloire de Dijon and Souvenir de la Malmaison, though 
at their best the blooms presented a very pitiful appear¬ 
ance when placed beside those grown in country places. 
Since then it has been proved beyond a doubt that the 
Rose is not constitutionally adapted for the impurities 
of atmosphere which surround all large towns, it is 
wisdom to go in for things less attractive, for I think 
it will be admitted that to grow a less attractive flower 
well is better than to grow a more attractive one badly. 
I wish, however, in this short article to advocate among 
amateurs the cultivation of the Rose under glass in and 
near all large towns, and it may, perhaps, be well to 
give my own experience briefly in connection with the 
matter. 
I selected two or three dozen of the hybrid perpetual 
class for the purpose, budded on the Manetti stock, and 
potted them in 8-in. or ] 0-in. pots, in the best maiden 
loam I could procure, taking care to lay a good 
foundation of draining materials, and in planting to 
press the soil as firmly round the roots as possible. 
This was in the early part of November, which I am 
inclined to think is the best time of the year to plant 
Roses, either in pots or in the open ground. 
In the latter part of December, I placed them in a 
greenhouse, giving plenty of ventilation while the 
weather remained mild, and only resorted to gentle 
heat in order to exclude frost. By the latter part of 
January they began to break nicely, after which I 
syringed the trees twice a-day with tepid water, 
morning and night, until the flower-buds showed colour. 
Of course, in frosty weather the temperature in the 
night was kept at about 45°, varying to 55° or a little 
over by day, which I consider to be quite high enough 
for Roses. 
About the first week in April some of the kinds began 
to bloom, and from that time to the middle of June, 
there was no lack of flowers. The foliage was simply 
magnificent, and the flowers all that could be desired ; 
infinitely superior to any I had ever produced in the 
open garden, though I occupy one of the most favoured 
positions in the outskirts of the town. I had no 
trouble with greenfly, or other insect pests, the daily 
use of the syringe forbade all such troublesome intruders. 
As soon as the flower buds began to show themselves, 
I applied strong liquid manure and soot, which 
materially improved both foliage and flowers. The 
second week in June the trees were removed from the 
blooming house into the open garden, where they 
remained through the summer months, the pots being 
sunk to their rims in a south border. I reaped another 
plentiful crop of flowers in the early autumn, but they 
were much inferior to those produced under glass, both 
as regards size and brilliance of colour. In November 
again, they were re-potted into fresh soil, consisting of 
well decomposed sods, mixed with a third or so of 
well-rotted manure. I have had another fine bloom 
this spring, and while I write this article, there are 
flowers on some of the trees which would not disgrace 
an exhibition tray. 
I may just mention that from a climbing Jules 
Margottin, planted some fifteen months ago, in a round 
tub of fourteei; inches diameter, I have cut sixty blooms 
this spring, most of which went for button-holes. 
From the trees planted in 8-in. pots, I have cut on an 
average from fourteen to twenty-four blooms, so that 
looking at it in a financial point of view, they have 
proved a success, as well as affording the greatest 
pleasure to watch their various stages of development. 
The kinds I selected for house culture were the fol¬ 
lowing :—Monsieur E. Y. Teas, Charles Lefebvre, Jules 
Margottin, Dupuy Jamain, Mrs. H. Turner, Mrs. 
Jowitt, Alfred Colomb, A. K. Williams, Empereur de 
Maroc, Duke of Edinburgh; Beauty of ’Waltham, 
Fisher Holmes, Louis van Houtte, Comtesse d’Oxford, 
Senateur Yaisse, also Gloire de Dijon, Souvenir de la 
Malmaison, and Marechal Niel. 
I can with the greatest confidence recommend this 
method of growing Roses to everyone who lives in, or very 
near to, any large town. There is nothing to interfere 
with success, if the plan above described be faithfully 
carried out. It is true, mildew might occur, unless 
there were a free circulation of air in the house. I 
always admit fresh air from the south side of the 
house, by removing two narrow boards, close to the 
ground, and which are made to slide in and out at 
pleasure. This I consider preferable to admitting it 
on a level with the plants, as it becomes somewhat 
tempered before it comes in contact with them. I 
never attempt to grow many kinds of flowers in the 
same house, because the treatment which may be 
highly suitable to one plant, may be death to another, 
and I am persuaded that the many failures which 
occur among amateurs, arise from attempting the culti¬ 
vation of a miscellaneous collection of flowers under 
the same roof. 11 is, therefore, wisest to cultivate a 
few things which require much the same treatment, 
rather than a great many, when the result is pretty 
certain to be failure and disgust.— Geo. Kidson, Hull. 
-- 
BURFORD LODGE, DORKING. 
It is natural that horticulturists of all degrees should 
be more or less interested in the gardens of Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., the popular M.P.’s for the Reigate 
Division of Surrey, and president of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society. Oh! yes, everybody says, on ac¬ 
count of the wonderful Orchids. 'Well, yes, that 
is one reason, as it is difficult to think of Burford 
Lodge without having them in the mind. Pro¬ 
bably more rare species have been flowered there for 
the first time, and more bad doers subjugated than in 
any other collection in the world. But it must be 
understood that the perfection of good culture is attained 
in other classes than the Orchids, and that the various 
other things grown each in their seasons, give veiy 
charming displays both indoors and out. Few who 
have seen the beautiful group of the white, pink, 
and scarlet varieties of the Begonia nitida, and other 
shrubby kinds as they here appear, mingling their 
lovely flowers above and among their bright green 
leaves, will be likely to forget them and their fragrance; 
the group of mingled white and blue Agapanthus, and 
scarlet Impatiens Sultani is also one of the features of 
the Burford plant houses, and the many pretty things 
among Freesias, Ixias, Sparaxis, and other Cape bulbs, 
are all the more acceptable because we so seldom have 
the opportunity of seeing them. 
The Plant Houses. 
In the plant houses too, may also now be seen in 
flower, Clianthus Dampieri, which has survived several 
years and is still vigorous ; some good single and 
double tuberous Begonias ; a fine collection of scarlet 
Antliuriums ; a select house of Ferns ; others of Palms 
and other decorative plants ; a range of Yineries in good 
crop, all bearing evidence of the diligence of Mr. Bain, 
the gardener. 
The Pleasure Grounds. 
On entering the gate and passing under the shade of 
the tall beeches, with their undergrowth of Perriwinkle, 
a pleasant and uncommon sight meets the eye, the 
comfortable residence, the garden, and neat little park, 
being partly encircled by Box Hill, which rises at the 
back almost perpendicular to the height of about 400 
ft., its chalky front clad with Box and Yew, having a 
very picturesque appearance, Burford Lodge being 
sheltered in the nest formed by it, its rugged back¬ 
ground showing to great advantage the soft green turf, 
neat walks and bright flowers, with which it is sur¬ 
rounded. On the other side of the house, past the deep 
shady dell, planted at the top with St. John’s Wort and 
Solomon’s Seal, and below with Ferns and other shade- 
loving plants,we come to thegarden devoted to herbaceous 
