' July 10, 1886. 
THfc GARDENING WORLD. 
711 
a continual crusade must be made against the pest 
wherever it appears ; tobacco water syringed against 
the plants, laid on their sides, is a good remedy. 
Roses in Pots, especially the Tea and more tender 
classes, should be examined at the roots, and if not 
already done, a shift should be given to a larger sized 
pot; or, if such is not desirable, a quantity of the 
wasted surface soil may be removed, drainage put 
right, and placed in clean pots of the same size as 
the plants had previously been growing in, a good 
surfacing given, and then the pots plunged in ashes, 
and stood in the sun. Watering freely at the roots 
and overhead after warm days stimulates the plant into 
free growth, which will flower in good time in autumn 
and early winter. Weakly and matted shoots should 
be thinned out ; all flowers should be picked off when¬ 
ever they show themselves. Mildew may be kept in 
check by syringing a mixture of sulphur and water over 
the foliage on a dry evening ; a little soft soap added 
would cause the sulphur to stick to the leaves till the 
mildew was destroyed. Sulphur dusted over the foliage 
after it is coated with dew will also kill the fungus. 
Hybrid perpetual Roses may have a little cutting back, 
as well as thinning out the small wood ; they do with 
more severe cutting prior to the time of taking them in 
for forcing. A good potful of roots made during 
summer, and then a shift into a size of pot sufficient to 
allow a casing of soil—good rich loam, and a little leaf- 
mould, well rotted, answers well—when the plants are 
started, tells very favourably on them. The shorter 
period of sunheat in the northern districts retards pre¬ 
paration for forcing, and to help to meet the difficulty 
one must get growth matured as early as possible. 
Starvation is, however, not conducive to this end. 
Many of the older kinds of “perpetuals” are still 
among the best for forcing. 
Roses planted in the open ground, and coming 
freely into flower—in most places they are a fortnight 
behind their right time—would be greatly benefited by 
a good soaking of liquid manure ; Clay’s fertilizer is 
very suitable for the purpose, but it must be used judi¬ 
ciously and not at random ; a good coating of farmyard 
manure placed over the roots, and a soaking of water 
poured over the mulching will do much to support a 
heavy impost of flowers. Thinning the flowers, while 
in bud, gives size to those left ; grubs are likely to be 
taking up their quarters in the young leaves or hearts 
of the buds, where they make short work of the display 
of infloresence. Suckers must not gain a footing, but 
frequent search for them should be made, and they 
must be cleared entirely from the stocks. It requires 
some amount of observation to detect manetti and 
briars from the roses. Any growths taking the lead 
from under the surface of the soil should be examined 
suspiciously ; while we write this we have hundreds of 
shoots growing up so ; but coatings of manure and 
surfacings of soil have caused the plants to root 
from themselves above the stocks, and they like such 
treatment. 
Carnations and Picotees are of much value in the 
north. The old-fashioned cloves, white, and scarlet, 
are often found in quantity in old Scottish gardens ; 
and to thwart slugs may require plenty of soot, or soot 
and lime mixed, dusted round their collars; good 
watering of soot water poured around, and into their 
foliage, is a good practice, helping roots and tops at the 
same time. When grubs attack the roots it is no easy 
matter to destroy them. Pink pipings may be made 
and placed under handlights, using sandy soil, and 
kept shaded from sun ; they will soon root, when the 
tops of the lights may be kept off. Layering Carna¬ 
tions should soon have attention ; in damp localities 
they should be layered above the level of the soil. 
Flowers in the Garden have in many districts made 
very little growth since they were planted out ; good 
waterings with guano (if such a useful fertiliser is to be 
found) may do much to start the plants. Plants with 
striking foliage planted thickly, now show their value, 
and when good herbaceous borders are afforded their due 
wants, their value is now apparent. The host of fine 
things in flower now (many of them grand for cutting), 
are very pleasing anduseful; Pyrethrums.Dielytras, Irises, 
Delphiniums, Spiraeas, and others of the larger class 
make a grand show. Clearing the beds from weeds 
and timely staking some kinds, requires a little labour, 
but they are a cheaply grown class now in the ascen¬ 
dancy ; they always have been much valued in the 
north. Lawns should be cleared of weeds, placing little 
salt over their roots as they are cut out. Machines 
should not be kept too low, which leaves no soft sward 
so desirable in well kept lawns. In very dry parts a 
good soaking of water may be required, but surface 
watering gives brown and patchy lawns ; give a good 
soaking or none. 
In the vegetable garden close attention to filling up 
the ground is necessary, so that a good start into free 
growth may be made before the short and cold days ar¬ 
rive. A sowing of Cabbage may now be made to stand 
through the winter. We have plantations from sowings, 
at three periods last year, viz., the first week of July, 
middle of July, and end of that month ; they are all 
good, but the latest sowing is the best. Large sowings 
of Turnip and Lettuce should now be made, also a 
pinch of Endive. 
Root Pruning. —Those who are opposed to taking 
action in this matter during the early-growing season 
will sympathise very little with any suggestions which 
we might advance in this short paper. Nevertheless, 
we advise that an examination, of the fruit trees be 
made as early as circumstances will allow. If the 
young growths are of a gross character, they are more 
likely to finish up at the end of the season with un¬ 
ripened wood and no preparation for fruiting next 
season. It does not require much practical experience 
at this early period to judge correctly what the tree is 
to do next year if let alone. In the northern districts, 
where there is a minimum of sun and young growth, if 
at all gross, is difficult to ripen, we v T ould advise imme¬ 
diate action, and if mutilation has to be practised we 
would prefer doing it at the roots, and prevent a growth 
of wood which has only to be cut off, wounding the 
tree preparing for the ravages of canker, and making 
lodgements for vermin. When this is prevented by 
careful root manipulation, satisfaction is sure to follow. 
The examination of part of the roots by removing 
the soil carefully with a fork, doing one side only at 
present, searching for the gross feeder which is doing 
the mischief, cutting it off with a sharp knife, laying all 
the young roots carefully into soil made as firm belorv 
as a rammer can make it, and mixing with it at the same 
time a quantity of lime rubbish ; before the final 
covering of soil is given a good watering may be neces¬ 
sary. Gross wood not wanted would be better to be 
trimmed off, but thinning and stopping is better for the 
tree when performed piecemeal. Later in the season 
one may see the result of root-pruning. Fruitless 
and overgrown trees during May, June, or July should be 
examined at the roots, cutting-in all gross ones. I can 
at the present time look on Plums, Apricots, Cherries, 
Peaches, Nectarines, and Figs, which have been root- 
pruned somewhat severely during early summer and 
early autumn to finish what was begun. The roots are 
a mass of white fibre, embedded firmly in the soil, and 
many of the trees are bearing fruit very abundantly, 
though only planted two and three years past. 
Trees which are to be kept dwarf, or to cover 'small 
space on walls, are very manageable when attended 
to as described above during the summer months and 
early autumn. We think it severe punishment, cutting 
roots and branches off trees during late autumn and 
winter, when the wounds cannot heal. While one 
advocates doing the work early, with the desire of 
having plenty of fruit the season following, and fine 
stiff growth with crisp healthy foliage, there can be 
nothing more objectionable than cutting off large estab¬ 
lished roots, which defeats the object in view. 
Shrub Pruning. —Where shrubs are grown with 
the view r of each kind being kept within bounds, 
to show their individuality, they should now be gone 
over with the knife to reduce branches taking the 
lead, or removing any which may be one-sided. Many 
have to be kept dwarf with the view of not having to 
remove altogether any of the collection, but to keep all 
the species in the space allotted to them ; care must 
be exercised not to cut the plant into stiff unnatural 
form. While such plants are going out of bloom, such 
as yellow and white Broom, Thorns of kinds, Lilacs, 
Laburnums, &c., should be regulated before young 
growth has to be cut off; evenly balanced trees full of 
flowering wood would be prepared for next season. 
Kinds which are growq. for carpeting ground (such as 
Berberis, St. John’s Wort, Periwinkles, Rhododendron 
ponticum, Ivy, &c.), may be cut down pretty close, so 
that a dense mass of foliage may be secured before 
wdnter. Formal shrubs, such as Hollies, Retinosporas, 
Laurels, of sorts, (the myrtle kind is a capital shrub for 
the purpose named), Yews, Arbor-vitse, Acacias, &c., 
should also have due attention at this season, and they 
may have a little tying into form to make them answer 
their purpose. Extreme formality is not desirable, but 
one-sided irregular bushes, as specimens on the parterre 
are out of place, and cannot be left unpruned. Staking 
may be necessary for some kinds, but it is better when 
not required.— M. T. 
- -- 
“DISTINCT.” 
Under the above heading “ R. D.” invites criti¬ 
cism on a subject which, I must say, is as per¬ 
plexing to exhibitors, judges, and committeemen, as it 
appears to have been to himself, so that one cannot 
wonder at his desire to have the opinions of others. 
This word “ distinct,” is the cause of much unpleasant¬ 
ness and contention, and judges are often blamed for con¬ 
struing it in a sense different from what exhibitors un¬ 
derstand. “R. D.” has given us a fair specimen, in the 
case of the class for “ twelve bunches of cut flowers, dis¬ 
tinct,” in such a case one exhibitor will take it to mean 
distinct colours, another, distinct varieties, and yet 
another, distinct species, and the judge, who will 
naturally fall in with one or the other, gets blamed by 
the two left out, although all the four are each and 
all, though in different ways, right in their own 
opinions. binder the circumstances of the case, I 
should do as “R. D.” does, ask what has been tho 
practice, and award accordingly. Disqualification is 
a very unpleasant course to have to take, but at times 
it has to be resorted to. When two judges aro going 
their rounds and come to a capital stand upon which 
they are not agreed on the point of distinction, I 
think the best policy would be to disqualify it, but to 
give it a special prize. This would certainly be the 
most conciliatory course, and would not hurt anyone. 
“Variety” and “kind” I should take to mean the same 
thing, and black and white, as two distinct colours ; 
so that, in a collection of six distinct kinds, they 
should be admissable. As regards Roses being shown 
among stove and greenhouse flowers, I should consider 
disqualification the proper thing to do, if the Roses 
were flowering naturally out of doors, say from the 
middle of June into October, but during the other 
months of the year I should consider them as proper 
greenhouse subjects. Framers of schedules cannot be 
too careful in the wording of them, and when using 
the word “ distinct,” should add the words “genera,” 
“species,” “colour,” or “varieties,” as only by so 
doing, can much unpleasantness be avoided.— B. L. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Roses are now in their best condition, although the 
hot dry weather is rendering them of short duration. 
The advantage of mulchings, with abundant supplies of 
water and liquid manure, will now be apparent, and in 
light soils some attention of this kind will be absolutely 
essential. Suckers should be cut from the base of the 
stocks, and where some are nearly ready for budding, 
the shoots can be slightly shortened in preparation. 
This is the best time to make selections of Roses to be 
added to collections, and a visit to a good Rose show, a 
few gardens or nurseries, will enable anyone to form a 
better idea of what are the finest sorts than any des¬ 
cription can do. In exposed cold situations Teas are 
generally unsatisfactory out of doors, but when a warm 
sheltered position can be provided they often succeed 
admirably. The H. P. varieties constitute the bulk of 
the Roses now grown in gardens, but many of those 
outside the exhibition lists might be added with ad¬ 
vantage. In some old gardens we occasionally see 
Roses, the names of which are quite unknown to most 
modern Rosarians, but which delighted our grandfathers 
and grandmothers with their profusion of fragrant 
flowers. Such Roses as these are seen clambering over 
porches or arbours and trailing up walls, or, like the old 
Souvenir de la Malmaison, forming immense bushes or 
hedges of growth and flowers. The pretty R. polyantha 
varieties, the China Roses, the Austrian Briars, R. rugosa, 
the Bourbons, and innumerable others might be added 
to the list; and we recommend those who love simple 
flowers, to procure a collection of “old Roses,” which 
can be had from most nurserymen who make a speciality 
of these plants. 
The principal work in the flow T er garden at this time 
of the year is supplying the plants with water, and 
