180 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 19, 1887. 
A Jubilee Souvenir. —Under the then prevailing 
excitement, a representative of one of our nursery firms 
in West Middlesex undertook to present the local 
authorities of his parish with an Araucaria, to be 
planted as a Jubilee tree on the village green. The 
o.Ter was accepted, and the tree, some 3 ft. to 4 ft. in 
height, and worth 3s. or 4s., was duly planted on 
Jubilee day with parochial honours, some needful soil 
and labour being also furnished. Judge, then, of the 
surprise of one of the chief actors in this little ceremony 
on receiving, the other day, a bill of the amount of one 
guinea for labour, &c., in planting this Jubilee tree— 
rather a costly present on the one side, and yet a very 
profitable transaction on the other. Gift horses some¬ 
times should be looked in the mouth. 
Something in a Name. — A gardener named 
Sly field was prosecuted before the Brentford Justices 
the other day for frauds upon various persons, and 
amongst others upon a well-known London nursery 
firm. He had worked a short time for a market 
gardener named Barnham at Feltham, and having by 
misrepresentation induced his employer to purchase 
some plants said to be coming to him in lieu of money 
due, ordered from the above firm certain plants in the 
name of Mr. Barnham, of Hounslow, and sold them to 
his employer, thus committing two frauds with the 
same subjects. Some other similar transactions took 
place after Slyfield had left Mr. Barnham’s employ. 
Doubtless for some time to come Slyfield will enjoy a 
lodging at the country’s expense. 
Giant Apples.—The grand .collection of six dishes 
of kitchen Apples which Mr. McKenzie exhibited at 
the Royal Aquarium last week calls for more than 
passing notice. Such superb samples of fruit should 
make us proud of our gardeners, for grander fruits the 
world could not have produced. They were not only 
fine and heavy, even averaging 1 lb. per fruit, but 
they were also very handsome. Mr. McKenzie men¬ 
tioned that last year he had even much finer fruits of 
the sorts shown, but they were more irregularly shaped. 
They are grown on dwarf bush trees, kept in check by 
root-pruning, but liberally mulched and watered during 
dry weather ; in fact, it is a strong point in the Linton 
culture that from first to last the fruits shall not cease 
swelling. The grand samples shown by Mr. McKenzie, 
Mr. Ross, Mr. G. Bunyard, and others served to show 
that with high culture, England may beat the whole 
world with Apples. 
The Kingston Show.—The serious falling off in 
the customary high standard of Chrysanthemums 
usually found at the Kingston autumn show, which 
was so patent the other day, is a matter for regret. 
“Without doubt this show was the chief, indeed, the 
real leader in the South in promoting that high 
standard in Chrysanthemum development which is now 
attained. Possibly some special causes operated against 
the society this year. There was an abundance of 
flowers, but the majority were only second-rate, whilst 
plants were very materially reduced in bulk. The 
absence of some of the former leading exhibitors had its 
effects, and we hope that such absence is but temporary. 
Any permanent reduction in average quality at Kingston 
would be a misfortune. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the St. Neot’s 
Chrysanthemum show, held on the 8th inst., Mr. 
William Ratchelous, the hon. secretary to the society, 
who is also the local hon. secretary to the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, availed himself of the opportunity to 
bring the claims of the Fund before the numerous 
company present. This is an admirable way of making 
this praiseworthy object known, and we can but hope 
that advantage will be taken of such social gatherings 
by other local secretaries in order to make known what 
is contemplated in the formation of the Fund. 
Gardening Educational Societies. — Amidst the 
mass of associations, clubs, &c., now existent, and 
being formed ostensibly with a view to the intellectual 
improvement of members—young men especially—but 
in the majority of cases presenting chiefly attractive 
centres for pastimes and sport, it is refreshing to find 
in horticulture such bond fide and admirable bodies as 
the Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Preston, 
Chiswick, and numerous other gardeners’ associations, 
alive to the importance of improving practically and 
mentally gardening knowledge in all its branches, 
among those of our youths who devote themselves to 
horticultural pursuits. Play may be desirable in its 
proper place and under restrictions ; but all play, or 
chiefly play, will do nothing good for the gardeners of 
the kingdom, young or old. The societies named above, 
and all conducted for similar objects, merit all praise 
for the excellent work they are striving to perform. 
The Church Coppenliall Horticultural Society's 
third annual Chrysanthemum show will be held 
in the Town Hall, Crewe, on Saturday next; and 
the committee will, we understand, be very glad to 
receive contributions of blooms or fruits from the south. 
Presentation to a Gardener. — On the evening 
of the 4th inst., Mr. James Whitton, on his leaving 
Coltness Gardens to take charge of those at Glamis 
Castle, was presented by his friends, at a pleasant gather¬ 
ing which took place at Wishaw, with a “ barograph ’’ 
and purse of gold for himself, and a brooch for Mrs. 
Whitton. On a subsequent evening, Mr. Whitton was 
entertained at a complimentary supper, and the chair¬ 
man, in proposing the health of the guest of the evening, 
after alluding to Mr. Whitton’s true-hearted honest 
character, and his great skill as a gardener, expressed 
the belief of all present that under his care the glory of 
the Glamis Gardens would not fade. 
Harpenden Apple and Pear Congress.—At the 
Apple and Pear Congress to be held under the 
auspices of the Harpenden Horticultural Society, on 
December 7th, papers will be read in the evening by 
Mr. R. Dean “On the history of the Apple,” and “On 
the importation of foreign Apples and Pears, and its 
influence on the British fruit trade” ; by Lieut.-Col. 
Durnford, Rothamsted Lodge, Harpenden, “On 
ripening, gathering, and method of keeping Apples 
and Pears ” ; by Mr. J. Cheal, Lowfield Nurseries, 
Crawley, “On the cordon system of training Apples 
and Pears ” ; and by Mr. W. F. Emptage, gardener to 
J. S. Hill, Esq., Hawkswick, St. Albans, “On the 
diseases of the Apple and suggested remedies,” and 
“ On the cultivation of the Apple and Pear.” 
Gardening Changes.—Mr. David Thomson, lately 
gardener at Banchory House, Aberdeen, has been 
engaged as gardener to D. McGregor, Esq., of Ard- 
garten, Argyleshire. Mr. D. Gillies, late of Finnart, 
Dumbartonshire, succeeds Mr. Kemp as gardener to 
F. Aberdein, Esq., Keithock House, Forfarshire. Mr. 
G. Bannerman, late of Gearies, Ross-shire, has become 
gardener to Mrs. Wilkie, of Ormiston, Midlothian. Mr. 
F. Quanee Clatworth}’’, late foreman at Rufford Abbey, 
Ollerton, Notts, has been engaged as gardener toH. L. 
Gaskell, Esq., Kiddington Hall, Woodstock, Oxon ; 
and Mr. J. Withers, formerly of Cruckton Hall, 
Shrewsbury, as gardener to Hope Johnstone, Esq., The 
Homewood, Esher, Surrey. 
Exhibition Morality.—If evidence were wanting 
of the high average morality which exists among 
exhibitors at flower shows, and especially among 
gardeners, it is to be found both in the exceeding 
infrequency of questionable practices in connection 
with exhibits, and the pained feeling allied to surprise 
and annoyance which is so abundantly evidenced at an 
exhibition, by the bulk of exhibitors, amateur and pro¬ 
fessional, when some form of trickery or attempt to 
deceive is discovered. Thus it was that at the Bromley 
Chrysanthemum Show, held on the 10th inst., after 
the judges had made the unpleasant discovery that a 
gardener named Barrell had resorted to the dishonour¬ 
able practice of making up blooms, in a similar manner 
to what was done at Liverpool a few years ago—the 
exhibitor in question on making his reappearance at 
the show received a greeting from the gardeners present 
that he is not likely soon to forget. The flowers were 
unfortunately staged in the name of the man’s master, 
who personally knew nothing of the improper manner 
in which the blooms had been treated, but the com¬ 
mittee promptly exonerated him, after receiving an 
explanation. It is satisfactory to know that when the 
paltry fraud was discovered, the punishment meted out 
to the delinquent was sharp and decisive. 
-- 
A FEW HINTS ON ROSE 
GROWING.* 
In any attempt to grow Roses, the first thing that 
claims our attention is the preparation of the soil. 
Roses grow best in a heavy deep loam, or loam resting 
on clay ; they do worst on a light sandy soil resting on 
rock or shingle. If we are in possession of a piece of 
heavy clay land, and we propose to grow Roses on it, 
we shall have to drain it, and then with the assistance 
of manure we may expect to get good blooms. But if 
our land is light and sandy, then all our efforts must be 
in the direction of making it heavier. No draining will 
be necessary here, indeed we must endeavour to 
couuteract the drying effect of the sun by means of 
mulching, that is, in the hot weather strewing a coating 
of manure or dead leaves over the roots of the Roses, 
paper read by Mr. Duncan Gilmour, Junr., F.R.H.S., at a 
meeting of the Carlton-in-Lindrick (Notts) Rose Societv, on 
October ISth. 
which will prevent evaporation from the soil, and keep 
the land moist in the driest weather. If the land 
is heavy it is advisable to add to it anything that we 
know will help to make it lighter ; sand, road scrapings, 
gravel, charcoal, wood-ashes, wool, hair, rags, refuse 
from tan-yards, or anything of a like nature will assist 
to make it more porous. There is another factor that 
we cannot do without, either on light or heavy land, 
and that is lime. I shall speak of this again, but I 
may say here that its action on heavy land is to open it 
up and improve it immensely, and you cannot have 
too much of it. 
If our soil is light we escape the expense and trouble 
of having to drain it; but it is impossible, do what we 
will, to get the same results from a light soil as we can 
from a heavy one. Roses delight naturally in a heavy 
soil, and in such soils they will always do better than 
when grown elsewhere. No doubt there are places 
where Roses do well on light soils—there are probably 
some here who grow beautiful blooms on a light soil, 
but I think I am right in saying that if those who do so 
well on these light soils went to the same amount of 
trouble in growing Roses in a heavy soil, they would 
produce even finer flowers than they do. 
On a heavy soil the best manure we can use is horse- 
manure ; on a light soil we should prefer to use cow- 
manure. The first named heats quickly, which is 
beneficial on a cold heavy soil ; the second retains the 
water for a considerable time, and is generally said to 
be a cold manure, thus being more suitable to a dry 
burning soil. 
Nothing answers better on a light soil than clay, the 
only difficulty being to get it thoroughly mixed with 
the natural soil. The best plan is to keep the surface 
of the land strewed with it, as the winter frost and the 
summer heat will break it up, when it can be dug in. 
If we keep doing this as often as we can procure clay, 
we shall soon see a great improvement in our land. 
It is almost useless to bury it in large lumps. “We 
must not attempt to apply quicklime to light soil, as it 
burns up the manurial matters too readily. The lime 
for this purpose should be allowed to stand in a heap 
for at least three months before being applied to the 
land, and if some soil can be got to mix with it while 
standing in the heap it will be all the better. 
On heavy land the lime may be applied in a quick 
state with advantage, as it assists mechanically to break 
up and divide the clay, and so make the soil lighter 
and more open. On the hungry, dry, sandy soils the 
manure we apply seems to pass away very quickly, the 
rains washing it out of the ground. It is found that 
where lime is present in these light soils it combines 
chemically with the valuable parts of the manure, and 
prevents the rains from washing them away. I may 
say personally that on my own dry sandy land I have 
derived the greatest benefit from the application of 
lime and clay. Sometimes, from the situation of a 
piece of land, it is impossible to drain it. In this case 
the only plan is to grow the Roses on raised beds. 
In planting a few Roses it may be possible to remove 
the original soil from the beds and replace it with 
something better. The soil I should suggest would 
be made up in this way : one load of top spit from clay 
pasture, half a load of old farm-yard manure, one 
barrowful of old slaked lime, one barrowful of £-in. 
bones, and a barrowful of small charcoal or wood-ashes. 
When buying Roses do not buy rubbish ; you will . 
find it by far the dearest in the long run. Good Roses 
are cheap enough. If your soil is light and sandy you 
will find that the lighter shades—whites and pinks— 
will suit you best; if the soil is heavy, then the darker 
ones will do well. In selecting the sorts, choose those 
that are vigorous growers ; varieties of moderate growth 
are rarely so satisfactory as these. Some people will 
go to auctions and buy their Roses there. Well, of 
course, if they prefer to do so I have no objection, but 
I do not think it is the best way to buy Roses. At the 
same time, I may just give these people a hint that 
may be of some value. . As a rule Roses at auctions are 
generally dry and shrivelled up before the purchaser 
can get them home. Now, the best plan, and the only 
safe one to follow when plants get to this stage, is to 
dig a good deep hole in the ground and bury them, 
root and branch ; lay them down sideways, and after 
giving them a good soaking of water cover them up 
and leave them there for about a week. In all proba¬ 
bility when they are dug up again they will be quite 
fresh and plump. If they are not so then I am very 
much afraid they never will bo. 
Roses planted about March or April, which is the 
usual time with many people, will take about eighteen 
months to recover—some never recover at all. Those 
