September 2, 1893. 
5 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
will produce a fine show of bloom. But as many of 
the Hybrid Perpetuals are sufficiently ripened 
to allow of lifting for potting purposes, I would 
strongly advise my readers to take advantage of so 
favourable an opportunity. Potted thus early, the 
plants will be equivalent to those established, and 
may safely be forced during the coming winter. 
Indeed, in the case of a few semi-ripened Teas or 
Noisettes, also the hybrid Teas I would lift them and 
encourage new growth in the pots at once ; merely 
standing them on a shady border, and keeping them 
well syringed for a few days before exposing them to 
the influence of autumn sun again. A fair advance 
will be made in new growth before winter is upon us, 
and if the plants are housed by November, we may 
safely depend upon a mid-winter crop of blooms. 
Now is also an excellent time to strike any of the 
strong-growers. I say strong growers, because it is 
only these which will really pay under this method 
of cultivation in England. Weaker growers will 
root quite as readily; but whatever brother 
Jonathan may do among our root Roses, it will be 
a long time before any of the weaker growers are 
extensively grown in this manner here. Choose 
wood about three parts ripened, and cut it into 
lengths of 4 in., letting the bottom cut be just below 
an eye. Do not remove the foliage that may remain 
upon such wood, but insert the whole three-fourths 
of their length in sandy soil, and upon a partially 
shaded border. Leave them there all next summer, 
and transplant the same autumn. 
Rose stocks may also be struck in the same way, 
but I would wait a little longer for these and they 
are far better made fully double the length. This 
will give better room during the budding operations. 
Stocks should also have all but the two top eyes 
removed before inserting the cuttings; not so the 
Roses ; these will throw ug suckers from the lower 
eyes; and valuable as these are in the latter case, 
they must be rigorously avoided in the former. 
Climbers, whether turned out in borders, under 
glass, or grown in pots, will now need all the air and 
light that can possibly be afforded them. Unless 
the wood of these can be thoroughly matured, it is 
almost useless to look for a full crop of flowers next 
year. But, when well ripened, they are among if 
not the most certain forcing Roses we have ; blooms 
being produced from almost every eye or bud 
throughout the length of the stoutest rods. This is 
made more secure still by training them in as 
horizontal a manner as possible. They break more 
uniformly, and the flowering growths wilt turn up 
towards the light. A distance of ij to 2 (t. from 
the glass should be aimed at when training the old 
wood, or the young growth will soon touch it.— 
Experience. 
-- 
FLOWERS FOR DRY 
SOILS. 
Dry seasons Ijjce what the present has been always 
put the different kinds of soil to a severe test as to 
their capabilities of resisting drought. Sandy and 
gravelly soils suffer most, and when Pelargoniums 
lose their foliage, grow very little, and bloom till 
they are thoroughly exhausted, it is evident that the 
resources of such a soil are being tried to the utmost. 
Under any conditions the cultivator has to make 
the most of such soils when they fall to his lot to 
deal with. It is satisfactory, however, that some 
flowers will not only bloom freely under the condi¬ 
tions, but seem to be thoroughly at home and 
happy. 
The soil is naturally gravelly, with beds of clay 
frequently at no great depth below the surface, in 
the grounds of Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill. 
Bedding plants as a rule have suffered greatly. Pelar¬ 
goniums have got very little larger since they were 
put out, and are not likely to redeem themselves this 
year. Some beds of various kinds of single Petunias 
do not seem to have flagged in the least, and have 
been a mass of bloom all the summer and continue 
in the same floriferous condition. When left to their 
own free will, in the shrubberies, they even scatter 
their seeds, spring up, and flower grandly in the fol¬ 
lowing season. Seedlings keep pretty true to the 
character of the parents. Another garden race of 
plants belonging to the same family is the Salpi- 
glossis. They possess a great range of colour 
through various shades of yellow, purple, and that 
shade of blue seen in some of the Petunias and also 
Clematis Jackmanni. The netting of many of the 
flowers is very fine. They resist drought and flower 
grandly. 
We have occasionally seen Phlox Drummondi 
dying oft badly in light soil and dry weather, but it 
has done admirably in the gravelly soil at Falkland 
Park, and the stems being pegged down the beds 
appeared one mass of bloom not unlike Verbenas. 
In wet seasons the Portulaccas look dull and rather 
miserable, but such has not been the case 
this year. The abundant sunshine has been pro¬ 
ductive of a brilliant and most varied display. So fine 
have they been in some cases that certain cultivators 
will attempt to retain the finer varieties by propaga¬ 
tion from cuttings. Indian Pinks also do fairly well 
in the gravelly soil mentioned, though scarcely so 
good as last year. Gaillardias have done well, and 
it may be stated were a notable feature in the dry 
summer of 1887. Antirrhinums if somewhat dwarfer 
than usual are certainly fine. Self-coloured varieties 
of rich or well-defined hues ought to receive more 
attention than they have hitherto enjoyed. 
-- 
SEVENOAKS FLOWER 
SHOW. 
The twenty-sixth annual exhibition was again held, 
by permission of Lord Sackville, in Knole Park, on 
Wednesday, Aug. 15th, and was a great success, the 
weather being all that could be desired, except, per¬ 
haps, that it was a little too hot for the cut flowers, 
which suffered greatly. Plants were well shown by 
Mr. A. Gibson, gardener to T. F. Burnaby-Atkins, 
Esq., Halstead Place, who was placed first for five 
plants wiih fine examples of Dipladenia Brearleyana, 
Allamanda'magnifica, Ixora Dixiana, and Eucharis 
Amazonica, etc.; second, Mr. J. V. Goodman, 
gardener to Mrs. Crawshay, Bradbourne Hall, who 
had good plants of Stephanotis floribunda, I.xora 
Williamsii, Allamanda Hendersonii, etc.; third, Mr. 
A. Hatton, with smaller plants, but well flowered, of 
which Ixora Williamsii was the best. 
For six fine foliaged plants, Mr. Goodman was 
easily first, showing grand plants of Alo 
Thibautiana, Croton Prince of Wales, and Cycas 
revoluta as his best; second, Mr. Gibson, with small, 
but fresh plants of Crotons, Cycas revoluta, etc. ; 
third, Mr. Hatton, with a collection in which Palms 
played the leading part. For six Exotic Ferns, Mr. 
Goodman and Mr. Hatton ran each other very close 
for first honours. Mr. Goodman, being a bit the 
stronger in tree Ferns, secured the premier award. 
Both exhibitors showed splendid plants of Davallia 
Mooreana and Microlepia hirta cristata; third, Mr. 
A. Bolton, gardener to Earl Amherst. Mr. C. 
Sutton, gardener to Lord Stanhope, Chevening, had 
the best specimen plant, showing Dipladenia 
insignis in grand form ; second, Mr. Gibson, with 
Dipladenia amabilis; third, Mr. Goodman. 
Flowering groups arranged for effect were again a 
great feature, and the competition keen. Mr. G 
Kennell, gardener to —■ Cazelet, Esq., Fairlawn, 
Tonbridge, was placed first with a splendid arrange¬ 
ment, in which Campanula pyramidalis played a 
conspicuous part; second, Mr. A. Hatton, with a 
light and graceful group ; third, Mr. Hilling, gar¬ 
dener to Col. Pratt, Ightham ; fourth, Mr. R. 
Edwards, Beechy Lees; fifth, Mr. Sutton. Fern 
groups were also again excellent, Mr. Hatton, gar¬ 
dener to Mrs. Swanzy, The Quarry, having the best, 
followed closely by Mr. Goodman, Mr. Fennell, and 
Mr. H. Heath in the order named. The liberal 
prizes offered for table decorations on separate 
tables, g ft. by 4^ ft., brought out seven competitors, 
and Mr. F. W. Seale was a rather easy first, followed 
by Mr. R. Potter, Mr. R. Edwards, and Mrs. Hatton. 
There were eight competitors in the class for a 
collection of six varieties of fruit and Mr. G. Fennell 
secured first honours with good dishes of Peaches, 
Figs, Nectarines, a Melon, and two bunches of 
Grapes, black and white. Second, Mr. T. Osman, 
Chertsey, who had good Grapes, Peaches, &c., but 
a Melon that was decidedly past its best; third, Mr. 
C. Earl, gardener to Sir Julian Goldsmid, Bart., 
M.P., Summer Hill, Tunbridge; fourth, Mr. C. 
Sutton. Mr. Osman had the best black Grapes 
showing fine bunches of black Hamburgh; second, 
Mr. H. Elliott; third, Mr. Henson. For two bunches 
of white Grapes Mr. H. Elliott, gardener to Lord 
Hillingdon, The Wildernesse, was first with monster 
bunches of Muscat of Alexandra; second, Mr. C. 
Sutton ; third, Mr. R. Potter, For three bunches 
Mr. Osman was first, Mr. Elliott second, and Mr. 
Fennell third. Mr. Goodman had the best Peaches 
followed by Mr. A. Gibson, and Mr. R. Edwards. 
Apples, dessert and culinary, as well as Plums, were 
well shown, but the vegetables, owing to the drought, 
were not up to the average. The details of manage¬ 
ment were carried out in a careful and systematic 
manner and reflected great credit on the committee 
and their able secretary, Mr A. Fenner. 
<®lB,aniii 08 jBom 11k Sluvlb 
uj StiencB. 
The Blue Rose.—Mr. E. Nesbit, the author of 
"Grim Tales," has written eight more stories of a 
somewhat different character, including one entitled 
" The Blue Rose." In this he describes how two 
sisters, with the object of gaining prizes at a flower 
show, contrived to stain the flowers by means of the 
blue-bag (we suppose the indigo blue used for 
bleaching purposes is meant). This they did for two 
years, deceiving not only their mother, but of course 
all and sundry who visited or had anything to do 
with the flower show. One more honest than the 
other divulged the secret at the end of that time, thus 
ruining herself for life, while the other more reticent, 
prospered until she was old enough to tell the story 
to her grand-niece. 
Method of staining the Blooms.—For two 
succeeding summers^ while a certain Rose tree was 
producing its flowers, the two sisters used to visit it 
regularly in the early morning before they raked cut 
the fire, or commenced their household duties, 
creeping downstairs on their stocking soles, so that 
they should not be heard by their more staid and 
probably sterner and more censorious parent. Every 
bloom as it began to open had the blue-bag rubbed 
round it once or twice, and when it rained the blue 
was washed more and more into the centre of the 
blooms. Then as the Rose expanded it appeared 
all blue from the edges having been rubbed with blue 
in the bud state. 
Is the trick practicable ?—The story may be 
all very well for the purpose of a novel, but clever as 
the author is reputed to be, he could hardly himself 
have given it enough of credence to enable him to 
fabricate a tale up 3n it. We should have liked to 
know what would happen when it did not rain, and 
whether a sprinkling from the watering pot would 
have answered the same purpose. We should have 
considered it the better plan of the two, because the 
operator could have ceased whenever the water had 
distributed the blue properly. The natural rain 
would not have been particular whether the blue 
was run in heaps, stripes, or washed away alto¬ 
gether. 
Possibility of detection.—Superficial colouring 
must be very neatly and evenly laid on, especially in 
the case of a water colour, to escape detection in the 
fierce light of modern research, inquisitiveness and 
science. Even if the more immediate neighbours 
were deceived by the blue Rose, the imposture would 
have had less chance of escaping detection at a 
public exhibition where all eyes would be upon the 
Roses, including those of the more critical and 
botanically inclined. On the other hand, without 
any science whatever, it would seem impossible to 
avoid accidental detection. The blooms would be 
certain to be handled, and almost as certainly smelt, 
by numerous enquirers and would-be admirers, and 
should the Roses be wet, or the hands by which they 
were touched, the blue would part company with the 
blooms, and so let out the secret. On the other hand, 
we are told that one of the sisters divulged the 
mystery at the end of two years to her own ruin, but 
that her sister prospered and lived to an old age, 
because she did not reveal the imposture. If the 
bubble was burst in one case, we should have con¬ 
sidered the matter a mystery no longer. 
A more clever deception —If the story had 
been laid in some rural district in the olden times, the 
imposture might escape detection for a time, from 
the fact that people were generally less inquisitive as 
to the why and the wherefore of the behaviour of 
certain flowers. But at such a time, probably no one 
ever dreamt of a blue Rose, so that no attempt 
would have been made to supply a requirement that 
did not e.xist. At the present day, there are 
numerous aniline and other dyes, that can be made 
soluble in water, so that the flowers when cut and 
placed with their stalks in the solution, will absorb it 
and carry the coloured liquid all through their sys¬ 
tem, till it appears in the flowers, imparting various 
new colours to them. Even this more scientific 
method of applying the colours is no longer a mystery, 
and did not long remain one in the earliest experi¬ 
ments made with it. 
