August 6, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
773 
under glass. The leaves of the last-named are of 
an unusually dark green colour. 
In another bed there are two very ornamental 
sorts for bedding purposes, but particularly 
Lafayette, one of the B. Davisii type. The flowers 
are of medium or small size with broad, rounded 
sepals very neatly arranged round a single centre, like 
a semi-double Noisette Rose, but of a bright fiery 
scarlet. We consider this one of the very bast of the 
small type for bedding purposes, and well deserving 
of a trial in the flower garden. The flowers of B. 
Andre Chenier are of a mucn paler orange-scarlet 
compared with the last, and the flowers are not so 
neat. The above have been sent for trial by Messrs. 
Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., Paris. There are also two 
very fine varieties from Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, namely, B. Semperflorens, Crimson, Gem 
and B. s. Snowflake. The former has flowers of an 
intense crimson, especially in the bud state, and 
leaves are of a glossy metallic-red. The leaves of 
B s. Snowflake are light green and shining, while 
the flowers are white with a pink margin out of 
doors. 
excepting those grown in a few favoured districts, 
such as Yorkshire and Newtownards (Ireland). 
In proof of this, let us look at the results both at 
the metropolitan and provincial exhioitions of the 
National Rose Society. At the Crystal Palace on 
July 2nd northern growers carried the sway, both in 
professional and amateur classes. It was just the 
same at Worksop. When Colchester and Cheshunt 
are not represented in any of the leading divisions, 
one may be amply justified in describing it as a bad 
Rose season. Still, let all h mour go to the county 
of broad acres and the Green Lie for their splendid 
displays ; weather without skil ul cultivation could 
not possibly have produced such Ros-js. 
During the latter part of July I had much hopes 
of a good autumnal show of Roses in the south, and 
a succession of genial showers seemed to confirm 
this opinion. Bat alas! the dreaded mildew has 
set in, and all my hones are blighted. We do not 
mind mildew under glass; here we can cope with it 
successfully; but in the open its causes are so com- 
p'etely beyond control that there is little hape. 
Mildew is coming on apace upon almost all green 
over the whole. During the process of exterminat. 
ing mildew one must keep the atmospheric tempera¬ 
ture as uniform as possible, draughts of any kind 
being carefully avoided — Experience. 
-- 
FOOD OF PLANTS. 
In gardening operations the object of applying 
artificial manures, or indeed manures of any kind, is to 
supplement the quantity of plant foods alre idy in the 
soil. Farmyard manures also in a great many cases 
improve the mechanical condition of the soil. Crops 
of all kinds exhaust the soil to a degree proportionate 
to the growth they make, and this degree is also 
dependent upon the nature of the plants grown. The 
production of fruit, flowers, and vegetables in gardens 
is more exhaustive to garden soils than similar crops 
grown in fields on account of the better tilth and the 
consequent heavier produce removed, as well as the 
greater number of crops harvested in a given time. 
In consequence of these facts it is necessary to be 
more liberal with garden cultures than those of the 
field. Plants grown in pots require feeding in prc- 
Pelargoniums grown with and without Artificial Manures 
THE ROSERY. 
Looking at the prospects of the Rose season early in 
June one would have said they were-very good, but 
they turned out most disappointing by the end of the 
month. Almost every blight and insect pest that the 
Rose is subject to, with the exception of mildew and 
red-rust, put in an appearance at the time one might 
reasonablyhaveexpec’eda goodcr tpofbloom.c insid¬ 
ering the earliness ot the seas on I do not think Roses 
ever showed a better promise than they did during 
the opening part of June, generally regarded by the 
p oets as being the “ month of Roses.” The co itinued 
drought, combined with exceptional changes in the 
temperature, were thechief factors in such disappoint¬ 
ing results. 
All through the southern counties Roses have 
seldom looked worse than they did during the middle 
of June. Not only were they infested with all 
recognised spring or early summer diseases, but they 
were almost equally affected by more than one 
autumnal pest. The foremost of these was a large 
kind of thrips, which I have never noticed put in 
an appearance so early before. Unlike the ordinary 
thrips so prevalent in the greenhouse, this species 
does not affect the foliage, the bloom being its point 
of attack. It is also noticeable that dark Roses seem 
little affected by it. But, unfortunately, the dark 
Roses this season have had no life or colour in them, 
crops, and Roses are already losing the benefit 
derived from recent genial showers. This is exceed¬ 
ingly disappointing, because they were breaking so 
grandly from the bottom and also from the lower 
eyes of half-ripened growth which should have 
bloomed a few weeks back. 
Let us look a little closer at the causes and effects 
of mildew. It is now a recognised fact that this 
disease comes on after sudden atmospheric changes, 
whether by night or day. To a certain extent this 
is under our control where plants are being cultivated 
under glass ; but out of doors we are completely at 
the mercy of the elements; This it is which makes 
it such a terrible scourge in the open rosery. It is 
almost useless to apply remedies when the cause 
cannot be removed. Under glass a weak solution 
of almost any insecticide, with the addition of a little 
extra flour of sulphur, will have remarkably 
beneficial results if freely applied. It is of no use 
giving the plants a sprinkle overhead; they must 
have a thorough washing, both top and bottom of 
the foliage coming in for a complete moistening by 
the solution. Unless the composition be kept well 
stirred at the time of application, the sulphur—oae 
of the most powerful ingredients—will be left at the 
bottom of the utensil. However slight the portion 
of sulphur may be that comes into contact with the 
mild;w it will be deadly. If we allow a few germs 
to escape they will quickly increase and again spread 
portion to the vigour of the plants and the limitation 
of root room. 
The different elements of plant food are generally 
well distributed by Nature in what are termed rich 
soils, but, owing to various circumstances, there is 
frequently a deficiency of one or other necessary 
constituent of plant food in the soil selected for cer¬ 
tain crops. In this case, if the cultivator expects a 
good crop wiih the least expenditure, it is his duly 
to ascertain wherein lies the deficiency and to make 
that good. There is a great waste when a general 
manuring is given to soil which only requires the 
supplementing of one constituent. Wnat are termed 
artificial manures afford the means of adding this 
necessary ingredient, or combination of ingredients 
as the case may be. 
Tnere is yet another phase of the question, 
namely, that chemical manures, as they occur in a 
state of nature, always contain impurities that are 
not only altogether unnecessary for plant life but 
may even be injurious if they accumulate to any 
great extent in the soil by frequent application. 
Messrs. H. & E. Albert, a firm of manure manu¬ 
facturers in London and elsewhere, have been giving 
their attention to the concentration of these artificial 
manures and the removal of injurious impurities, 
and they have now in the market a highly concen¬ 
trated superphosphate, a phosphate of potash, a 
phosphate of ammonia, a nitrate of ammonia, and a 
nitrate of potash. The accompanying illustration, 
for which we are indebted to the firm in question, 
shows the effect of using their highly concentrated 
horticultural manure, alongside of plants not receiv¬ 
ing su ch aid. 
