712 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 7, 190C. 
INTS FOR 
■MATEURS. 
SOME NOTES ON ROSES. 
With the advent of July comes the full maturity of 
the Rose seasoD. In warm and early seasons—not 
such as this year has given us—one of the earliest 
and best known of wall Roses, namely, Gloire de 
Dijon, begins to bloom in May ! I have had it in 
bloom on open walls in Scotland in that month. 
And from that time onward till the frosts of autumn 
put a stop to further development, our homes and 
our gardens are scented with sweet and lovely Roses. 
The Rose will never be less loved, but will certainly 
increase in popularity. But there’s happily no call 
to recommend Roses. Still, more might be known 
about Roses, and that is the object of the following 
notes. 
A Word as to the History of Roses. —In the 
authorised version of the Old Testament the name 
of Rose is given to plants which had been supposed 
to be Roses, though not expressly named so by the 
old Israelitish writers. In classical times the two 
chief authorities, quoted as referring to the Rose, 
are Pliny and Theophrastus; and Pliny even 
described a number of species well known in Rome at 
his time. Various other writers, among whom may 
be mentioned Dioscorides, also at times mentioned 
Roses, thus showing that even then it was a flower 
of conspicuous loveliness. All the writers agree in 
giving elaborate praise to the plant. It was not till 
1597 that the Damask Rose was introduced to 
England, and shortly following this time numerous 
other species were brought. 
Cultural Treatment.—Merely to grow Roses for 
a few cut flowers is comparatively a simple matter. 
But when all phases of Rose culture are attempted, 
then it is especially necessary that the grower be 
experienced, careful, and thoughtful. Briefly, Rose 
culture is conducted either under glass or ia the open. 
The first method we will not detail at present,for there 
is plenty to write of in connection with the open-air 
needs of this varied subject. 
The Planting.—Now, so much depends on the 
size of the garden, the aspect, and the means of the 
amateur or whoever is going to plant Roses, that 
only generalisations and a passing opinion can be 
given here. To suit all cases would be a hard task, 
and to be of direct service in most cases each little 
garden would require a special inspection. In 
general, wide and extended, natural planting can 
only be recommended for gentlemen's large gardens. 
In these gardens scarcely one in a hundred have a 
special Rose garden. They may possess Rose beds 
with the soil nicely dug and the bushes hard pruned 
each year, but the Rose garden, of my mind, is one 
where species of Roses shower in masses of many 
yards’ diameter from mounds, banks, and dells. 
There should be broad green paths, pillars of Roses, 
arches of Roses, maybe walls of Roses along a 
particular side, and sheltered beds of Roses lying 
somewhat beneath the higher knolls, and banks of 
the hardier rambling sorts. Stone-work may be 
introduced in the planting, but perhaps there is 
slightly more charm in old tree stumps when these 
are placed about, with the shoots of the Roses 
towering up from among them and spreading 
smother-fashion over them. 
Rose gardens or dells rather, should never be fl it. 
To enjoy the greatest pleasure from them one should 
see a large amount at a time, but not all. The dis¬ 
position should be such as to lead one on, but should 
not be upon any confused fashion. Thus there 
ought not to be too many divergencies. When a 
person, especially an impatient person, sees some¬ 
thing remarkable at another point from where he 
may be placed, the chances are he will rush off to 
see it, and if there are features here and there 
branching away from any other main point, the 
visitor will soon confuse himself, and, when done,will 
only have seen the more apparent beauties. I really 
thiDk a Rosery should only have one central course, 
a winding, gently dipping path of sward, having on 
either side the rising banks and the recess-beds of 
Roses, bending round and perhaps opening out into 
a wide loop, thence becoming irregularly contracted 
and rising as the path leads out again to another 
part of the garden. What might be planted in the 
Rosery and how they might be disposed will be 
discussed presently. 
For smaller gardens standard Roses are effective 
and a good collection can be planted without taking 
up much space. China Roses and dwarf H.P.'s may 
well be planted in sheltered gardens, the least formal 
style possible, being always preferable, and the soil 
which is kept cultivated, may be covered with Mig¬ 
nonette or dwarf annuals, but never leave it bare. 
The Roses will not suffer because there may happen 
to be some dwarf plants growing under their shadei 
and the appearance and yield of the garden will be 
triply great, and very much more pleasing. The 
best season for Rose planting is that recommended 
for trees and shrubs, namely, the month of October. 
Circumstances, as a rule, compel us to plant when¬ 
ever we can, and it is well that we can continue 
planting, weather permitting, till December. Out¬ 
door planting may also be done in March and April. 
Practically, under careful treatment and given pot 
plants, Roses may quite safely be planted any time 
throughout the summer. Still, all this does not 
destroy the fact that there is one particular period 
at which the operation may most safely and best be 
performed. The soil which suits nearly all kinds of 
Roses, is a rather stiff loam. Light soils require a 
liberal quantity of manure to be applied. Mulchings 
are a necessity. Roses enjoy free and pure air, so 
that a rather elevated position than otherwise should 
be chosen. 
Words on pruning may be left over until a more 
seasonable time. 
Sorts of Roses.—To say "sorts” of Roses is 
rather vague. By the phrase I mean the sections 
such as the hybrid perpetuals, the Teas, Chinas, 
Garden Decorative Roses and Briers. These notes 
are of little use to anyone who takes a deep interest 
in Roses or who may even exhibit. He will have 
mastered all and more than I mean to touch upon ; 
but to those who may see all the varying kinds of 
Roses in gardens or at shows at the present time 
and who would like to know further of them, there 
may be some few hints to glean in the following lines. 
The much talked of H P.'s, for instaoce, are as the 
first name implies, "hybrid” Roses, and because 
this class of Rose has great and long continued 
blooming qualities, the additional designation of 
"perpetual” has been added. The H.P.’s I believe 
arose from crossing the hybrid China with the Bour¬ 
bon, the perpetual Damask and Gallica Roses. The 
H.P.'s are among the largest and best of Roses and 
have undergone great improvement at the hands of 
a host of commercial Rosarians. It is this class of 
Rose that one sees most abundantly at exhibitions of 
this flower. They all enjoy an open sunny position, 
and good sound loamy soil. They are usually 
mulched in winter and pruned hard back each spring. 
The more vigorous varieties are employed as 
standards. It should be noted that only the most 
vigorous should ever be chosen for standards; weak 
varieties are almost useless. 
The following are typical of really good H.P.'s: — 
Baroness Rothschild, pale rosy-pink; Beauty of 
Waltham, bright crimson; Duchesse de Vallcm- 
brosa, blush ; Duke of Edinburgh, A. K Williams; 
Gen. Jacqueminot, scarlet crimson ; Capt. Hayward, 
dark glowing blood-red; Louis Van Houtte, dark 
claret,and so on. Some of these are known to even the 
tyro. 
The Tea-scented Roses are also prime favourites. 
One of the original types of the Tea-scented Roses 
was brought from China close upon a century ago, 
(R. indica odoratissima) and with the old yellow Tea- 
scented Rose which was introduced slightly later, 
yielded the offspring which has so multiplied to our 
gain and pleasure. They are more tender than the 
H.P.’s, but they do well in sheltered borders even 
in Scotland. They are also largely employed as 
pot-plants, and indeed they furnish some of the 
finest of the indoor varieties. Take as examples 
the Climbing Devoniensis, creamy ; Catherine Mer- 
met, flesh coloured; Anna Olivier, a soft yellow and 
pinky variety ; Gloire de Dijon, the best known and 
in all respects the best Rose for any garden which I 
know of, or Innocente Pirola, light yellow ; Ma Capu- 
cine, Marie Van Houtte and a host of others. 
Indeed in the artistic sense they furnish the loveliest 
Roses which are known ; and that is as good as 
saying the loveliest of all flowers. 
The Multiflora Rose, which blooms in great 
clusters of small, but showy flowers is often seen on 
cottage walls, and it, and its varieties furnish some 
of the finest subjects which can be used for plant¬ 
ing in such a Rosary as the opening notes refer to. 
They do well when planted out and left to them¬ 
selves, forming great hedges and spreading masses. 
For pillars and to link along as a covering to 
connecting chains, pergolas, &c., they are invaluable. 
One of the varieties, the De la Grifferae is employed 
as a stock to bud less vigorous Roses upon.— Beacon. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Melons and Cucumbers in Frames.— J. T.: These 
two fruiting plants are occasionally grown side by 
side in the same frame and do as well as can reason¬ 
ably be expected. It is not the fact of their being 
together that has caused your Melons to " damp off ” 
or canker rather. This is a Melon and Cucumber 
disease which experienced gardeners have to guard 
against during all the growth of the plants and they 
have to be especially careful at the time when the 
Melons are nearly, but not quite matured. We 
know of growers who have " clasping-stocks " made 
for the purpose of encompassing the base of the 
stems to keep them guarded against an undue 
amount of water or lingering moisture. It is the 
close damp atmosphere and want of careful treatment 
as a rule, that allows the canker disease on Melons 
to start first of all. We know of no better preventive 
of further infection than to rub in quicklime or 
sulphur to the affected parts, or to have a layer of 
the dry lime and charcoal at all times around the 
stem-base of even healthy plants, and to keep it as 
dry as possible. 
Yellow Leaved Shrubs.— A. K. Johnstone-. 
Ligustrum ovalifolium aureum (Golden Privet), L. 
vulgare foliis aureis, not quite so beautiful; Sam- 
bucus nigra aurea (Golden Elder); Catalpa bignon- 
ioidesaurea; Neillia opulifolia aurea; Ribesfloridum 
(missouriensis) aureum, yellow leaved Currant; 
Hedera Helix palmata aurea ; H. H. chrysolora ; H. 
H. foliis aureis, Robinia Pseudo-acacia aurea, or 
yellow leaved Acacia, which is nice as a standard ; 
Cornus Spathii aureus, one of the loveliest of yellow 
leaved shrubs; Corylus Avellana aurea; Lonicera 
japonica reticulata aurea. There is also the yellow 
leaved Neguado and Jasamine, &c. 
Outdoor Tomatos.— L., Edinr. ; There are two 
special reasons for your Tomatos having run all to 
foliage. The first is lhat you have been too liberal in 
eniiching their site, and secondly, there is no need 
to water so frequently. Lift the plants with a spade 
taking care to retain good balls of soil. Place a layer 
of drainage beneath them, replant, and make them 
firm. You might with advantage restrict the amount 
of root room in other respects. When they are 
thus confined they make firm fruiting stems and are 
much better plants. Cut away some of the foliage. 
Disbudding Wall Fruit Trees.— W.Nelson : Three 
buds on one fruiting shoot is the number usually 
lett; one at the base, one in the middle, and one 
toward the apex. The top or the middle one may 
later on be removed. The disbudding system 
should also provide for the maintenance of fresh ex¬ 
tension wood, or wood to cover bare shoots of an 
older age. Such wood may be allowed to grow, 
according to its strength, either 6, 9, or 12 in. long. 
Lateral shoots arising from young wood of the 
current year, may be cut back. Disbud, or thin out 
only a little at a time. When the fruits are nearly 
matured, draw aside any foliage (on wall trees) to 
allow the sun to have fuller action. 
Training young Trees in the Open.—IF. Nelson : 
Yes, now that the season's wood has become so long 
and stout, young espaliers and trees for walls may 
be staked into form anytime from the present. 
Standard trees may have the growths upon their 
stems spurred back, but do not cut too severely else 
the stem will suffer in more ways than one. When 
a fair thickness of stem has been attained—say next 
season, these spurs may be removed close to the 
bark. To leave them simply courts greenfly, 
" blight,” and other pests. 
Lilum rubellum.— W. S.: Being of a tenderly con¬ 
stituted nature this lovely little Lilium succeeds 
