344 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 23. 1904. 
the science of the general structure or plants, and their methods 
tof classification,. Since then structural botany lias been placed, 
on more definite lines 1 , but those branches of the science known 
as morphology and physiology ha,ve been brought to much 
greater perfection. Indeed, so much attention hasi been given 
to vegetable morphology in recent times that there are thinkers 
who believe we are going to the opposite extreme in-tliei-teach¬ 
ing of the science by forgetting or neglecting structural or 
systematic botany to a great extent. Systematic botany 
teaches how to make use; of one’s eyes in distinguishing between 
the various organs of a plant and their different forms in dif¬ 
ferent species and genera,. It in fact enables us to systematise 
and simplify one’s: ideas about plants when, one has sufficiently 
far advanced to become acquainted with a relatively large 
number of species which one may desire to distinguish, and 
have clear notions concerning the same. 
Physiology is the branch of the subject which deals with the 
nature of the plants, how they obtain their food, how it is 
manufactured, and what are the conditions that enable a plant 
to live and be happy. Morphology deals with the minute 
structure of the plants, and has: its uses in certain cases when 
studying the likes and dislikes of the plant by enabling the 
student or cultivator to understand that it may be grown under 
certain conditions and treatment, while it refuses to be happy 
or even to live under other forms of treatment. Thus all the 
branches.of botany have a, hearing upon one another. 
Wej do- not intend to say that all this can be studied during 
one winter’s course, or even during a whole year, but we do 
sa,y that once a good grounding ha®, been, obtained on the 
subject a careful student, of the science bearing upon his own 
vocation can always improve upon his knowledge year by 
year by consistency and per severance. There may be a, few 
who take: Byron’s view of Wordsworth, when he advised certain 
people to “ Shake off toil and trouble, and leave their books for 
fear of growing double.” That, of course, was a bit of satire 
on Byron’s part, when he said that of Wordsworth, for those 
who have read the life history of the latter know that he did 
much of his work in the open air and the fields,. He went, *, in 
fact, to the open book of Nature for his information and in¬ 
struction. 
Botany is easy to learn if a good grounding in, the subject is 
given or taken in youth.- It does not cost anything to carry 
about, apart from the few books which one may possess; the 
knowledge of the subject, can, never be a,burden to anyone, 
while the- possessor of it may turn it to account at any time' 
when occasion offers, or if he makes use of his talent. 
Some there are who say that botany is: not only useless to 
a gardener, but that it is actually detrimental to a good work¬ 
man. That we entirely disbelieve. Are the Germans any less 
qualified as soldiers in the defence , of their country because 
they have previously had a good education? As to its being 
detrimental to a man as a, workman, we may ,sa>y that it is 
not necessary for a man to leave off digging, pruning, or water¬ 
ing, and to go botanising. A man’s own vocation is that to 
which he should give not merely the principal but the primary 
attention, and the whole of the working day, if need be, should 
be properly occupied in following out his proper duties. 
There is plenty of time in the evenings, both in summer and 
winter, for the study of botany, but, particularly when gar¬ 
deners are young. In these remarks we arei addressing our¬ 
selves. chiefly to the young man, whose time during the even¬ 
ings is yet largely his own, and quite in his own control. The 
winter is, of course, the principal time for book study. Even 
while confined to the precincts of the gardens in attendance 
upon fires, a young gardener may profitably occupy the time 
between his attendance upon the fires by quietly studying the 
subject of botany in one branch or another. During the 
summer, when flowering specimens are plentiful, it will be 
possible to devote a, portion of the time 1 to a, study of their 
structure. 
Many there are who complain, that botany is a dry subject, 
but they cannot be very enthusiastic members of their profes¬ 
sion if information bearing directly on their calling is con¬ 
sidered dry. A study of the subject leads them into: considera¬ 
tion of those plants which beautify and adorn the face of the 
earth with a green mantle, variegated, it may be, by the 
various colours of the flowers. A study of the subject enables 
a man to take an intelligent interest in the plants around him, 
whether wild or cultivated, and he will learn not, to' destroy 
rare things which cannot be replaced in a state of nature. 
Lessons taught at school have their influence in this latter 
respect, and children thus impressed in their early youth will 
be less likely to wilfully break, damage, destroy, or uproot 
trees or flowers in after life; whether they may -be in parks, 
gardens, or hedges. We are aware that some will say that a 
knowledge of botany causes certain people to destroy rare 
plants, and that if they cannot cany them all away they will 
destroy the remainder to give a fictitious value to their pos¬ 
sessions. This, of course, we consider gambling, and there 
will always be a few perverted individuals in -every walk of 
life who will adopt strange and not veiy legitimate means for 
adding to the value of those things which their acquisitiveness 
has enabled them to come by. 
Another very interesting branch of the -study is to learn 
by observation, that certain, plants can only grow in certain 
positions. In olden times it was the custom to imagine that 
the plants were admirably made to fit the position in which 
they were found, instead of which the plant® grew to fit the 
position and to enable them to live under conditions that 
would have been unsuited to their original nature and struc¬ 
ture. By their power to change under -altered conditions 
plants could clothe positions of the earth otherwise untenanted 
and a dreary waste. A good line for study is why certain 
plants are fle-shy, covered with thorns:, spines, woolly hairs 
and so forth. Another feature would be why certain, plants 
have bulbs, conns, a fleshy root-stock, etc. ; of what, use these 
are to the plant, in, a wild state, and what conditions: of cultiva¬ 
tion would be most likely to enable them to make good growth 
when under the care- of the gardener or cultivator. 
Other uses of botany are that it, would help a gardener to 
understand the why and wherefore of digging, pruning, sowing 
seeds, the fertilising or cross-breeding of plants, and give hints 
to cultivators generally in, every branch of their work. Botany 
in, one aspect or another, but, particularly physiological botany, 
be-arsi directly upon ventilation, temperature, light, the re¬ 
quisite degree of moisture, and why certain plants require 
special houses or treatment by themselves. Who; then, can 
say that botany is of no use to a gardener? 
Rose Bessie Brown. 
(See Supplement.) 
The above hybrid Tea Rose may practically still be con¬ 
sidered a, new variety, for it was only put into commerce five 
years ago. During that period it has attained great, notoriety 
as a, first-class: Rose for exhibition purposes. This, no doubt, 
has been brought about by the great, size and beautiful outline 
of it®' flowers; which, although well inflated or cup-shaped at 
the base; .are elongated and pointed, for which reason they are 
very handsome in the bud or half-opened state. It is also 
reliable, which would thus alone lend an additional incentive 
to its cultivation for exhibition purposes. It is also- nearly 
always present in winning stands; and certainly almost, always 
in large stands. This variety, together with Mildred Grant 
and certain other hybrid Tea Roses of comparatively recent 
origin, threaten at present to put the old hybrid perpetuals in 
the background at many of the leading Rose exhibitions. The 
fact of their being new may help to accentuate their rising 
popularity, but certain it .is- that, the two varieties we have 
named tend to make lfrany of the'old favourites quite tame bv 
comparison for their merits alone. 
The flowers of Bessie Brown are creamy-white, and the 
shell-shaped petals are smooth and of good substance. The great 
length of the petals also tends to give the Rose a pointed and 
shapely appearance. Those who have seen, well-grown blooms 
at, leading exhibitions trill agree that this hybrid Tea, is 
destined still further to make the presence of the class felt at 
exhibit,ions-, We also feel sure that others will continue to be 
