68 
THE 
GARDENING WORLD. 
February 2, 1907. 
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Among the Ros$$. 
Work for February. 
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There is no reason why amateurs should 
not be even more successful in the future. 
Those who take a pleasure in a hobby gener¬ 
ally turn such hobbies to practical account, 
often leading to considerable developments. 
Developments are really possible in Orchid 
hybridisation yet. 
H. J. Chapman. 
Rhubarb. 
NOTES 
ON 
FORCING. 
Rhubarb is forced in the open ground 
or in pits, cellars, or other structures, 
where a sufficient degree of heat is main¬ 
tained. In the open ground forcing is 
frequently effected by covering the roots 
with Rhubarb pots, boxes, or flower pots, 
which are afterwards surrounded with hot 
dung or a mixture of litter, stable dung, 
and leaves. Forcing in houses is greatly 
to be preferred ; not only is the heat more 
at command, but the quality of the pro¬ 
duce is not influenced by the state of the 
weather. Rhubarb may be forced in 
any structure where a temperature of 
from 55deg. to 65deg. is maintained; a 
Mushroom-house, the floor of a vinery or 
Peach-house, or a pit will be very suit¬ 
able. 
Where there is not accommodation of 
this description, the roots may be placed 
on dung beds in a shed, or even in a 
warm cellar. The red-sta:ked varieties 
are greatly improved in appearance and 
quality when forced in the dark. Roots 
from two to five years old are the best 
for forcing, but in default of such, strong 
roots of one year's growth may be em¬ 
ployed. The reason of the preference 
being given to the former is that they 
contain a greater amount of organisable 
matter for the formation of leaves and 
stalks. They may be taken up care¬ 
fully anv time after the decay of the 
leaves, and placed close together in the 
spot where they are to be forced. Some 
light soil should then be worked in 
among them, and a thin layer of soil 
spread over the whole, in order to retain 
a sufficient amount of moisture for vege¬ 
tation. Afterwards, if the soil become 
too dry, a gentle watering may be given. 
No other care will be required. 
Sometimes the roots are taken up in 
the autumn, potted, or more frequently 
packed close together in boxes, and kept 
in a shady situation till required for 
forcing, when they are placed in a Mush¬ 
room-house or vinery. In this way, by 
bringing in a quantity of roots every 
three weeks, a constant succession is se¬ 
cured with little trouble. Forcing may 
he commenced in the end cf November, 
and’continued till a supply is produced 
in the open ground. The older clumps 
are usually destroyed after they have 
been forced, but the younger ones may 
be replanted and forced again two years 
later. These are some very good ones 
for forcing : Champagne, Early Scarlet, 
Elford, Tobolsk, and Victoria. 
W. Sherrixgham. 
Dorset. 
Whilst from the most tempestuous nooks 
The chilliest blasts ovr peace invade, 
And by great rains our smallest brooks 
Are almost navigable made. 
I do not know what month old Charles 
Cotton, Isaak Walton’s bosom friend, had 
in mind when he indited the foregoing 
lines, but they appear to be particularly 
suited to this month, which, as everyone 
knows, has acquired the unenviable cog¬ 
nomen of “February fill-dike”. To the 
rosarian it is often a tiresome month, for, 
as Dean Hole tells us, “the cry is ‘All in 
to begin,’ as it used to be the showman's 
when we went to the fair.” But “nature 
now does weep in rain,” and after a whole 
winter's moisture Rose beds are not easy 
or pleasant things to deal with. 
Still, this is the month in which I always 
make an effort to complete arrears of 
planting, and a small consignment of 
plants that arrived on the verge of Christ¬ 
mas is still waiting attention. Let me 
confess that I am growing more and more 
in favour each year of planting Tea. Roses 
about the end of the present month in 
place of November, and if I lived further 
north I should certainly adopt this method 
of procedure altogether. Altogether I ad¬ 
vocate what to all intents and purposes 
amounts to spring planting for Tea Roses 
in cold districts, it must not be supposed 
that I countenance tirocuring them at any 
time but in the autumn. Whenever I 
have had occasion to plant during this 
month I have always made a point of 
ordering my plants in the autumn, heeling 
them in separately in some good, well- 
drained soil under a north wall or hedge. 
Emphasis is laid on the words “good, 
well-drained,” because if this point is 
attended to, a number of small fresh roots 
will be formed during the winter, which, 
provided they are handled with proper 
care and attention, will cause the plants 
to make immediate headway directly they 
are planted. Of course, if these delicate 
roots are once allowed to get dry and 
shrivelled the plants will never do. much 
good the first season. The obvious ad¬ 
vantages of such late planting are that 
the plants (being heeled in in a dry and 
sheltered position) take no harm from 
frost or stagnant moisture, and do not 
make that precocious growth which is so 
usual with Tea Roses in our mild and 
open winters. Sometimes, like last year, 
March proves so dry that late planted 
Roses never get a chance of succeeding, 
but this is rather the exception than the 
rule, and ninety-nine times out of a hun¬ 
dred there have been less losses among 
my late February-planted Teas than 
among my November-planted ones. 
There is so much to be done in the 
Rose garden during March and April that 
I always endeavour to get the thinning 
out, pruning, and manuring of the strong- 
growing garden Roses accomplished this 
month. Some of these, such as the Rugosa 
or Japanese Roses, are much improved bv 
being cut half-way to the ground every 
few years. It seems to give them new life, 
and they are certainly more luxuriant in 
foliage, flower, and fruit that when they 
are left to go their own sweet will. 
Climbing Roses of the Ayrshire, Bour- 
sault, and semper virens classes should 
also be looked over this month, the older 
growths cut out, and last year's retained 
full length and tied to wail, pillar, arch, 
or tree as the case may be. One of the 
most charming features of my garden is 
made by climbing Roses trained against 
trees. 
Dorothy Perkins clambering u» a 
clipped Yew is always a most charming 
sight. This plant was put in about four 
years ago, and, as it would have been 
courting failure to have planted it in the 
ground, which was impoverished by the 
roots of the Yew, I took the precaution to 
sink a large oil cask that had been pre¬ 
viously charred and had its bottom 
knocked out, a few inches below the 
surface of the soil, and close against 
the tree. The bottom of the tub 
I blocked with some large stones so 
that while the roots from the Yew would 
be unable to gain entrance, there was, 
nevertheless, ample drainage. Then I 
filled up my tub with a compost of good 
loam, old turf, some bone meal, and old 
hotbed manure, watered it copiously for a 
month sO‘ as to encourage it to settle, and 
then planted the Rose. It has been an 
immense success from the first, and be¬ 
yond untying the growths once a year 
when the Yew is clipped, and removing 
the older growths and again retying to 
the tree, the plant gives but little trouble. 
One word of warning to those who would 
like to adopt this plan : Remember that 
Roses planted m tubs like this require an 
extra amount of water in summer because 
their roots are naturally in a rather cir¬ 
cumscribed space. 
I.ast November I gave full directions 
for the preparation of Brier cuttings to 
form stocks. These should now be ex¬ 
amined as the action of frost and rain has 
tended to work some of them almost out 
of the soil. It is best to go over them and 
push them back into the soil with one’s 
fingers; weeds must be vigorously ex¬ 
cluded from among the cuttings. Pro¬ 
tecting materials should not be removed 
during this month as we yet may have 
severe frost. The hoe should be kept at 
work among those plants that have no 
protection around them, and all stakes 
should be carefully examined in prepara¬ 
tion for the gales of March. 
Arthur R. Goodwin. 
Worcestershire. 
Leptospermum Chapmanii is described 
as a red Manuka, which was recently in¬ 
troduced to the horticultural public in 
New Zealand. Seedlings raised from it 
have given a crimson variety and other 
colours. 
