240 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 6, 1907. 
In a mixed border the cultivator can take 
the precaution to sow some annual or 
other over the ground occupied by the 
Daffodil or merely around the clump. As 
the foliage of the Daffodil dies away the 
annuals will attain some size, and more 
or less completely cover the ground. Thus 
in the same space one can make provi¬ 
sion for flowers both in spring and 
summer. 
Now eafh creature joys the other, 
Passing happy days and hours; 
One bird reports unto another 
In the fall of silver showers; 
Whilst the earth, our common mother, 
Hath her bosom decked with flowers. 
Samuel Daniel (1592.) 
Since my last notes were penned winter 
has given place to spring; cold nights 
and days of clear balmy sunshine. In 
this district there has been a great 
scarcity of rain this year, and January 
and February between them only mus¬ 
tered 1.68 inches. Last month was also 
a dry one, so that newly-planted Roses 
will require watering unless April brings 
relief in the shape of some thoroughly 
wet days. My plants are all very back¬ 
ward, a fortunate thing in many respects. 
This is the month in which most of my 
pruning is done, and it is generally the 
second week, and sometimes the third, 
before I find time to get it all completed. 
Most, however, of my collection consists 
of Teas and Hybrid Teas, and these are 
not one whit the worse for late pruning, 
because they are then more likely to miss 
the late frosts. Another argument in 
favour of late pruning is that it is a means 
of ridding the plants of the first batch of 
grubs and other pests. But be sure and 
burn all the prunings instanter. At this 
season of the year the pruning of Roses 
is, and has been, discussed ad nauseam , 
and yet with all this volume of preaching 
and writing on the subject the massacre 
of the Innocents still goes on. Last April 
T tackled the subject in the “G.W.” as far 
as my limited space would allow, and now 
once again I return to the charge. In¬ 
stead of repeating myself it will probably 
interest readers more if I quote some 
translations from Monsieur Eugene 
Forney’s book on Rose culture. This is 
now obsolete and out of print, but it con¬ 
tains information that is of the utmost 
value to anyone who is really anxious to 
learn the reasons for pruning. This is 
what he says. 
The pruning of the Rose consists :•— 
(1) In removing those parts which are 
dving back or awkwardly placed, so as to 
assist the perfect development of the use¬ 
ful portions which ought to be preserved. 
(2) To thin out the superfluous growth, 
as the Rose produces many more shoots 
every year than its sap can bring to per¬ 
fection. 
(3) To shorten back the shoots, so as 
to concentrate the sap in certain of the 
eyes at their bases, so that these eyes may 
be able to produce flower-bearing 
branches. 
(4) To replace every year the branches 
that have flowered by young branches to 
flower in their turn. We know that the 
blossom is produced on the current year’s 
shoots; it is necessary therefore to assist 
the development of the shoots by the re¬ 
moval of those that have flowered. 
(5) To evenly distribute the sap by giv¬ 
ing to the branches a suitable direction 
and even height, so that they may be all 
equally strong and floriferous, and that it 
may be possible to enjoy their blossoms 
from a single point of view. 
(6) To increase the number of the 
branches; for if one piunes a branch, one 
is sure to obtain, below the part pruned 
away, two or three shoots, which will form 
as many branches, of the height and in 
the 'positions required. 
fo some of my readers all this may ap¬ 
pear very elementary, while to others it 
may be Helpful. I make no apology for 
inserting it here, because my experience 
shows tnat the reason that people make 
such sad mistakes in pruning Roses is that 
they have never grasped the raison d'etre 
of it. Some ot the axioms that Mon¬ 
sieur Forney lays down are also worth 
reproducing. 
(1) We give vigour to a branch by 
pruning it hard, if all the other branches 
are cut equally short. It is evident that 
the concentration of the sap will cause all 
the branches to develop with equal vigour. 
(2) We weaken a branch by pruning it 
hard if the other branches are left long. 
The sap flows by preference through the 
long branches, and leaves the short one 
in a state of marked inferiority. 
(3) We give vigour to a branch by leav¬ 
ing it long if all the other branches are 
pruned short. The long branch domin¬ 
ates the others; and being higher and fur¬ 
nished with a larger number of eyes, it 
attracts to itself all the sap. 
I am indebted for these extracts from 
M. Forney’s work to the Journal of the 
Royal Hort. Society for May, 1904, where 
may be found a most valuable article on 
pruning Roses by Mons. V. Morel. 
“Will you,” writes a correspondent, 
“ please give me some hints on the subject 
of pegging down Roses, with the names 
of a few of the most suitable varieties?” 
As it is a subject with which I have not 
yet dealt, I comply most willingly, though 
my remarks must necessarily be rather 
compressed. First of all as to varieties. 
Naturally vigorous growth is a sine qua 
non. My selection of the best 12 varie¬ 
ties for the purpose is as follows:—Frau 
Karl Druschki, Gloire Lyonnaise, Griiss 
an Teplitz, Gustave Regis, Mme. Isaac 
Periere, Capt. Hayward, Mme. G. 
Luizet, Charles Lefebvre, Mrs. John 
Laing, Ulrich Brunner, Clio, and Duke 
of Edinburgh. Prune hard the first year; 
little will be necessary the two followirq 
years, as all the growth must be peggo 
down to cover the beds. Most of tl.< 
varieties enumerated above must L 
planted 2j4 to 3 feet apart. As soon a 
enough young growth has been made r.j 
take the place of that which has flowere-.: 
the latter must be cut away every year 
and the young shoots pegged down t 
supply its place, but their points shoul. 
not be allowed to overlap one another, 
well furnished bed of pegged down Rose 
should have the surface covered all ove 
with shoots about 9 inches apart. Unti 
there is growth enough to cover the sur 
face, the old wood must be allowed r 
remain for another year; by pruning ii 
the lateral growths to a spur with two < 
three buds, they will flower again. Vei • 
rich deep soil and ample supplies of mob 
ture and liquid manure are required t> 
prevent growth being stunted. Woodei 
pegs cut from Pea sticks answer the best 
Do not be in too much of a hurry to pe: 
down the young growth, as it gains ii 
strength by being allowed to grow erect 
The end of July is quite soon enough 1. 
begin. But to return to April work 
Hoeing must now occupy a good deal 0 
time. Maiden standards and dwarfs als 
require constant attention to prevent th 
depredations of weevils and grubs. The: 
growing shoots must be tied to some sup 
port; small pieces of bamboo are the be; 
and neatest. With the standard stock 
the small remaining portion of the wil. 
stock may be cut clean away when one 
the bud has got a good start. Climbin' 
Roses should be encouraged with liquu 
manure from nowonwards until they haw 
finished flowering. 
Arthur R. Goodwin. 
Worcestershire. 
-♦++- 
Poison in Ivy. 
Dr. A. Hadden observes that, if tin 
skin is moist from perspiration, the poisoi 
of Ivy is more apt to take effect than whei 
the skin is dry. The poison is mori 
active during the summer months, and th' 
last two months of spring and the firs 
two months of autumn. It does not seen 
to be active during the other months 0 
the year. The nature of this poison ha 
not yet been clearly defined. On the lea 
and "stem there is a fine hairy formatioi 
on both the upper and lower sides. Tc 
this is attributed the chief agency of com 
munication of the poison. 
Horticultural College, Swanley. 
The report for the year ended 'Decern 
ber 31st, 1906, of the Horticultural Col 
lege, Swanley, Kent, states that gratifying 
progress can be reported in each depart 
ment of the College work. It is pointet 
out that the value to women .of systematic 
training in the various branches of horti 
culture is becoming more and more recog 
nised from both the utilitarian and educa 
tional standpoints. At the end of the 
year the College had 68 students, of whicl 
number 16 entered for the R.H.S. ex 
amination and all successfully passed 
Several of the students obtained during 
this period valuable posts as teachers 
lecturers, and gardeners in charge oi 
school gardens, and as head gardeners 
underqgardeners, etc., at private establish 
ments. 
