July 13 , 1907. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
471 
The Fragrant and Beautiful . . . 
Moss 
More than one hundred years have now 
elapsed since this old-time favourite was 
first cultivated in our English flower gar¬ 
dens, and, as evidence of its fast-declin¬ 
ing popularity, the writer was recently 
informed by a well-known grower in the 
Waltham district (that home of Roses) 
that out of many thousands of trees dis¬ 
tributed by him during this season, the 
orders for Moss Roses could almost be 
counted upon the fingers of one hand. 
There cannot be the slightest doubt 
that the much improved Teas, Hybrid 
Teas, Noisettes, and other up-to-date 
varieties have completely ousted this 
sweet and charming little Rose from its 
pride of place. Yet, as Bright in his 
interesting book “ The English Flower 
Garden' 5 so truly remarks:—“The Moss 
Roses have a charm of scent and associa¬ 
tion of which many of their more fashion¬ 
able rivals are entirely devoid.” 
And what a pity it is that so dainty 
and beautiful a flower (so adaptable, too, 
for button-holes) should be so sadly neg¬ 
lected ; for where it is retained, even 
amongst its more showy fellows, it 
seldom, if ever, fails to attract special 
attention, although only too often it is 
left to its own devices, with, perhaps, the 
tops slashed off periodically as an 
apology for pruning. Yet the Moss 
Rose, no less than all others of its 
kindred, will well repay the amateur for 
more careful culture. 
They prefer a rich, deep, and fairly 
light soil, although they'do well enough 
in a good clayey loam, provided a liberal 
addition of well-rotted manure is added, 
and, in common with most of the real old 
“garden Roses,” are better, perhaps, 
grown upon their own roots, although 
many prefer them budded on briers, 
whilst some varieties have even been 
grown as standards. 
They may be roughly divided into two 
1 sections, the early or summer-flowering 
varieties and the perpetuals or autumn- 
bloomers. Amongst the former may be 
included the old common pink Moss (too 
well known to need any description); 
Blanche Moreau (very large and well 
mossed and, perhaps, the best white); 
Gloire des Mousseuses (a fair-sized blush 
of robust growth); Nuits d’Young (ex¬ 
ceeding pretty, and in colour a very deep 
crimson), and several others. The later 
section claims Mme. Edouard Ory (a 
large and full flower of a delicate rosy- 
carmine tint); Salet (a bright rose, with 
; each petal paler at the edges), and the 
perpetual White Moss (extremely mossy 
and flowering two, three, and sometimes 
four in a bunch, this being, I think, the 
; only cluster rose in its class). 
Quite a good plan to ensure a succes¬ 
sion of bloom is to prune the early- 
flowering kinds in October, as being 
quite hardy, they can well stand the win¬ 
ter after being cut back, and will then 
be in blossom ere May is out, continuing 
throughout June and July; whilst the 
autumnals, if pruned early in May, will 
succeed them, and push out buds until 
Hose. 
An Old-Time Favourite. 
the cold nights of approaching winter 
make themselves too severely felt. In 
pruning Moss Roses, it is not sufficient 
to merely slash off the extremities, as is 
too often done, but the trees should first 
be well thinned out to prevent the growth 
becoming crowded and entangled. All 
thin and weak wood may then be re¬ 
moved, and the strong shoots shortened 
to about one-half of their length, always 
remembering to sever just above a pro¬ 
minent and out-growing eye. It is ad¬ 
visable for all, except the horny-handed 
professional, to wear gloves during the 
operation. 
The enthusiastic amateur can easily in¬ 
crease his stock by cuttings, or by layer¬ 
ing, the latter method being, perhaps, 
preferable, although not ‘always so con¬ 
venient on account of the space required. 
Cuttings will readily strike if prepared as 
follows : — Any time during September se¬ 
lect half-ripened shoots of the current 
year’s growth, which have already 
flowered. Cut about nine or twelve 
inches long—with a heel of the old wood 
attached if possible, although this is not 
imperative. They should then be planted 
one half of their entire length in a mix¬ 
ture of loam, sand, and leaf mould, in 
equal proportions, the soil being firmly 
trodden about and between them. Some 
Method of layering a Moss Rose, showing a 
shoot cut and -pegged below the ground level, 
with the tip of the shoot tied upright to a 
stake. 
gardeners advise removing the bottom 
eyes, but this answers no useful purpose 
that I can see, indeed, it is a great draw¬ 
back, for often, when the frosts of the 
ensuing winter have killed all growth 
above ground, these buried buds will 
sprout and make plants which would 
otherwise be lost. 
Of course, should a cold frame be avail¬ 
able for this purpose, so much the better. 
They will strike the more readily if it be 
kept closed for some few weeks, with only 
sufficient air being admitted to prevent 
their damping off, and if hard weather 
prevails they should be covered up and 
all frost excluded. Should the frame be 
otherwise required, they must be planted 
under the shelter of a north wall, and if 
protected from the severest weather, a 
large percentage will strike and form 
bushes which may be removed to their 
permanent flowering quarters in August 
or September of the following year. 
Layering is, if possible, an even more 
simple operation than the foregoing. 
July is the best month for layering, and 
the following is the modus o-perandi :— 
Bend down any long vigorous growth, 
and cut through a joint in an upward 
direction (after the manner of layering 
Carnations). They should then be 
pegged down at least three inches below 
the surface (and more if the soil be very 
light) to ensure a constant dampness. 
The layer should then be bent upwards 
and staked, thus opening the wound to 
its fullest extent, and encouraging root 
formation, also insuring the shapely and 
erect growth of the new plant. (See 
sketch of this operation). 
Silver sand or decayed road grit, added 
to the soil, will cause them the more 
quickly to form roots, which they should 
do by the late autumn. They may then 
be severed from the parent plant and re¬ 
moved, or, if convenient, it is perhaps 
better to let them remain until the follow¬ 
ing spring, when they may be safely 
shifted and planted out into the positions 
it is intended they should permanently 
occupy. 
Rest assured that when a thing is worth 
growing at all it is worth growing well, 
and it behoves the garden-lover to pay a 
little more attention than is usually 
bestowed upon the culture of the Moss 
Rose. G. A. F. 
-*"♦->- 
St. John’s Wort. 
[Hypericums.] 
Varieties to Grow. 
Amongst flowering plants one often 
finds a certain limitation of colouring 
prevalent to which the members of a 
genus rarely or never depart. Instances 
such as Gentiana, Lithospermum (blue), 
Genistas and Hypericums (yellow) spring 
to the mind bearing out the above state¬ 
ment. To the last-named genus I pur¬ 
pose to confine my notes, as they are 
worthy of more extended cultivation than 
they at present receive. 
Hypericums grow freely under the 
simplest conditions, a stro g point in re¬ 
commending them to ama'eur collectors 
of hardy plants. Light, stony soil in 
full sun will almost invariably answer 
their requirements, provided there always 
exists means for carrying away stagnant 
moisture which they particularly dislike. 
Their flowering season extends from 
June until late autumn. The individual 
flowers are like single Roses, enhanced 
by a boss of yellow stamens, the fila¬ 
ments being as fine as gossamer and 
quivering in the faintest breath of wind. 
Hypericums are all more or less 
shrubby in growth. Those having pros¬ 
trate stems are best planted upon rock- 
work, choosing positions within eye level 
from whence their good points are fully 
discerned. Several species such as Caly- 
cinum and the common Tutsan are ad¬ 
mirably adapted for massing as carpet 
plants in rough ground, -where large 
effects are desired; both of these make 
excellent covert plants for growing under 
the shade of deciduous trees, while a few, 
such as kalmiana and patulum, make 
quite large shrubs. 
