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JOURNAL  OF  H'ORTTCULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
M  .rch  8,  1800. 
Some  of  the  Best  New  Roses. 
I  PROMISED  on  page  132  to  enumerate  a  few  of  the  newer  Roses, 
and  can  conscientiously  say  that  all  of  those  named  below  are  decided 
acquisitions  to  our  already  long  list  of  superb  varieties. 
Ulster. — This  is  a  grandly  formed  flower  of  great  substance.  I 
have  seen  it  on  several  occasions,  and  flowered  it  last  summer.  It  is 
a  robust  variety,  free-flowering,  after  the  form  of  Lady  Mary  Fitz- 
william,  and  sweet  scented.  Unfortunately  its  colour  is  scarcely  so 
clear  a  salmon  pink  'as  one  might  desire,  and  it  is  more  subject  to 
mildew  than  most.  It  won  a  gold  medal  of  the  N.R.S.  in  1898. 
Mrs.  Edward  Mawley.— There  can  be  no  two  opinions  as  to  the 
beauty  of  this  new  Rose,  which  also  secured  a  gold  medal  from  the 
N.R.8.  For  form  and  size  it  is  perfect,  and  the  plant  is  very  free- 
flowering  In  the  N.R.S.  catalogue  it  is  given  as  high-centred  and 
imbricated ;  pink,  tinted  with  carmine,  and  moderately  vigorous. 
White  Maman  Cochet. — All  Rose  growers  know  Maman  Cochet, 
and  I  need  only  say  that  this  sport  from  it  is  a  counterpart  in  every 
way  except  in  being  white  with  a  slight  tinge  of  lemon. 
Bessie  Brown. — This  will  take  rank  as  one  of  the  very  best  Hybrid 
Teas.  It  is  a  creamy  white,  quite  distinct,  and  when  I  first  saw  it  at 
the  Crystal  Palace  some  four  years  or  so  back,  I  noted  it  as  the  best  in 
a  box  of  new  Roses,  and  find  it  on  my  notes  as  “an  improved  Lady 
M.  Fitzwilliam,  but  lighter.”  It  is  quite  a  distinct  grower,  and  of 
perfect  form.  Not  only  did  this  Rose  secure  a  gold  medal  as  a  new 
variety,  but  one  of  the  silver  medals  as  the  best  bloom  among  Hybrid 
Teas  in  the  exhibition  of  the  N.R.S.  held  at  Bath  in  1898. 
/Synme.— This  variety  gives  us  one  of  the  prettiest  of  garden 
decorative  Roses,  and  it  has  a  most  exquisite  scent.  It  is  doubtful  if 
there  is  a  freer  grower  and  bloomer.  For  forcing  it  is  most  useful,  and 
it  is  sure  to  be  in  much  request.  The  colour  is  a  peculiar  reddish 
carmine  shaded  with  salmon  and  fawn  yellow.  It  is  very  pretty  in 
the  bud,  and  with  deep  bronzy  foliage.  This  was  the  only  gold  medal 
Rose  of  last  year. 
Mrs.  Cocker. — I  believe  this  is  a  seedling  from  Madame  Gabrielle 
Luizet  and  Baroness  Rothschild.  It  is  a  beautiful  soft  pink,  very 
high  centred,  grand  in  petal,  and  full.  One  of  the  most  distinct  and 
useful  of  all  pink  Roses. 
Admiral  Dewey. — This  will  be  welcome  as  a  pale  pink  sport  from 
such  a  grand  variety  as  Caroline  Testout,  which  it  resembles  in  all 
but  colour. 
Fsyche. — We  saw  this  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  1899.  It  is  a  pale 
rosy  pink,  very  small  flowers,  somewhat  after  a  Crimson  Rambler  in 
growth,  and  likely  to  be  a  good  companion  to  that  variety. 
Papa  Lambert. — This  has  a  very  large  flower,  is  sweetly  scented, 
pinkish  rose,  with  deeper  centre,  and  is  likely  to  prove  one  of  our  best 
Hybrid  Teas  for  pot  work. 
Maid  of  Honour. — This  is  another  of  the  good  sports  from 
Catherine  Mermet,  and  may  be  briefly  described  as  an  improved 
Bridesmaid,  its  deep  pink  being  very  rich  and  glowing.  This  is  sure 
to  take  a  place  in  every  collection,  however  small. 
Madame  Lucille  Goulon. — ^This  is  a  peculiarly  coloured  Rose,  being 
rosy  flesh  with  a  distinct  shade  of  copper  and  gold.  A  good  grower, 
and  very  free  blooming. 
Billiard  et  Barre. — This  is  a  golden  yellow,  charming  in  the  bud 
stage,  and  filling  out  to  a  large  flower. — Practice. 
BRUGMANSIAS. 
Half  a  century  ago  these  were  amongst  the  most  popular  plants  of 
the  greenhouse,  but  doubtless  they  have  had  to  give  way  to  modern,  if 
not  more  attractive  introductions.  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  my 
first  acquaintance  with  either  B.  arborea  or  B.  suaveolens  (the  two 
varieties  are  considered  as  synonymous  by  some,  but  the  distinction 
consists  in  the  flowers  of  the  former  being  less  fragrant  than  those  of 
B.  suaveolens  ;  moreover,  in  the  former  the  flower  has  long  tails 
attached  to  the  corolla  lobes,  whilst  in  the  latter  there  is  hardly  any 
prolongation  of  the  segments)  some  fifty  years  ago  in  the  shape  of  two 
fine  old  specimens  of  the  varieties  in  question  growing  in  the  centre 
bed  in  a  large  conservatory  at  Sarsden  House,  near  Chipping  Norton, 
Oxon,  then  the  seat  of  the  late  Mr.  J.  H.  Langston,  M.P.  The  speci¬ 
mens  were  the  first  my  juvenile  eyes  had  ever  seen,  and  my  father’s 
respected  old  friend,  the  late  Mr.  John  Greenshields,  the  gardener,  took 
considerable  pride  in  the  veterans.  Since  then  I  have  occasionally 
met  with  similar,  end  even  finer  specimens,  growing  in  large  tubs, 
boxes,  and  planted  in  the  border,  bat  not  to  the  extent  their  merits 
deserve.  For  certain  decorative  effects  the  cut  flowers  lend  themselves 
admirably,  and  also  keep  fresh  for  several  days  in  water  if  cut  before 
they  are  quite  expanded. 
B.  suaveolens  is  sometimes  called  the  Angel’s  Trumpet  Plant ;  the 
flowers  are  somewhat  larger  and  longer  than  those  of  arborea,  and 
measure  sometimes  over  12  inches  in  length,  and  the  perfume  is  exceed, 
ingly  strong.  The  flowers  of  B.  arborea  grow  from  6  inches  to  9  inches 
in  length  only,  and  the  plant  is  naturally  somewhat  taller  than  that  of 
suaveolens,  though  the  distinction  may  be  considered  as  hair-splitting, 
similar  to  the  two  generic  names  of  the  plant  —viz.,  Brugmansia  and 
Datura,  and  botanists  aver  there  is  no  material  difference  between 
these  species.  Brugmansias,  however,  are  all  shrubby  plants,  and 
Daturas  are  nearly  all  annuals.  Strictly,  there  are  only  three  shrubby 
species — viz.,  B.  sanguinea  or  bicolor,  a  native  of  Peru;  B.  arborea, 
also  from  Peru  ;  and  B.  suaveolens,  a  native  of  Mexico  principally,  yet 
occasionally  found  further  south.  There  are  several  supposed  varieties, 
but  these  are  made  synonymous  with  the  three  species  mentioned. 
The  more  commonly  grown  species  in  our  gardens  is  B.  Knighti,  a 
double  petalled  kind.  It  possesses  a  sturdier  habit,  and  is  admirably  • 
adapted  either  for  pots  in  the  greenhouse,  or  sub-tropical  bedding. 
There  is  also  a  variety  of  B.  sanguinea  called  flava,  the  flowers  being 
completely  yellow,  but  it  is  somewhat  rare. 
In  outward  aspect  the  Brugmansias  are  not  to  be  distinguished  from 
the  Daturas  by  the  casual  eye,  as  the  flowers  have  much  the  same 
appearance.  Formerly,  indeed,  no  distinction  was  made  between 
them,  the  name  Datura  covering  all.  Clradually  a  more  rigid  line  was 
drawn  by  botanists,  and  they  were  differentiated  into  two  entirely 
distinct  genera.  This  separation  was  based  upon  the  characteristics 
of  the  fruit  and  not  upon  those  of  the  flower.  The  fruit  in  the 
Brugmansia  is  smooth,  and  has  a  tendency  to  subdivide  into  two  cells, 
while  the  fruit  of  Daturas  is  spinous  and  subdivides  into  four  cells. 
Brugmansias,  moreover,  have  a  shrubby  habit.  The  properties  of  both, 
like  those  of  the  Nicotianas  and  the  Henbanes,  are  acrid,  and  in  many 
cases  poisonous.  The  near  relatives  of  the  Brugmansias  which,  if  not 
indigenous,  have  become  acclimatised  in  these  islands,  are  the  Deadly 
Nightshade,  the  Thorn  Apple,  and  the  Black  Henbane.  All  of  these 
have  a  doubtful  reputation  and  are  not  usually  suspected  of  being  allied 
to  those  other  verj’^  popular  members  of  the  order  Solanacem — to  wit, 
the  Potato,  the  Tobacco,  and  that  ever-growing  favourite,  the  Tomato. 
An  interesting  order  surely  is  this  of  the  Solanaceae,  which  comprises 
so  many  plants  of  an  ornamental,  useful,  and  dangerous  character. 
For  some  reason  the  name  Brugmansia  has  been  given  to  certain 
parasitical  plants  allied  to  the  giant  Raftlesias,  which  stand  far  apart 
from  the  Solanacese,  and  cannot  be  regarded  as  having  so  high  an 
organisation. — W.  Gardiner. 
TOMATOES. 
Seeds  for  producing  the  main  crop  of  Tomatoes,  either  under  glass 
or  outdoors,  ought  now  to  be  sown,  so  as  to  have  plants  strong  and 
vigorous  for  the  final  potting  or  planting  out.  The  seeds  can  be 
sown  thinly  in  pots  in  any  light  sandy  soil.  If  the  seedlings  are 
crowded  they  will  be  weakly  from  the  commencement,  which  causes 
delay  in  pricking  out  the  young  plants.  In  a  temperature  of  60°  to 
65°  seeds  germinate  quickly.  Immediately  this  has  taken  place 
elevate  the  pot  or  pan  containing  them  close  to  the  light  in  the  same 
temperature,  thinning  out  the  crowded  seedlings.  The  next  pro¬ 
ceeding  consiscs  in  transplanting  them  from  the  seed  pots  to  others, 
placing  them  round  the  edge,  three  plants  to  a  3-inch  pot,  or  if  smaller 
pots  are  used  one  in  the  centre.  Sink  the  seedlings  so  that  the  stems, 
hitherto  exposed,  are  buried  to  the  seed  leaves.  A  light  mixture  of 
loam,  leaf  soil,  and  sand  is  the  best  compost.  Use  it  in  a  moist 
condition,  and  stand  the  pots  on  a  warm  sunny  shelf,  affording  no 
shading.  Water  sparingly  in  the  first  instance,  but  when  growth  is  in 
active  operation  frequent  attention  will  be  necessary,  especially  in 
sunny  weather. 
On  these  plailts  becoming  strong  and  the  roots  fairly  numerous, 
move  into  4^  or  5-inch  pots.  Drain  the  pots  moderately  and  work 
the  soil  firmly  about  the  roots.  Stand  them  again  on  a  shelf  in  a  heated 
house  to  encourage  rooting,  but  when  fairly  started  remove  to  a  similar 
position  in  a  cool  house  with  plenty  of  ventilation,  as  the  plants  must 
not  be  allowed  to  be  drawn  up  weakly  by  even  a  day’s  neglect. 
Gentle  heat,  plenty  of  air  and  sunshine,  adequate  moisture  at  the 
root,  and  a  moderately  dry^atmosphere  are  the  indispensable  conditions 
for  insuring  strong  plants.  Such  will  soon  commence  to  produce 
flower  trusses,  and  if  they  do  flower  and  set  a  few  fruits  prior  to  the 
final  potting  or  planting  out,  it  will  be  an  advantage  rather  than 
otherwise.  They  must  not,  however,  receive  a  check  by  retaining 
them  too  long  in  the  pots  to  enable  them  to  flower.  It  is  necessary  to 
transfer  them  to  their  fruiting  quarters  before  they  become  root-bound. 
When  the  roots  mat  themselves  round  the  ball  of  soil  in  search  of  fresh 
food,  the  growth  of  stem  and  foliage  proceeds,  but  it  is  of  a  very  weak 
character,  hence  the  importance  of  finally  potting  or  planting  in  good 
time,  when  this  difficulty  is  obviated. 
