248 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  22,  ISOO. 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  in  1900. 
June  27th  (Wednesday). — Salisbury  (N.R.S.)  and  Richmond  (Surrey).* 
„  28th  (Thursday). — Canterbury. 
„  30th  (Saturday). — Windsor. 
July  3rd  (Tuesday) . — Westminster  (R.H.S.),  Gloucester,  Harrow  and 
Sutton. 
,,  4th  (Wednesday). — Croydon,  Hereford  and  Reigate. 
„  5th  (Thursday). — Bath  and  Norwich. 
„  7th  (Saturday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.). 
„  10th  (Tuesday). — Wolverhampton.f 
„  12th  (Thursday). — Brentwood,  Eltham  and  Salterhebble. 
„  18th  (Wednesday). — Cardiff.* 
„  19th  (Thursday). — Birmingham  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  24th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
*  Shows  lasting  two  days.  t  Show  lasting  three  days. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  the  dates  of  any  other  Rose  shows  (or 
horticultural  exhibitions  in  which  Roses  form  a  leading  feature)  for 
the  next  list  of  Ro  e  Show  Fixtures,  which  will  appear  early  in 
April. — Edward  Mawley,  RosebanJc,  Berkhamsted,  Herts. 
Banksian  Roses. 
The  Banksian  Rose  does  not  flower  freely  in  a  clay  soil  unless  the 
plant  has  a  very  warm  position.  The  flowers  are  produced  on  small 
hard  twiggy  growths,  which  should  not  he  shortened ;  a  close 
pruning  is  unsuitable.  Gross  growths  ought  t )  be  removed  towards 
the  end  of  summer,  so  as  to  admit  the  sun  and  air  to  the  smaller 
shoots,  and  these,  if  matured  and  not  shortened  will  produce  flowers. 
What  must  be  sought  for  are  numbers  of  rather  weak  growths,  and 
these  must  by  matured  by  full  exposure  to  the  sun. — Rosarian. 
Marechal  Niel  for  Profit. 
Probably  no  Rose  is  more  profitable  than  Marechal  Niel  when  it 
is  successfully  grown,  as  fine  blooms  of  it  are  always  in  demand,  and 
usually  fetch  a  good  price.  But  against  the  profits  must  be  set  the 
time — two,  or  even  three,  years — that  it  takes  to  get  the  plants  into 
a  healthy  state,  so  that  a  regular  supply  of  flowers  in  season  can  be 
depended  upon.  Provided  the  plants  are  in  proper  condition,  however, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  a  house  or  two  of  Marechal  Niels  pay,  and  pay 
well. 
The  method  adopted  in  most  places  where  this  Rose  is  grown  to 
pay  is  as  follows: — The  house,  or  houses,  to  be  planted  is  usually 
span-roofed,  about  10  or  12  feet  high,  and  15  to  20  feet  wide,  with  a 
single  path  down  the  middle.  (A  house  suitable  for  a  vinery  would 
do  equally  well  for  IMarechal  Niels.)  The  whole  of  the  floor  space, 
with  the  exception  of  the  path,  is  used  as  a  bed  for  the  plants,  and  is 
trenched  3  leet  deep,  turning  out  any  cold  or  heavy  soil  that  may  be 
encountered,  and  at  the  same  lime  seeing  that  the  border  is  well 
drained.  While  this  is  being  done,  sharp  sand  and  manure  are  worked 
in  with  what  is  kept,  the  aim  being  to  make  the  soil  lighter  and 
more  porous  than  is  usual  for  Roses.  Leaf  mould  is  not  much  in 
favour  for  these  borders,  as  it  is  liable  to  breed  a  fungoid  growth  which 
rots  the  roots. 
The  borders  are  sometimes  raised  if  the  ground  is  very  heavy  and 
wet,  but  this  is  only  done  when  absolutely  necessary,  as  it  entails  a 
considerable  amount  of  labour.  The  plants  used  are  two-year-old, 
worked  on  the  Briar,  and  are  planted  6  feet  apart  on  either  side  alter¬ 
nately,  near  the  side  walls,  so  that  they  can  have  a  straight  run  up 
the  wires,  which  are  15  or  18  inches  from  the  glass  to  allow  room  for 
long-stemmed  flowers  to  develop.  At  the  time  of  planting  the  Roses 
usually  have  one  or  two  stems  about  6  or  8  feet  long,  which  are  cut 
back  before  they  break  to  within  two  or  three  buds  of  the  base. 
When  they  commence  to  grow  the  shoots  are  all  removed  except  two 
or  three  of  the  strongest,  which  are  encouraged  to  progress  in  every 
way. 
During  the  summer  the  syringe  is  freely  used  in  sunny  weather 
two  or  three  times  a  day,  and  the  floor  is  kept  moist.  Water  is  also 
generously  applied  to  the  roots,  liquid  manure  being  used  on  each 
alternate  watering,  with  an  occasional  top-dressing  of  artificial 
manure.  The  temperature  is  kept  fairly  high  during  the  early 
summer  to  induce  free  growth,  but  as  the  year  advances  more  air  is 
gradually  given,  until  in  the  autumn  the  house  is  left  with  full 
ventilation  on  day  and  night  to  thoroughly  ripen  the  wood. 
Through  the  winter  air  is  left  on  unless  very  severe  frosts  ensue, 
when  the  house  is  closed  and  a  little  fire  heat  utilised  to  keep  the 
temperature  from  going  much  below  freezing  point,  though  a  few 
degrees  of  frost  do  not  hurt  the  plants.  In  the  spring  the  plants  are 
cut  back  to  the  lowest  wire,  when  disbudding  is  again  practised  after 
they  start,  and  six  orei^ht  of  the  best  shoots  left,  wdiich  are  trained 
up  the  wires  at  a  distance  of  about  6  inches  from  each  other,  the 
temperature  during  the  summer  being  the  same  as  in  the  previous 
year.  These  shoots  at  the  end  of  the  summer  are  from  15  to  20  feet 
long,  and  the  following  spring  are  allowed  to  flower. 
The  first  two  years  being  safely  got  over,  the  culture  afterwards  is 
simple,  the  growths  being  cut  back  annually  immediately  after 
flowering  to  within  two  or  three  buds  of  the  base,  and  the  resultant 
shoots  disbudded,  leaving  only  sufficient  to  fill  the  wires,  and  keeping 
these  tied  regularly  so  that  they  do  not  grow  into  a  confused  mass. 
Plenty  of  syringing,  watering,  and  feeding  during  the  summer,  and 
changing  the  manure  frequently,  will  produce  growths  that  will  flower 
at  every  joint  for  nearly  their  whole  length.  As  many  as  fifty-two 
flowers  and  buds  have  been  counted  on  a  single  shoot,  and  that  has 
only  been  one  of  many. — C. 
Zonal  Pelargoniums  for  Winter. 
“  Geraniums  ”  (Zonal  Pelargoniums)  play  an  important  part  in  the 
decoration  of  the  greenhouse  during  the  winter  months.  The  simple 
treatment  they  require  to  insure  a  good  display  of  bloom  has  won  for 
them  a  leading  position  amongst  greenhouse  flowering  plants.  Some 
varieties  are  much  better  for  winter  blooming  than  others,  and  I  have 
proved  them  to  produce  flowers  freely  from  October  to  February. 
Cuttings  should  be  taken  forthwith  and  inserted  singly  in  thumb 
pots.  I  prefer  this  plan  to  placing  three  or  four  in  larger  pots,  as  the 
plants  when  rooted  can  be  shifted  into  larger  pots  without  experiencing 
any  check  whatever.  A  soil  composed  of  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  sand  in 
equal  parts  will  answer.  After  the  cuttings  are  inserted  give  the  pots 
a  thorough  watering  through  a  fine-rose  can  to  settle  the  soil  about  the 
base  of  the  cuttings.  A  vinery  “  at  work  ”  will  be  an  excellent  place 
to  root  them  in  ;  failing  this,  a  warm  greenhouse  will  answer  the 
purpose,  although  they  will  be  a  little  longer  in  emitting  roots  there. 
Their  first  shift  from  the  cutting  pot  is  into  3  or  4-inch,  using  a 
compost  of  two  parts  loam  and  one  each  of  leaf  soil  and  spent  manure 
from  an  old  Mushroom  bed.  The  plants  should  then  be  assigned  a 
position  near  the  glass  until  well  established,  when,  if  the  weather  is 
favourable,  they  may  be  transferred  to  a  cold  frame. 
Prom  that  time  onward  they  should  be  continually  stopped,  and  the 
flower  buds  nipped  off  as  they  appear.  Five  or  6-inch  pots  ought  to  be 
used  for  their  final  shift,  and  should  be  well  drained  to  prevent  stag¬ 
nation  at  the  roots.  A  plan  I  have  found  to  answer  well  is  to  place  a 
layer  of  half-inch  bones  over  the  crocks  ;  the  roots  permeate  these,  and 
derive  a  considerable  amount  of  benefit  therefrom  at  the  flowering 
season.  The  soil  should  be  pressed  down  moderately  firmly,  carefully 
avoiding  filling  the  pots  too  full,  a  good  half -inch  of  space  at  the  top 
being  necessary  for  watering  the  plants.  As  soon  as  they  are  well 
established  in  the  flowering  pots,  which  ought  to  be  by  the  first  week  in 
June,  the  lights  should  be  entirely  removed  if  fine  weather  prevails ;  if 
,the  reverse,  they  must  remain  on  until  it  is  more  favourable.  The 
object  is  to  give  them  as  much  air  as  possible  without  exposing  them  to 
too  much  wet,  which  would  prove  of  the  greatest  detriment  at  that 
particular  time.  The  pots  should  stand  on  a  good  layer  of  coal  ashes 
to  allow  of  free  drainage  anderneath. 
By  the  middle  of  Sep  ember  they  must  be  housed,  affording  a  light 
airy  place  in  the  greenhoise.  Stopping  the  plants  may  now  be  discon- 
tinned,  as  also  the  disbudiing,  but  if  extra  large  trusses  of  bloom  are 
preferred  to  a  greater  number  of  smaller  ones,  the  points  of  the 
shoots  should  be  again  nipped  out  one  joint  above  the  flower.  This 
ought  to  be  performed  wlile  the  flower  bud  is  in  a  small  state,  thus 
concentrating  the  whole  energy  of  the  plant  on  the  perfecting  of 
the  blooms.  At  that  stags  they  will  be  much  benefited  by  occasional 
applications  of  liquid  mature,  that  made  from  cow’s  or  sheep’s  manure 
being  preferable.  Artificul  manure  is  better  left  till  a  iRter  period 
when  the  soil  has  become  somewhat  impoverished  ;  a  sprinkling  then 
will  renovate  and  instil  new  life  into  the  plants.  The  number  of  well 
proved  kinds  of  artificial  nanure  make  it  a  difficult  matter  to  select 
any  particular  one  as  tie  best.  I  used  to  give  the  preference  to 
Standen’s,  but  latterly  I  save  found  that  Thomson’s  Vine  and  plant 
manure  and  Clay’s  fertiliser  give  equally  good  results. 
Occasionally  the  plants  mffer  from  the  attacks  of  a  green  caterpillar, 
which  if  not  attacked  comnits  sad  havoc  amongst  the  leaves.  Owing 
to  their  colour  the  caterpillirs  are  difficult  to  see,  hut  a  sharp  shake  of 
the  plant  will  generally  disodge  them.  Watering  must  receive  great 
attention,  especially  at  thetime  when  the  plants  are  first  housed.  My 
experience  is  that  they  oftei  receive  too  little  at  that  time,  the  prevail¬ 
ing  idea  being  that  they  should  be  kept  on  the  dry  side.  These 
conditions,  however,  will  be  better  observed  a  month  later  when  the 
sun.  has  diminished  in  power;  meanwhile  if  the  weather  prove  bright, 
a  sprinkling  with  the  syringe  in  the  afternoon  will  prevent  loss  of 
foliage  and  accustom  them  t(  their  new  conditions. — L.  J. 
