JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  26,  1900. 
Hose  Show  Fixtures  In  1900. 
June  13th  (Wednesday). — York.+ 
„  27th  (Wednesday). — Salisbury  (N.R.S.),  Richmond  (Surrey),*  and 
Southampton.* 
,,  28th  (Thursday). — Canterbury  and  Colchester. 
„  30th  (Saturday). — Windsor. 
July  3rd  (Tuesday). — Westminster  (R.H.S.),  Gloucester,  and  Sutton. 
„  4th  (Wednesday). — Croydon,  Farningham,  Hereford,  and  Reigate. 
„  6th  (Thursday). — Bath  and  Norwich. 
„  7th  (Saturday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.). 
„  10th  (Tuesday). — Harrow  and  Wolverhampton. f 
,,  11th  (Wednesday). — Brookham. 
„  12th  (Thursday). — Brentwuod,  Eltham  and  Salterhebble. 
„  14th  (Saturday). — Manchester,  and  New  Brighton. 
„  18th  (Wednesday). — Cardiff.* 
„  19th  (Thursday). — Birmingham  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  21st  (Saturday). — Newton  Mearns. 
,,  24th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
„  25th  (Wednesday). — Newcastle-on-Tyne.+ 
*  Shows  lasting  two  days.  f  Shows  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  Rose  Show  P’ixtures,  which  will  appear  in  an  early 
issue. — Edward  Mawley,  Bosehank,  Berkhamsted,  Herts. 
Chemical  Fertilisers  for  Roses. 
Professor  Wm.  Stuart,  of  the  Experiment  Station,  Lafayette, 
Ind.,  who  has  been  conducting  some  exhrmstive  experiments, 
summarises  tiie  results  as  follows  : — “  There  is  every  reason  to  believe 
from  the  resul  s  obtained  in  the  several  experiments  enumerated,  that 
chemical  fertilisers  when  properly  used  may  be  made  to  serve  every 
need  of  the  Rose  plant  so  far  as  food  is  concerned.  The  use  of  raw 
bunemeal  in  every  instance  gave  an  increased  yield  over  that  of  the 
control  plants,  as  well  as  giving  a  greater  percentage  of  gain  than  did 
those  receiving  other  forms  of  phosphoric  acid.  Pure  bonemeal  is  not 
injurious  to  Rose  plants,  even  when  applied  in  amounts  largely  in 
excess  of  the  requirements  of  the  plant.  The  aeidula'ed  bonemeal 
which  has  1  een  used  by  florists  and  supposed  to  be  harmful,  did  not 
produce  any  noticeable  injury,  even  when  used  in  large  amounts.  As 
a  rule,  a  combination  of  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrate  of  soda  gave  better 
results  than  one  of  phosphoric  and  muriate  of  pota'h.  Two  or  three 
applications  of  potash  during  the  season  was  found  to  be  preferable 
to  a  single  application,  altliouih  in  some  instances  no  injury  from  the 
single  application  was  a|  parent.  A  larger  number  of  Perle  Ros’ s  were 
produced  from  plants  grown  in  a  black  than  in  a  cl  ly  loam,  while  the 
Kais  rin  gave  reverse  results.  The  sub  watering  method  p  oved  an 
eflBcient  means  of  supplying  the  plants  with  moisture.” 
Roses  from  Cuttings. 
I  HAVE  read  with  much  interest  the  notes  by  “  R.”  (page  336)  on 
Tea  Roses,  especially  the  reference  to  raising  stock  from  cuttings.  As 
I  have  been  very  successful  in  this  iorm  of  propagation  I  will  give  my 
methods  as  briefly  as  may  be  in  the  hope  that  they  will  prove  of 
assistance  to  my  brother  growers.  I  should  like  to  see  even  more 
interest  taken  in  Roses  than  is  the  case  at  present,  for  though  they  are, 
so  to  spe  k,  everybody’s  flowers,  one  too  frequently  sees  them  in 
wretched  health  from  attacks  by  green  fly  or  faulty  methods  of  culti¬ 
vation.  Ruses  are  essentially  plants  that  require  good  treatment,  and 
if  this  is  not  aflorded  they  will  never  be  perfectly  satisfactory.  But  to 
return  to  the  cuttings. 
That  Roses  from  cuttings  succeed  admirably  admits  of  no  doubt 
whatever.  A  practically  unlimited  number  of  plants  can  soon  be 
raised  by  this  means  at  various  times  of  the  year  when  suitable 
cuttings  can  be  secured.  One  of  the  periods  when  they  are  almost 
sure  to  root  well  is  early  in  May,  as  after  the  forced  plants  have 
flowered  and  the  wood  has  become  partially  ripened,  two  cuttings  can 
be  taken  Irom  each  well  grown  shoot  without  injuring  the  plant  in 
the  least.  Shoots  cut  so  that  two  joints  are  above  and  one  joint  below 
the  soil  when  inserted,  are  all  that  are  necessary.  Cut  the  bottom 
leaf  off  the  cuttings  and  place  about  five  cuttings  in  one  3^-inch  pot, 
pressing  the  soil  firmly.  The  most  suitable  compost  consists  of  two 
parts  of  good  loam  to  one  of  leaf  mould,  with  a  free  admixture  of 
sharp  sand,  placing  some  of  the  latter  on  the  surface  to  be  carried 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  hole  made  to  receive  the  cutting,  as  roots 
are  more  quickly  formed  in  sat  d  than  in  soil.  If  the  soil  in  the  pots 
is  watered  prior  to  the  inserfion  of  the  cuttings  the  work  can  be  done 
much  more  firmly,  and  the  cuttings  stand  a  far  better  chancemf 
rooting  than  they  do  in  a  loose  dry  soil.  In  either  case  water  should 
be  applied  to  settle  all  properly  down. 
Place  the  pots  in  a  gentle  bottom  heat  in  either  a  hotbed  or?a 
propagating  frame,  whence  the  cuttings  can  be  kept  close  except  for 
the  admission  of  air  occasionally  for  the  evaporation  of  conden.«ed 
moisture.  On  no  account  must  the  foliage  be  allowed  to  flag,  there¬ 
fore  shade  when  necessary,  and  occasionally  sprinkle  the  leaves 
with  water.  Roots  will  quickly  form,  when  the  plants  must  be 
removed  to  a  warm  house  for  a  time,  giving  them  a  position 
near  the  glass  to  prevent  their  being  drawn  during  the  growth. 
Place  them  singly  into  small  pots,  using  a  similar  kind  of 
soil,  returning  them  to  their  former  quarters  until  established, 
when  the  plants  should  be  gradually  hardened,  and  either  placed 
out  into  their  permanent  positions  or  be  kept  in  pots  for  the 
remainder  of  the  season.  If  the  latter  system  is  to  be  adopted  a  shift 
into  4^-inch  pots  will  be  an  advantage,  using  soil  with  more  loam 
and  some  partly  decayed  manure,  plunging  the  pots  in  ashes  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year. — Grower. 
—  >  I 
Scarlet  Rnnner  Beans. 
It  is  seldom  of  any  use  to  sow  seed  of  Beans  before  the  end  of 
April  or  the  b.-ginning  of  May.  Even  if  the  weather  is  genial  and 
warm  earlier  than  the  dates  named  there  is  no  guarantee  that  it  will 
renjain  so  throughout  the  month  of  May.  Frosts  during  the  middle 
of  the  ilionth  are  always  likely  to  occur,  and  Beans  are  even  tenderer 
than  Potatoes,  and  less  able  to  recover  from  injury  caused  by  fro.st  ; 
besides,  should  the  growths  recover,  a  check  has  been  given  the  plants, 
and  time  has  been  loet  There  is  the  same  liability  to  frost  in  the 
south  as  in  the  north,  though  of  course  there  are  favoured  places 
where  May  fros's  do  not  trouble,  and  Beans  may  be  sown  earlier  with 
prospects  of  obtaining  a  crop  in  advance.  Cultivators  who  can  afford 
space  may  try  a  row  or  two  of  early  sown  Beans,  but  not  depending 
upon  them  for  the  main  crop,  which  should  be  sown  at  the  usual 
period  early  in  May. 
The  best  way  of  insuring  an  early  crop  of  Runner  Beans  is  to  sow 
seed  in  boxes  at  the  same  time  as  sowing  outdoors.  These  seeds  will 
soon  germinat^  under  glass,  but  the  growth  must  not  be  allowed  to 
become  drawn  by  staying  too  long  in  a  warm  structure.  Immediately 
the  leaves  are  forming  place  the  box  in  a  cool  structure  or  in  a  frame 
where  the  growth  will  develop  sturdily.  The  planting  out  may  be 
done  as  soon  as  safety  from  frost  is  insured.  Previous  to  planting  the 
ground  should  be  well  prepared  and  the  sticks  inserted,  placing  one 
plant  to  each.  Water  in  the  plants  and  give  one  tie  to  each,  so  that 
the  lendiils  will  soon  seize  hold  of  the  stakes.  Should  the  weather  be 
hot  and  dry  mulch  over  the  roots  with  short  manure. 
The  soil  for  Beans  ought  to  be  light,  rich,  well  broken  up, 
manured,  and  not  of  a  wet  character.  It  should  not  be  deficient  in 
lime  or  potash,  and  if  there  is  any  doubt  on  that  score  fork  inio  the 
ground  a  dress  ng  of  lime,  one  bushel  per  rod,  and  sprinkle  a  liberal 
quantity  of  wood  ashes  along  the  rows  and  in  the  drills  previous  to 
sowing.  This  supplies  potash.  Ground  that  requires  some  additional 
enriching  may,  before  sowing,  be  dressed  with  a  mixture  of  artificial 
manure,  consisting  ot  lb.  of  salt,  f  lb.  of  nitrate  of  soda,  J  lb.  of 
superph'  sphate,  and  ^  lb.  of  kainit.  Apply  this  quantity  to  a  square 
rod  ot  ground.  /e 
Beans  should  be  sown  in  double  rows,  9  inches  between  the  two 
rows.  Place  the  seed  4  inches  apart,  2  or  3  inches  deep.  The  stakes 
may  be  fixed  as  soon  as  the  plants  begin  to  put  forth  their  tendrils,  a 
line  of  long,  straight,  smooth  stakes  to  each  row,  tying  them  together 
near  the  top  with  a  horizontal  stake  or  rod.  After  this  no  further 
trouble  should  be  taken  except  to  afford  water,  mulching,  and  liquid 
manure  as  the  flowers  appear  and  pods  form.  Moisture  at  the  roots  at 
that  period  is  very  essential,  as  the  flowers  are  lib  ly  to  drop  if  the 
growth  is  not  well  supported.  Copious  supplies  of  water  should  be 
continued  throughout  the  bearing  season,  espi  cially  if  the  weather  is 
hot  and  dry.  Beans,  however,  abstract  a  large  amount  of  moisture 
from  the  soil,  and  making  good  the  deficb-ncy  i.s  a  necessity  even  in 
the  dampest  weather  when  the  crop  is  growing  in  very  lizht  dry  snil. 
To  prolong  the  supply  of  Beans  it  is  important  that  the  ^lods  be 
gathered  as  soon  as  ready.  This  will  prevent  the  maturation  of 
seed,  which  is  an  exhausting  process. — E.  Barrow. 
