January  14,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
‘37 
a  sight  of  its  flowers.  The  leaves  are  distinctly  pubescent,  and 
the  plant,  taking  it  all  in  all,  quite  attractive. 
The  Primroses  seem  even  more  wan  and  melancholy  than  when 
last  we  wrote  of  them.  Carew  tells  us  why  this 
“  Flower  does  show 
So  yellow,  green,  and  eickly  too.” 
The  younger  portion  of  my  readers  may  be  interested  in  his  reply  : 
“  I  must  tell  you  these  discover 
What  doubts  and  fears  are  in  a  lover.” 
As  days  lengthen,  however,  they  will  look  brighter  by  far,  and  in 
sheltered  nooka  in  the  garden  as  in  the  woods  will  show  their 
modest  beauty  at  its  best. 
The  Crocuses  are  wearying  for  more  sun,  and  C.  hyemalis  Foxi, 
with  an  early  bloom  or  two  of  C.  Imperati,  keep  their  “  cuplets  ” 
fast  closed.  When  the  sun  returns  with  a  little  stronger  power 
Fox’s  Winter-flowering  Crocus  will  display  its  white  cups  with 
their  black  anthers,  which  contrait  so  well  with  the  coloaring  of 
the  segments  of  the  flower  ;  but  although  a  few  of  Imperati’s 
Crocuses  may  bloom  at  the  same  time  it  will  be  later  ere  the 
majority  delight  us  with  their  beautifully  coloured  flowers.  Many 
of  the  Snowdrops  are  white-tipped  or  are  drooping  already  to  show 
us  their  loveliness.  They  are  not  as  a  rule  unusually  early,  and 
have  made  little  progreis  for  some  time.  Of  these  we  must  speak 
again. 
The  remark  of  the  Rev.  D.  R.  Williamson,  in  his  pleasing 
article  in  the  Journal  of  the  24th  December,  regarding  Chionodoxa 
Lucilise  being  in  flower,  is  an  interesting  one,  which  leads  to  the 
inquiry  if  the  bulbs  are  established  or  newly  imported  ones. 
Although  Kirkmaiden  is  an  early  district,  the  Glory  of  the  Snow 
is  so  much  before  its  usual  period  that  one  is  inclined  to  think  that 
the  roots  have  not  been  established,  and  have  thus  not  been 
accustomed  to  our  climate  and  its  ways.  Perhaps  your  accom 
plished  correspondent  can  tell  us. 
Ere  long,  however,  the  Glory  of  the  Snow  shall  come  here  to 
tarry  for  awhile  with  the  Snowdrops,  the  Scillas,  the  Netted  Irises, 
the  earliest  Saxifragas,  and  the  other  gentle  flowers  which  hail  the 
opening  year.  They  come  smilingly,  though  Nature  seems  to  look 
upon  them  with  lowering  brow.  Not  so  ;  they  could  not  stand  her 
smiling  summer  moods,  and  so  thev  come  to  wish  us,  as  we  wish 
■all  readers,  that  “Happy  New  Year”  we  all  desire.  May  the 
blooming  of  these  early  flowers  bring  true  happiness  and  precious 
delight  to  all  unmarred  by  aught  of  sadness  or  misfortune. — 
S.  Arnott. 
TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  CHALKY  SOILS. 
I  NOTED  a  correspondent,  “  G.  K.,”  on  page  10  of  your  last  issue, 
asking  for  a  list  of  shrubs  that  grow  and  do  well  on  chalk.  A  near 
neighbour  who  laid  out  a  large  place  and  planted  it  with  all,  or  nearly 
all,  the  best  shrubs,  was  some  years  after  asked  for  a  list  of  thote 
that  succeeded  ;  enclosed  is  a  list  of  them.  “  G.  K.”  may  fully  rely  that 
these  will  be  likely  to  give  him  satisfaction. 
Aucubas 
Buddleia  globosa 
Box  in  variety 
Cotoneaster  microphylla 
„  Simonsi 
Hypericum 
Ilex  in  variety 
Berberis 
Mahonia  aqui folia 
Olearia  Haasti 
Veronica  Traversi 
Laurels,  rotundifolia 
„  caucasicum 
Acers  in  variety 
Amygdalus  in  variety 
Fagus 
Fraxinus 
Cerasus 
Cornus 
Deutzia 
Forsythia  suspensa 
,,  viridissima 
Hibiscus 
Laburnun 
Lycesteria  formosa 
Philadelphia 
— Henry  Cannell. 
Pyrus  (Pear  and  Apple  sections) 
Pyrus  (White  Beam  section) 
Prunus  Pissardi 
Ribes  in  varieties 
Sambucus  in  Varieties 
Spiraeas  „  „ 
Symphoricarpus  racemosus 
Syringa  (Lilacs) 
Thorns  in  variety 
Virgilia 
Ulmus  campestris 
„  montana 
Conifers  : — 
Abies  pygmaea 
„  Menziesi 
Cedrus  Libani 
Cupressus  Lawsoniana 
,,  erecta  viridis 
Juniperus  in  variety 
Taxus  The  Golden 
Thuia  Lobbi 
Thuiopsis  dolabrata 
Spruce,  Scotch  Firs 
Abies  Pinsapo 
Pinus  austriaca 
Ceanothus  americantjs.  —  A  correspondent  of  “  Meehan’s 
Monthly  ”  speaks  in  praise  of  Ceanothus  americanus,  or  New  Jersey 
Tea,  as  one  of  the  plants  which  make  an  excellent  low  hedge,  never 
grow  beyond  bounds,  and  look  well  at  all  seasons.  It  will  endure  dry 
weather  well.  It  puts  forth  leaves  and  stems  in  early  spring,  and  is 
soon  covered  with  its  feathery  blossoms,  and  when  the  leaves  have  fallen 
the  erect  red  stems  are  still  handsome.  In  the  north  the  winter  some¬ 
times  kills  back  the  young  growth,  but,  in  any  event,  the  plant  only 
needs  one  trimming  in  the  spring. 
The  Rosarian’s  Year  Book,  1897. 
We  welcome  the  R.  Y.  B.  for  1897  in  the  words  of  its  this  year’s 
motto,  “Perennial  Rose”  Book.  “May  its  shadow,”  or  rather  its 
substance,  “  never  be  less.”  Its  veteran  editor  has  once  more  catered 
excellently  for  us — a  well  “  varied  menu,”  as  he  says,  certainly  not 
“  a  rechauffe."  It  contains  two  articles  by  the  editor — the  oDe  a  notice 
(with  life-like  photograph)  of  Mr.  C.  J.  Grahame,  the  small  grower’s 
friend,  who  ran  third,  and  that  a  good  third,  in  perhaps  the  hardest 
fight  of  the  year — the  contest  for  the  Sutton  cup  at  Reading  ;  the 
other,  the  N.R.S,  history  for  1896,  a  paper  of  great  interest,  and  showing 
none  of  his  natural  force  abated.  Then  we  have  poetry  by  the  Rev. 
-D.  Williamson,  and  forcible  prose  by  the  Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar,  who 
gives  a  valuable  analysis  of  the  newest  and  best  Teas,  with  a  good  word 
for  some  old  ones. 
“  Madame  Hoste  in  her  war  paint,  prepared  and  sent  out  for 
conquest  at  some  grand  function  by  such  efficient  and  clever  ladies’ 
maids  as  Messrs.  Orpen  or  Jordan,  is  a  beautiful  Rose  indeed,  and  a 
strong  candidate  for  the  medal  if  Elise  in  her  old-fashioned  radiance  is 
not  to  be  found.  It  should  be  remembered  that  papering,  though  it 
deepens  the  yellow,  generally  spoils  the  red  shade.” 
Mr.  A.  Piper  discourses  on  H.P.’s  and  H.T.’s  of  recent  years. 
Those  who  wish  to  keep  their  Rose  lore  up  to  date  will  do  well  to  study 
this  paper  with  close  attention.  We  can  give  but  one  extract  : — 
"The  redeeming  feature  of  1892  was  the  splendid  examples  of  what 
is  perhaps  one  of  our  very  best  H.T.’s,  originally  shown  and  ‘  gold 
medalled  ’  under  the  name  of  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  and  afterwards  renamed 
Belle  Siebriecht.  This  cross  between  La  France  and  Lady  M.  Fitz- 
william  was  not  given  to  the  public  until  1895.” 
Our  largest  amateur  grower  aB  I  suppose,  or  thereabouts,  Mr.  Pemberton, 
discourses  condescendingly  on  “less  than  500.”  His  advice  is  most  valuable, 
though  perhaps  startling  to  small  people,  suggesting  when  starting,  the 
purchase  of  twenty-fives  and  twenties,  with  even  fifty  of  Her  Majesty 
and  Mrs.  J.  Laing — "  not  the  500,”  or  anything  like  it — varieties.  Every 
word  he  writes  is  noteworthy,  and  not  least  this  suggestion  : — 
“  I  am  sure  of  this,  that  a  box  of  six  that  contained  three  fair  examples 
of  such  grand  Roses  as  Mrs.  J.  Laing,  A.  K.  Williams,  and  Horace 
Yernet,  no  matter  what  the  other  three  Roses  were,  provided  they 
scored  a  point,  would  indeed  be  hard  to  beat.” 
The  subject  of  the  Hybrid  Tea  is  returned  to  by  Mr.  George  Paul, 
indeed  his  “  foot  is  on  his  native  heath  ”  here,  as  his  Cheshunt  Hybrid 
began  the  series,  and  was  forcibly  driven  into  a  class  of  her  own.  The 
H.T.  is  unquestionably  the  coming  Rose,  and  every  fresh  acquisition  shows 
yet  more  this  Rose’s  excellence  and  possibilities.  A  very  valuable 
paper  is  thus  summed  up. 
“  What  have  we  gained  in  the  new  class  of  H.T.’s  ?  1,  A  nearer 
approach  to  hardiness  in  the  light  and  yellowish  coloured  Roses.  2,  The 
development  in  these  hardier  Roses  of  the  more  artistically  beautiful 
flowers,  which  T.’s,  compared  with  H.P.’s,  have.  3,  A  new  race  or  class, 
with  free  autumnal  qualities  so  essential  nowadays  in  an  English 
garden.” 
Last,  but  not  least,  are  two  articles  by  the  other  Honorary  Secretary 
of  the  N.R.S.  He  is  nothing  if  not  statistical,  and  his  first  article  on 
«  Medal  Roses”  is  this  in  high  perfection — 11  Almost  any  good  exhibition 
Rose  would  appear  to  have  a  chance  when  in  the  most  perfect  phase  of 
its  possible  beauty  of  securing  a  medal  at  some  time  or  other,”  but  Mr. 
Mawley’s  tables  clearly  show  that  only  certain  choice  kinds  have  this 
distinction  frequently  conferred  upon  them.  The  result  of  eight  years 
is  given  : — A.  K.  Williams  won  the  medal  20  times  ;  La  France,  18  ; 
Mrs,  J.  Laing,  17  ;  Her  Majesty,  14  ;  &c.,  &c.  ;  Comtesse  de  Nadaillac, 
26  ;  Souvenir  d’E.  Yardon,  19  ;  The  Bride,  15  ;  Mardchal  Niel,  8  ;  &c.,  &c. 
The  usual  “  Weather  Article  ”  concludes  the  series.  A  bumper 
year  has  yet  to  be  recorded.  LaBt  year  broke  the  record  as  one  of 
the  earliest.  It  was  the  making  in  one  way  of  the  Reading  Show. 
“At  this  exhibition  3975  blooms  were  staged,  making  this  the  largest 
show  ever  held  by  the  Society  in  the  south  of  England.”  It  was  held 
in  the  famous  Abbey  grounds,  and  several  excellent  photographs  of 
the  show  and  of  the  judges  may  be  obtained  of  Mr.  Victor  White, 
Reading.  N  B. — This  is  not  an  advertisement. 
Mr.  Mawley  concludes,  “  It  will  be  gathered  from  the  foregoing  h'story 
that  our  rosarians  just  missed  enjoying  an  unusually  grand  Rose  season, 
and  that  through  no  deadly  winter  or  cruel  spring  frosts,  but  entirely 
owing  to  the  prolonged  drought  and  heat.  .  .  All  went  well  until 
about  the  middle  of  May  .  .  .  From  this  time  adverse  weather 
conditions  prevailed,  consequently  the  first  flowering  was  soon  over, 
and  the  blooms,  when  they  came,  although  mostly  well  formed,  were 
unusually  small  and  thin.” 
We  conclude  with  a  stanza  of  Mr.  Williamson’s  sweet  “  Memories.” 
“  Stars  of  the  earth,  that  fill  the  earnest  mind 
With  thoughts  of  that  deep  rest  which  dwells  above ; 
In  you,  O  peaceful  flowers,  our  spirits  find 
The  likeness  of  His  life  Whose  name  is  Love.” 
