360 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND,  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
April  29,  lh97. 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  for  1897, 
June  15th  (Tuesday). — Ryde. 
„  18th  (Friday). — Portsmouth  (N.R.S.), 
„  21th  (Thursday). — Colchester. 
„  25th  (Friday). — Maidstone. 
,,  26th  (Saturday). — Windsor  and  Dorking. 
,,  29th  (Tuesday). — Canterbury,  Sutton,  and  Westminster  (R.H.S.). 
,,  30th  (Wednesday). — Croydon,  Ealing,  and  Reading. 
July  2nd  (Friday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.). 
,,  7th  (Wednesday).— Glasgow,  Hanley,*  Hitchin,  Reigate,  Leeds, f 
and  Tunbridge  Wells. 
„  8th  (Thursday). — Bath,  Gloucester,  Harrow,  Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
and  Woodbridge. 
13th  (Tuesday). — Woiverhampton.f 
„  15th  (Thursday). — Norwich  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  17th  (Saturday). — New  Brighton. 
,,  22nd  (Thursday). — Halifax  and  Trentham. 
„  27th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
*  A  show  lasting  two  days.  f  Shows  lasting  three  days. 
The  above  are  the  only  dates  that  have  as  yet  reached  me.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  insert  in  the  next  list  any  farther  fixtures  that  may  be  sent 
me,  whether  of  Rose  shows  or  of  horticultural  exhibitions  where  Roses 
form  a  leading  feature. — Edward  Mawley,  Rosebank,  Berkhamsted, 
Herts. 
A  “  Rose-Day  ”  Proposal. 
I  HAVE  seen  in  some  paper  a  list  of  all  the  proposals  which  had  been 
made  to  commemorate  the  Queen’s  Diamond  Jubilee.  They  ran  into 
hundreds,  yet  I  boldly  make  another.  It  is  a  simple  and  sentimental 
proposal  for  the  decoration  of  our  persons  on  Jane  22ad.  I  think  the 
British  floral  emblem — the  Rose — should  be  worn  by  everybody  on  the 
celebration  day. 
The  Rose  crop  will  be  in  all  its  glory  at  the  end  of  June,  and  no  one 
need  be  without  a  bloom  who  has  a  penny  to  spend.  I  further  suggest 
that  June  22ad  shall  be  always  known  as  ‘‘Rose  Day,”  in  honour  of 
England  and  good  Queen  Victoria.  Yes  !  I  think  “  Rose  Day  ”  ought  to 
come.  As  the  Poet  Laureate  says  in  his  best  pro3e  work,  “  The  Garden 
That  I  Love  ”  (page  96),  “  The  Rose  is  the  typical  flower  all  the  world 
over,  and  the  mind  cannot  get  away  from  its  representative  personality. 
Withal  in  most  gardens  the  Rose  enjoys  but  a  brief  reign,  and  much 
briefer  than  that  of  many  another  flower.  But  so  long  as  it  blooms  in 
profusion  it  throws  into  the  shade  all  other  pretenders.”  Just  so. 
“  Rose  Day  ”  would  throw  all  other  celebration  days  into  the  shade. 
The  Rose  is  a  royal  flower,  and  should  be  used  on  such  a  truly  royal 
and  national  occasion  this  year,  and  for  all  time. — F.  R.  H.  S. 
Roses  under  Glass. 
Although  these  are  now  in  full  beauty,  whether  in  pots  or  planted 
in  the  borders,  there  is  much  work  to  be  done  if  the  plants  are  to 
be  kept  clean  and  healthy,  so  as  to  give  a  useful  second  crop  of  flowers, 
and  be  in  the  best  condition  for  early  ripening,  to  form  suitable  plants 
in  time  for  blooming  through  the  coming  winter. 
It  is  the  early  pot  Roses,  of  spring  that  can  be  most  readily  brought 
into  condition  for  winter  flowering,  and  as  it  is  useless  attempting  to 
bloom  any  but  specially  prepared  plants  in  the  dead  of  winter,  a  few 
words  upon  this  subject  may  be  seasonable.  In  the  first  place  we  need  to 
pay  some  attention  to  selection  of  varieties.  Very  double  Roses  cannot 
be  so  successfully  opened  as  those  with  fewer  petals,  and  these  last  a 
long  time  during  the  winter,  being  far  less  evanescent  than  during  the 
brighter  and  warmer  days  of  early  summer. 
Isabella  Sprunt,  pale  yellow;  Safrano,  apricot ;  Madame  Lambard, 
red;  Niphetos,  pure  white,  Fiametta  Nabonnand,  white,  carmine 
shaded;  General  Jacqueminot,  deep  red;  Sylph,  white,  tinted  with 
peach  ;  Papa  Gontier,  rosy  crimson  ;  G.  Nabonnand,  salmon  and  peach  ; 
Amazone,  deep  lemon  yellow  ;  Augustine  Guinoisseau,  pale  blush 
white  ;  and  Souvenir  de  Wootten,  very  deep  red  ;  are  twelve  grand  pot 
Hoses  for  forcing. 
Six  good  climbers  are  found  in  Mar6chal  Niel,  golden  yellow  ; 
Climbing  Perle  des  Jardins,  deep  straw  yellow  ;  Climbing  Niphetos.  pure 
white ;  William  Allen  Richardson,  orange  and  apricot  ;  Reine  Marie 
Henriette,  deep  crimson ;  and  Madame  Abel  Chatenay,  fawn  pink  shaded 
with  salmon. 
These  more  vigorous  varieties  can  be  grown  in  pots  provided  they 
are  8  to  10  inches  across.  When  grown  on  the  long  rod  system 
— i.e.,  cutting  down  the  growths  as  soon  as  they  have  flowered,  and 
encouraging  more  long  rods  from  the  base,  there  are  few  Roses  which 
force  with  greater  satisfaction.  The  main  point  is  to  secure  well 
ripened  wood,  and  if  growth  be  hurried  along  until  the  early  part  of  July 
the  plants  can  then  be  removed  to  the  open  air  and  gradually  ripened. 
We  find  it  a  good  plan  to  stand  the  climbers,  half-plunged,  against  an 
Arbor  Vitse  hedge,  securing  the  rods  by  stretching  a  wire  or  string 
around  several  plants,  and  fastening  to  the  hedge. 
Before  placing  the  plants  outside  a  dressing  of  soot  is  spread  over  the 
soil  they  are  to  stand  upon.  This  prevents  worms  entering  the  pots. 
Standing  the  pots  upon  pieces  of  slate  does  not  answer  bo  well,  as  it  often 
happens  that  the  pot  fits  closely,  or  a  little  soil  causes  stoppage  of  the 
drainage,  and  the  pots  become  more  or  less  sodden.  It  is  very  easy  to 
place  a  board  in  front  of  the  pots,  and  fill  in  between  them  with  ashes, 
cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse,  or  other  easily  handled  material.  Half  plunging 
of  this  description  is  a  great  safeguard  against  sudden  drought,  and- 
protects  the  lower  and  most  important  roots.  We  need  to  keep  them 
rather  dry  as  soon  as  there  is  a  natural  cessation  of  growth,  but  to  do 
this  too  suddenly,  or  allow  them  to  become  very  dry  one  day  and  wet 
the  next,  is  not  calculated  to  secure  an  efficient  ripening. 
While  in  full  growth  liquid  manure  may  be  applied  freely  if  weak, 
and  will  be  far  more  beneficial  than  the  same  amount  of  stimulants 
given  in  stronger  and  less  frequent  doses.  The  same  treatment  applies 
to  all  pot  Roses  ;  we  must  grow  them  carefully,  and  not  partly  neglect 
them  simply  because  the  bulk  of  their  present  beauty  is  past. 
There  should  be  no  need  to  repeat  the  oft-written  advice  respecting 
the  great  importance  of  early  and  prompt  measures  as  regards  our  many 
insect  foes.  Shading  will  soon  be  necessary,  but  it  should  be  very  slight 
— just  enough  to  break  the  glare  of  the  sun  is  ample.  Roses  enjoy 
plenty  of  light,  and  it  is  only  the  burning  power  of  sunshine  through 
clear  glass  that  we  wish  to  check.  A  slight  shade  renders  ventilation 
more  easy  and  safe.  We  must  give  some  air  during  this  season,  but  it  is 
most  difficult  to  regulate  when  a  few  minutes’  bright  sun  causes  the 
temperature  to  rise  20°  to  30°.  Damping  down  is  not  sufficiently 
practised  ;  a  moist  atmosphere  is  a  great  help  during  bright  weather, 
vnd  if  a  little  liquid  manure  be  used  the  ammonia  feeds  the  foliage, 
imparts  a  healthy  gloss,  and  is  a  great  advantage  all  round. — Practice. 
CAMELLIAS  AFTER  FLOWERING. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  important  bearing  the  treatment 
of  Camellias  after  flowering  has  upon  future  success.  Next  season’s 
crop  of  flowers  may  be  reduced  50  per  cent.,  or  entirely,  simply  through 
faulty  methods  of  procedure  at  the  present  stage,  and  I  propose  giving 
a  few  notes  that  may  be  of  assistance  to  those  whose  experience  of  these 
beautiful  flowers  is  comparatively  limited.  I  have  been  growing  them 
for  upwards  of  a  score  of  years,  and  shall  speak  from  practical 
experience. 
When  Camellias  are  not  in  flower  they  may  be  syringed  frequently 
with  advantage,  and  this  generally  keeps  the  foliage  clean  and  healthy  ; 
but  glutinous  matter  sometimes  adheres  to  them,  and  syringing  will  not 
remove  it,  yet  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  health  of  the  plants  that 
it  be  rem  >ved,  and  it  should  be  cleared  immediately  flowering  ceases. 
Sponging  is  the  surest  way,  using  some  simple  mixture.  Before  beginning 
to  sponge  syringe  the  plants  with  water  several  times  to  soften  the  dirt, 
and  during  the  operation  of  sponging  the  whole  of  the  foliage  must  be 
kept  cons'antly  wet,  as  it  is  so  much  easier  to  remove  the  dirt  when  it 
is  soft  and  wet  than  when  hard  and  dry. 
.  Equally  important  is  having  the  roots  in  proper  order.  No  Camellia 
should  be  planted  out  in  a  bed  or  border  without  the  greatest  care  being 
devoted  to  the  drainage,  as  it  is  only  in  the  first  place  that  this  can  be 
properly  treated,  and  there  is  no  easy  way  of  rectifying  the  drainage  of 
plants  which  are  growing  in  a  bed.  Wherever  the  soil  has  become 
stagnant  or  in  bad  condition  do  not  fail  to  examine  and  rectify  the 
drainage.  Planted-out  specimens  are  very  liable  to  suffer  from  being 
too  much  disturbed  at  the  roots,  and  in  trying  to  improve  the  drainage 
it  can  better  be  put  round  the  sides  than-directly  under  the  plant ;  and 
if  the  vacancy  made  to  permit  this  is  filled  with  good  soil  an  improve¬ 
ment  will  soon  take  place.  Firm  soil  is  also  necessary  to  the  success  of 
the  plants  ;  indeed  they  will  not  remain  long  in  good  health  if  the  soil 
is  loose.  Seeing  that  the  drainage  is  right  and  the  soU  firm  should  have 
annual  attention  as  the  plants  cease  flowering.  The  soil  may  be  allowed 
to  become  slightly  dry  before  beginning  to  work  with  it,  but  after  the 
operations  suggested  are  finished  it  must  not  on  any  account  be  permitted 
to  become  dry  ;  and  from  the  day  the  plants  begin  growing  until  the 
flower  bads  are  well  developed  the  soil  at  the  roots  must  be  kept  con¬ 
stantly  sweet  and  moist.  In  some  cases  the  growth  begins  before  the 
blooms  are  all  over,  but  the  main  growth  rarely  commences  until  then. 
Apart  from  cleaning  the  foliage  in  the  first  place,  they  should  be 
frequently  syringed  with  clear  water  afterwards,  and  once  daily  is  not 
too  often  in  good  weather.  I  do  not  approve  of  keeping  them  very  close, 
as  the  growths  are  liable  to  become  very  long  and  weakly,  and  this  also 
applies  to  plants  grown  under  a  dense  shade.  We  have  not  shaded  a 
Camellia  for  many  years,  and  we  have  always  plenty  of  blooms  from 
November  to  April.  Besides  the  present  being  a  good  time  to  clean  the 
foliage  and  to  place  the  plants  in  a  proper  position  for  another  year, 
repotting  and  planting  may  also  be  done. 
Sometimes  when  plants  are  in  bad  health  in  pots  their  growers  think 
they  would  do  better  if  planted  out,  but  my  experience  leads  me  to  say 
that  it  is  easier  to  improve  a  Camellia  in  a  pot  than  when  planted,  and 
I  should  not  be  inclined  to  plant  a  specimen  in  a  half-dead  condition. 
The  plan  would  be  to  get  it  into  good  health  in  a  pot  and  then  plant. 
The  object  of  planting  out  is  to  secure  large  specimens  which  will  require 
less  attention  in  watering  than  those  in  pots,  and  probably  all  the  finest 
in  the  country  are  planted  out.  Success  is  certain  when  good  plants  are 
used  and  the  operation  carefully  performed,  but  all  depends  on  that. 
The  bed  must  not  be  less  than  2  feet  6  inches  in  depth,  and  at  least 
6  inches  of  this  should  be  taken  up  with  carefully  arranged  drainage. 
A  layer  of  fibrous  turf  may  cover  this.  The  plants  need  not  be  placed 
too  deeply,  and  the  whole  bed  filled  firmly  with  a  mixture  consisting  of 
equal  parts  of  peat  and  loam  to  which  has  been  added  a  liberal  dash  of 
