June  3,  1897.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  479 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  for  1897. 
June  7th  (Monday). — Cambridge. 
„  9th  (Wednesday). — Chelmsford. 
„  15th  (Taesday). — Ryde. 
„  16th  (Wednesday). — York. I 
„  18th  (Friday). — Portsmouth  (N.R.S.). 
,i  23rd  (Wednesday). — Richmond,  Surrey. 
„  24th  (Thursday). — Colchester. 
„  25th  (Friday). — Maidstone. 
„  26th  (Saturday). — Windsor  and  Dorking. 
„  29th  (Tuesday). — Canterbury,  Hereford,  Sutton,  and  Westminster 
(R.H.S.). 
it  30th  (Wednesday). — Croydon,  Ealing,  Farnham,  and  Reading. 
July  2nd  (Friday)  — Crystal  Palace  (N.R.S.), 
„  6th  (Tuesday). — Dis°. 
.„  7th  (Wednesday).— Glasgow,  Hanley,*  Hitchin,  Reigate,  Leeds, f 
and  Tunbridge  Wells. 
8th  (Thursday). — Bath,  Farningbam,  Gloucester,  Harrow,  New- 
castle-on-Tyne,f  and  Woodbridge. 
„  10th  (Saturday). — Manchester. 
„  13th  (Tuesday). — Wolverhampton. f  , 
„  15th  (Thursday). — Norwich  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  17th  (Saturday) — New  Brighton. 
„  22nd  (Thursday). — Halifax  and  Trentham. 
,,  27th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
„  28th  (Wednesday). — Chester.* 
31st  (Saturday). — Liverpool.* 
*  Shows  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 ,  Berkliamsted, 
Herts. 
Farningham  Rose  Society. 
The  schedule  of  this  Show,  which  is  to  be  held  on  July  8tb,  has  been 
sent  to  us.  It  is  divided  into  ei^ht  sections,  three  of  them  based  on 
the  number  of  Roses  (plants)  grown.  Three  classeg — namely,  thirty-six 
Roses,  eighteen  Teas  or  Noisettes,  and  nine  triplet?  of  the  same — are 
open  to  nurserymen  and  all  comers  who  are  subscribers.  A  ladies’ 
section  is  provided  for  floral  decorations  and  the  classes,  we  believe, 
are  usually  well  filled.  Classes  are  also  provided  for  amateur  gardeners 
and  cottagers,  not  confined  to  Roses,  the  object  being  the  improvement 
of  horticulture  and  floriculture  in  the  district,  General  Edwardes,  C.B., 
is  the  Honorary  Secretary. 
Comments  and  Impressions. — Manures. 
The  kindly  editorial  postscript  appended  to  my  last  notes  was 
encouraging  though  somewhat  too  flattering,  .but  it  has  induced  me  to 
attempt  another  letter  in  the  endeavour  to  keep  the  promise  I  then  made 
to  say  something  about  so-called  artificial  manures  and  their  effects  on 
Roses.  Some  years  ago  my  attention  was  called  to  this  subject  by  a 
conversation  with  two  rosarian  friends,  one  of  whom  had  been  employ¬ 
ing  guano,  and  the  other  bonemeal  for  their  Rose  beds.  Each  was  con¬ 
vinced  that  special  advantage  had  resulted  from  the  use  of  the  particular 
substance  he  had  tried,  and  it  appeared  so  clear  that  conspicuous  effects 
had  been  produced  in  comparison  with  ordinary  stable  manure  that  I 
resolved  to  try  both  the  manures  myself. 
An  early  opportunity  was  afforded  for  doing  so.  as  I  had  a  quantity 
of  well-rooted  cuttings  of  many  varieties,  both  Hybrid  Perpetuals  and 
Teas,  and  I  thought  that  by  taking  a  dozen  each  of  about  six  varieties 
differing  in  habit  and  colour,  I  should  have  enough  for  testing.  The 
varieties  selected  were  La  France,  Charles  Lefebvre,  Gdndral  Jacque¬ 
minot,  John  Hopper,  Gloire  de  Dijon,  and  Niphetos,  which  offered 
sufficient  range  in  their  chief  characters  for  a  first  experiment.  Three 
beds  were  formed  12  feet  long  and  8  feet  wide,  the  soil  being  a  moderately 
heavy  deep  loam  resting  on  gravel.  These  were  well  dug,  and  received 
an  ordinary  dressing  of  rather  old  decomposed  stable  manure,  which  was 
incorporated  with  the  soil  as  the  work  proceeded.  In  each  of  the  beds 
twenty-four  young  plants  (one  year  old  cuttings)  were  planted  at  2  feet 
apart — i.e.,  four  of  each  of  the  varieties  selected,  so  that  they  were  as 
uniform  as  possible.  The  planting  was  done  in  open  weather  at  the  end 
of  November,  as  a  matter  of  personal  convenience,  and  not  for  any 
special  reason.  _ 
To  one  of  the  beds  a  fairly  heavy  dressing  of  stable  manure,  from 
which  all  the  long  portion  hai  been  removed,  and  which  had  been  in  a 
heap  for  a  month,  was  given  on  the  surface  immediately  after  planting, 
with  a  lighter  application  in  the  following  spring.  Altogether  the 
amount  would  be  about  equal  to  20  tons  per  acre.  No.  2  bed  received  a 
double  dressing  of  a  good  bonemeal  containing  a  large  per-cent  ige  of 
s>luble  phosphates,  the  application  being  made  at  the  rate  of  1  oz.  per 
square  yard  after  planting,  and  again  in  March.  The  third  bed  had  a 
dressing  of  an  excellent  nitrogenous  guano  (Ichaboe),  applied  at  the 
rate  of  1  oz.  per  square  yard  in  February.  The  amount  and  times  of  the 
respective  applications  were  arbitrary — that  is,  they  were  not  founded 
upon  any  definite  rule  or  experiment,  except  as  regards  the  probability 
of  their  becoming  available  by  the  plants  as  growth  commenced. 
Practically,  as  regards  the  bonemeal  and  the  guano,  the  comparison 
was  being  made  between  the  effects  of  nitrogen  as  ammonia  and  phos¬ 
phoric  acid  as  phosphates,  the  stable  manure  being  regarded  as  a  mixture 
possibly  containing  all  the  substances  required  by  the  Rose,  but  in 
uncertain  proportions,  and  tending  further  by  its  peculiar  constitution 
to  materially  affect  the  soil  and  roots  apart  from  its  chemical  conatitu- 
tion  altogether.  This  was  really  the  point  I  had  a  desire  to  investigate, 
for  though  stable  or  farmyard  manure  was  a  satisfactory  application  on 
the  soil  I  was  theu  dealing  with,  yet  in  previous  experience  on  heavier 
and  more  adhesive  soil  it  had  been  observed  that  the  dresiings  of  this 
manure  rendered  the  surface  wet,  cold,  and  more  difficult  to  aerate,  with 
corresponding  evil  effects  upon  all  Roses,  but  especially  upon  those  of 
weak  habit.  Coolness  and  moisture  are  undoubtedly  advantageous  to 
the  roots  of  the  Rose,  especially  in  a  hut  dry  summer,  but  in  an 
unfavourable  season  the  effects  of  a  heavy  dressing  of  wet  manure  are 
the  reverse  of  beneficial  on  many  soils.  The  success  of  my  friends  with 
the  substances  being  tried  in  comparison  with  the  ordinary  manure 
suggested  the  possibility  of  determining  what  constituent  was  essential, 
and  whether  foliage  or  flowers  were  most  affected  by  the  particular 
substance. — A  Midland  Rosarian. 
INSECT  INVASION. 
Thanks  many  to  “  W.”  Why  he  should  be  so  concerned  about  my 
alphabetical  I  cannot  imagine  ;  there  is  no  novelty  about  them,  and 
they  have  appeared  occasionally,  as  time  and  temper  allowed,  in  our 
journal  for  the  past  thirty  years  and  more.  There  is  some  charm  about 
a  nom  de  illume.  All  of  us  would  be  sorry  to  miss  “D  ,  Deal,"  or  “  W.  R. 
Raillem.”  By-the-by,  I  have  only  this  year  discovered  the  owner  by  his 
few  lines  on  early  Rose  budding — the  lauy’s  brother  being  a  great  friend 
of  my  own,  and  had  already  told  me  the  circumstances,  and  now  I  still 
would  sooner  see  “  W.  R  Raillem  ’’  than  his  right  name,  and  for  the 
few  months  or  years  that  I  may  still  be  privileged  to  use  the  pen  the 
“  fanciful  ”  alphabeticals  will  generally  be  my  signature. 
“  W.”  does  not  say  in  so  many  words  that  ordinary  tobacco  fumiga¬ 
tion  persisted  in  will  kill  the  eggs  of  aphides.  I  said  in  my  few  lines 
that  I  was  coming  to  the  opinion  that  the  XL  vapouriser  had  some  po  ver 
over  the  eggs.  I  do  not  think  that  the  general  opinion  is  that  ordinary 
tobacco  fumigation  can  destroy  the  eggs,  for  if  so,  why  in  a  badly 
infested  house  were  we  advised  to  smoke,  and  repeat  the  same  in  two  or 
three  days?  Certainly  since  the  aphides  on  the  Chrysanthemums  were 
destroyed  by  the  XL  in  the  autumn  I  do  not  think  I  have  seen  a  green 
or  any  coloured  aphis  in  my  house.  Cioerarias,  Pelargoniums,  and 
Roses  are  all  likely  to  show  them,  but  they  are  perfectly  clean. 
What  a  pity  “  W.”  had  not  been  a  little  more  explicit.  What  doe9 
“light  periodical  fumigation  ”  amount  to  ?  Djes  it  mean  a  gentle  dose, 
such  as  would  not  be  sufficient  to  destroy  aphides,  supposing  they  were  in 
force?  Personally  I  have  little  faith  in  light  fumigation.  I  know 
friends  who  smoke  their  cigars  in  the  greenhouie,  I  do  myself,  but 
not  with  their  notions,  that  the  smoke  is  good  for  cleaning  the  p’ants. 
Then  seeing  I  confessed  myself  an  ignoramus,  I  should  have  been  glad 
to  know  what  time  was  allowed  between  the  “periodical  ’’  fumigations, 
and  whether  the  size  of  the  house  altered  the  time.  Like  the  Editor,  I 
have  had  insect  pests  sent  to  me  which  socm  found  their  way  to  the  fire 
— that  most  useful  destroyer. 
“  Some  persons  appear  to  be  in  their  glory  among  insects,  which  they 
seem  to  tend  so  lovingly,”  so  writes  “  W."  And  no  wonder.  Truly  we 
live  under  the  curse  of  labour  for  sin,  and  a  gardener’s  life  is  one  of 
continual  lavour,  I  grant,  but  even  in  the  insect  world  there  are  our 
helpers  in  labour,  and  it  iB  no  wonder  if  some  amongst  us,  who  know 
their  value,  who  “  glory  ”  in  them,  should  “  tend  them  so  lovingly.” 
Here,  as  my  experience  goes,  we  may  teach  gardeners  a  wrinkle  or  two 
if  they  will  only  condescend  to  learn  all  insects  are  not  pests. 
For  “  W.’s  ”  information  I  may  tell  him  I  am  an  old  learner,  getting 
on  in  the  seventies,  and  prefer  to  be  my  own  gardener.  I  thus  do  just  as 
I  like,  and  I  have  no  inten'ion  of  getting  “  rid  of  myself  ;  ”  also,  so  long 
as  the  Editor  thinks  it  worth  while  to  print  me,  I  intend  to  stick  to  my 
“fanciful  alphabetical”  cognomen.  In  growing  plants,  Peaches,  and 
Grapes  “  without  an  insect  on  them,”  surely  “  W."  does  not  mean  that 
his  periodical  fumigation  cures  red  spider.  How  does  he  treat  them  ? 
— Y.  B.  A.  Z. 
[It  is  gratifying  to  observe  not  only  the  firm  clear  penmanship,  but 
the  alertness  of  our  septuagenarian  correspondent.  The  Journal  could 
not  have  reached  his  address,  more  than  100  miles  from  London,  till 
some  time  during  last  Thursday,  while  the  above  communication  was  in 
our  hands  on  Friday,  and  the  compositors  have  rarely  better  “  copy 
placed  before  them.  We  hope  the  “  time  and  temper  ’  of  our  old  fi  end 
are  far  from  being  exhausted.] 
