February  24,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
175 
Pruning  RosekS. 
Everybody  is  asking  what  is  to  be  done  about  the  Roses  this  season  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  say.  Our  climate  has  almost 
been  outdoing  itself.  “  None  but  himself  could  be  his  parallel.”  Last 
January  is  said  to  need  100  years  to  show  its  like,  and  this  month  is 
almost  as  unseasonably  mild.  It  would  be  an  advantage  if  one  of  the 
authorities — say,  any  early  and  a  late  pruner — would  say  what  they  are 
doing  this  year,  and  why. 
I  have  now  been  released  so  long  from  the  grave  responsibilities  of 
pruning  show  Roses,  that  I  am  rather  out  of  court,  and  am  inclined  in 
tfiis,  as  many  other  things,  to  “  follow  Nature.”  The  season  calls  for 
early  pruning — well,  then  it  shall  have  it.  My  experience  has  been  that 
it  does  not  matter  very  much  ;  the  Roses  come  into  flower  much  the  same 
time,  pruned  anywhere  between  the  middle  of  February  and  the  middle  of 
March.  They  can  hardly  help  bleeding,  I  think,  somewhat  this  season. 
I  have  also  been  adopting  the  fashion,  which  now  prevails  in  happy 
gardens  where  exhibition  blooms  are  not  absolute,  of  bending  over  a  very- 
big  shoot  instead  of  cutting  it  away.  The  result  is  great  addition  to  the 
quantity,  if  not  in  quality  of  flowers.  How  such  will  turn  out  this  season 
it  is  hard  to  imagine.  Already  with  some  of  mine  very  nearly  all  the 
buds  seem  to  be  starting.  My  rule  has  always  lieen  the  last  week  in 
February  for  pruning  H.P.’s,  and  the  last  week  in  March  for  Teas,  with 
H.  T.’s  possibly  between  the  two.  But  really  this  season  discounts  alt 
preconceptions. — A.  C. 
[With  branches  in  their  natural  position  the  lower  buds  remain  longer 
dormant  than  when  the  stems  are  bent  or  pegged  down.  Is  it  not 
desirable  to  keep  the  basal  buds  quiet  yet  awhile  by  deferring  close 
pruning,  that  would  force  them  into  growth  ?  We  hope  to  shortly  publish 
further  notes  on  pruning,  that  may  be  useful  to  some  readers.] 
Garden  Roses. 
The  fact  that  Lord  Penzance  has  discontinued  the  prize  that  he  has 
for  the  last  three  years  offered  at  the  Metropolitan  Show  of  the  N.R.S. 
for  garden  Roses,  on  the  ground  of  so  little  interest  being  taken  in  them, 
was  suggestive,  and  instead  of  damping  the  ardour  of  those  who  wish  to 
encourage  their  growth  should  lead  to  more  earnest  exertions  to  extend 
it.  But  one  or  two  things  have  to  be  taken  note  of ;  those  which  Lord 
Penzance  wished  most  to  encourage  were  such  as  few  amateurs,  I  think, 
care  to  take  much  trouble  about.  He  was  anxious  that  more  attention 
should  be  paid  to  the  Gallicas,  Hybrid  Bourbons,  and  Hybrid  Chinas. 
Now  anyone  who  has  seen  the  stands  set  up  for  the  prizes  for  garden 
Roses  knows  how  few  of  these  appear  amongst  them,  and  the  truth  is 
they  are  nearly  all  out  of  bloom  in  the  Midlands  and  South  of  England 
before  the  date  of  our  show.  Another  reason,  I  think,  is  that  there  are 
no  Roses  amongst  them,  or  hardly  any,  of  which  we  have  not  as  good 
amongst  the  H.P.’s,  with  the  advantage  that  we  may  get  a  second  bloom 
from  our  plants,  while  in  the  case  of  the  former  we  never  see  one  after 
the  flush  of  bloom  in  June  is  over. 
We  never  see,  for  instance,  in  our  stands  of  prize  blooms  such  Roses 
as  Juno,  Paul  Perras,  Paul  Ricaut,  and  others,  which  before  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  the  Hybrid  Perpetual  Roses  were  the  joy  and  pride  of  our 
gardens.  What  grand  varieties  they  are  for  pot  culture  !  Even  now 
there  lingers  in  one’s  memory  the  magnificent  plants  which  Messrs.  Paul 
and  Son  of  Cheshunt  and  Waltham  Cross,  and  Mr.  Turner  of  Slough, 
used  to  bring  to  the  great  exhibitions  of  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  which 
almost  took  away  the  breath  of  the  French  Rose  growers  when  they  saw 
them  at  the  great  exhibition  held  at  South  Kensington.  It  is  true  they 
were  rather  formal  in  appearance,  but  they  were  magnificent  examples 
of  cultural  skill. 
These  summer  Roses  might  be  comprised  under  the  heads  of  Provence 
Roses  (under  which  might  be  included  the  Mosses),  the  Gallicas,  Hybrid 
Chinas,  and  Hybrid  Bourbons,  but  there  is  oftentimes  a  difficulty  in 
accurately  fixing  the  positions  of  some,  so  ready  are  they  to  hybridise  and 
partake  of  the  characters  of  the  various  divisions.  There  are  many 
delightful  variations  which  became  permanent  occupants  of  our  gardens. 
What  great  favourites,  for  instance,  were  the  various  Moss  Roses  ?  Then 
there  was  the  fine  old  Cabbage  Rose  with  its  delicious  perfume,  and  the 
favourite  of  our  cottage  gardens  all  through  the  south  of  England.  Then, 
again,  how  dear  to  some  of  us  are  the  dwarf  and  sweet-scented  varieties 
which  some  way  or  other  were  produced  amongst  them,  Rose  de  Meanx, 
Spong,  Burgundy  ;  and  amongst  these  summer  Roses  we  also  find  our 
best  striped  Roses.  Gloria  Mundi  or  Village  Maid  is  one  of  the  clearest 
and  brightest  of  these,  and  though  it  is  often  called  York  and  Lancaster, 
that  name  properly  belongs  to  quite  a  different  Rose.  I  remember  some 
years  ago  when  good  prizes  were  offered  for  a  box  of  York  and 
Lancaster  that  several  stands  were  exhibited,  but  not  one  of  them  con¬ 
tained  the  true  variety,  but  all  Gloria  Mundi.  We  have  had  striped  Roses 
among  H.P.’s,  but  I  do  not  care  for  Pride  of  Reigate,  and  Merrie  England, 
a  sport  from  Heinrich  Schultheis,  has  not  been  sufficiently  tried  as  to  its 
remaining  constant  in  its  striped  character. 
Now  it  is  amongst  these  summer  flowering  Roses  that  we  are  to  look 
for  the  6ld  favourites  of  our  gardens  which  people  called  “  dear  old- 
fashioned  Roses,”  and  no  attempt  seems  to  have  been  made  except  by 
Lord  Penzance  to  obtain  any  improvement  amongst  them.  Moreover  I 
havegonethroughagreat  many  Rose  gardens, and  some  where  garden  Roses 
were  made  a  feature,  but  these  varieties,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were  con¬ 
spicuous  ])y  their  absence.  I  am  writing  of  course  only  of  amateurs  :  some 
traders  may  grow  them  to  meet  any  possible  wants  of  customers,  but  I 
rather  imagine  that  the  demand  is  very  small.  I  frequently  hear  how 
great  is  the  demand  for  garden  Roses,  but  it  is  not  for  such  Roses  as  these 
but  for  small  growing  Teas  and  Noisettes,  Rolyanthas,  single  Roses, 
and  Hybrid  Sweet  Briars,  that  the  inquiries  are  made,  and  in  these  classes 
many  additions  have  been  made  of  late  years.  This  is  well,  and  English 
gardens  will  be  the  richer  for  their  encouragement. 
The  whole  matter  resolves  itself  into  this  :  Is  it  desirable  to  encourage 
the  preservation  of  these  summer-flowering  Roses  ?  and  if  so,  in  what  way 
is  encouragement  to  be  given  ]  This  can  only  be,  I  think,  by  making  a 
separate  class  for  them,  for  if  the  class  be  for  garden  Roses  it  will 
inevitably  come  to  pass  that  these  will  be  to  a  great  extent  excluded,  and 
the  stands  filled  with  the  classes  which  I  have  mentioned  above.  Should 
this  question  be  answered  in  the  affirmative  I  think  it  will  be  desirable 
that  prizes  be  offered  for  them— not  at  the  Metropolitan  Show,  where 
they  are  nearly  all  over,  but  at  the  Southern  Provincial  Show,  which  will 
be  this  year  held  at  Bath,  and  will  be  ten  days  earlier  than  the  IMetro- 
politan  Show.  I  have  alluded  only  to  the  shows  of  the  N.R.S. ,  because 
if  there  be  any  more  to  be  made  in  this  direction  it  ought  to  emanate 
from  that  body.  I  have  thrown  out  these  hints  for  the  due  consideration 
of  its  members,  and  hope  that  others  who  are  able  to  deal  more  practically 
with  the  subject  than  I  am,  owing  to  the  smallness  of  my  garden,  will 
give  their  views  on  the  subject. — D.,  Deal. 
Seasonable  Woek. 
Giving  to  mild  weather  and  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine  Roses  under 
glass  are  coming  on  rapidly.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  be  on  the 
look  out  for  insect  foes,  more  especially  the  green  fly,  which  is  sure  to  be 
in  abundance  immediately  new  growth  commences.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
kill  this  insect,  but  even  if  we  apparently  kill  the  whole  of  those  in  the 
house,  others  soon  make  their  appearance.  The  secret  of  success  in 
battling  against  this  foe  is  to  tackle  it  early,  and  continue  the  attack  in  a 
mild  way.  This  is  far  more  effectual  than  waiting  for  a  multitude  of 
insects,  and  then  adopting  extreme  measures  for  their  destruction.  A 
free  use  of  the  syringe,  with  a  very  weak  insecticide,  will  have  great 
effect  in  keeping  them  down,  while  it  will  also  stop  thrips  and  red  sjuder. 
Roses  do  not  approve  of  a  dry  and  parching  atmosphere,  nor  one  that  is 
heavily  charged  with  moisture.  They  enjoy  a  midway  course  between 
these  ;  and  by  using  the  syringe  in  the  way  I  have  described  we  give  the 
needed  moisture,  and  check  insects  at  the  same  time. 
I  have  heard  more  than  one  gardener  say  his  Rose  house  was  free  of 
insect  toes,  but  1  never  yet  failed  to  find  some,  and  often  several  he  was 
not  acquainted  with.  In  my  opinion  growing  Roses — in  any  quantity,  not 
an  individual  plant  or  two— are  never  absolutely  free  of  insects.  But  we 
can  keep  them  within  bounds,  so  that  they  do  very  little  injury  to  the 
plants.  And  as  the  strongest  measures  will  not  completely  eradicate 
them,  while  they  will  most  certainly  injure  our  plants,  I  would  earnestly 
advise  that  very  mild  measures  be  applied  more  frequently  in  the  way  of 
preventives. 
As  the  plants  progress  a  slight  rise  in  temperature  may  be  given, 
especially  at  night.  Weak  liquid  manures  ai-e  valuable  to  growing 
plants,  and  none  more  so  than  the  drainings  from  a  cow  stall.  Artificial 
manures  are  good  in  many  cases,  hut  they  seldom  feed  the  foliage  in  the 
same  way  as  natural  manures  do.  Ho  not  give  liquid  manure  to  a  very 
dry  plant,  and  if  you  use  it  weak  and  often  it  will  be  of  greater  help  than 
a  strong  dose  once  a  week. 
A  house  of  Roses  growing  healthfully  and  clean  is  a  pleasant  sight  to 
anyone,  even  when  the  plants  are  without  flowers  ;  but  plants  infested 
with  insects  or  the  wood  breaking  irregularly  cannot  please.  It  is 
necessary  to  have  well-matured  wood  to  start  with,  a  suitable  compost, 
and  very  steady  treatment  at  first.  Where  either  of  these  is  missing  we 
are  sure  to  find  it  a  difficult  matter  to  secure  anything  approaching  a 
satisfactory  result. 
Ventilation  needs  considerable  care  and  judgment.  I  would  not 
ventilate  at  all  at  this  time  of  the  year  unless  absolutely  forced  to  do  so 
through  a  spell  of  bright  sunshine  after  the  house  was  already  heated  to 
the  desired  temperature.  A  slight  damping  down  of  the  walls  and  walks 
will  be  found  a  great  help  at  such  times.  Where  the  plants  are  in  pots 
it  is  well  to  go  over  them,  and  slightly  stir  the  surface  soil  once  a  fort¬ 
night.  It  does  not  take  long  to  do  a  good  number  of  plants,  and  if  they 
are  turned  round  at  the  same  time  it  is  astonishing  what  progress  they 
make.  Besides,  when  in  such  close  contact  with  the  plant  we  are  able  to 
note  if  the  soil  is  in  proper  condition  as  regards  moisture.  A  plant 
amongst  several  others  may  often  be  dry  or  sodden,  the  fact  not  being 
easily  discovered  when  giving  water  to  the  jbulk.  A  very  little  water 
will  keep  the  surface  moist,  and  only  great  experience  can  enable  one  to 
be  certain  from  a  rapid  glance  only. 
A  thoroughly  good  soaking  of  liquid  manure,  rather  strong,  may  now 
be  given  to  most  Roses  established  in  borders,  and  commencing  growth. 
It  is  also  well  to  see  that  young  growths  of  Mardchal  Niel,  and  others 
upon  the  roof,  do  not  touch  the  glass.  A  sharp  frost  will  freeze  them  to 
it,  and  generally  do  much  damage,  often  being  the  main  cause  of  blind  or 
flowerless  shoots. 
In  the  open  ground  we  shall  soon  be  busy  pruning,  and  a  few  notes 
would  seem  seasonalde.  First  of  all  bear  in  mind  what  you  are  pruning 
for  ;  whether  for  a  few  exhibition  blooms,  or  a  quantity  of  flowers.  You 
cannot  have  a  large  number  of  good  exhibition  flowers  upon  the  same 
