March  10,  1898, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTCTTLTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
221 
owing  to  the  same  erect  habit,  I  would  cut  them  back  almpst  as  hard  as 
shown  in  the  cut. 
An  old  and  fairly  strong  plant  of  Comtesse  de  Nadaillac.  Sunset,  Perle 
des  Jardins,  Souvenir  d’Elise  Vardon,  and  a  few  more,  will  often  produce 
a  succession  of  stout  shoots  from  the  base,  as  marked  a,  6,  and  c  in  fig.  44. 
Instead  of  cutting  these  down  so  hard  I  would  only  prune  back  to  the 
first  sound  eye.  Nor  should  any  well  matured  wood  of  these  be  cut  away 
except  to  thin  out  the  g  owth  where  rather  crowded  and  dense.  Horace 
Vernet,  Duchess  of  Bedford,  Louis  Van  Iloutte,  and  similarly  habited 
Hybrid  Perpetuals,  grow  in  the  same  erratic  fashion  in  most  gardens, 
and  need  the  same  style  of  pruning.  It  is  a  general  rule  to  prune  a 
Rose  hard  if  a  weak  grower,  and  very  slightly  when  of  extra  vigorous 
habit,  but  in  the  few  last  instances  I  would  leave  almost  all  of  the 
sound  eyes. 
Fig.  45  is  a  plant  of  Hybrid  Tea  Caroline  Testout,  also  two  years  old. 
Here  we  have  a  Rose  of  entirely  different  habit,  one  which  makes  a 
succession  of  growths  all  through  the  season,  and,  although  not  so 
spreading  as  some,  forms  a  much  wider  bush  than  in  fig.  44.  My  plant  is 
carrying  the  same  shoots  as  shown.  The  three  portions  of  dead  wood 
will  be  cut  back  to  a  sound  eye,  and  the  remainder  shortened  and  thinned 
according  to  the  cross  marks.  This  will  result  in  a  compact  bush,  which  in 
all  probability  will  be  twice  its  present  size  next  autumn.  Much  of  the 
wood  cut  away  in  this  case  will  be  thoroughly  sound  and  ripe,  but  bj 
pruning,  as  illustrated,  we  get  a  better  bush,  flowers  of  better  quality,  and 
quite  as  many  of  them. 
There  are  many  varieties  with  a  somewhat  similar  habit  to  Caroline 
Testout.  Mrs.  Bosanquet,  Goubault,  Madame  Falcot,  Madame  Willermoz, 
Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria,  Rosa  Mundi,  Souvenir  de  Paul  Neyron, 
Marie  Van  Iloutte,  Francisca  Kruger,  and  Alfred  Colomb  may  be  ■  itecl 
as  examples  needing  the  same  pruning.  We  also  have  Dupuy  Jamain, 
General  Jacqueminot,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Camille  Bernardin,  Charles 
Lefebvre,  Fisher  Holmes,  Maurice  Bernardin,  Prince  Camille  de  Rohan, 
and  several  other  varieties  which  range  between  figs.  45  and  46  as  regards 
habit  and  vigour  of  growth. 
Fig.  46  is  a  two-years-old  Duke  of  Edinburgh.  The  cross  lines  show 
where  to  prune  this  if  a  bush  plant  is  wanted  ;  and  the  four  dotted  lines, 
where  it  should  be  pruned  if  intended  for  pegging  down,  as  exemplified 
in  fig.  47.  For  this  purpose  the  long  sucker-like  rods,  a,  6,  c,  and  d,  will 
only  be  pruned  back  a  few  inches  from  the  point,  and  then  secured  in  a 
horizontal  position,  when  they  will  flower  from  almost  every  well-ripened 
eye.  The  vigorous  Teas,  Hybrid  Teas,  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals  may  be 
treated  similarly,  following  one  or  other  of  these  systems  according  to 
whether  a  fairly  well-shaped  bush,  or  a  larger  quantity  of  flowers  arc 
needed.  Those  varieties  named  as  between  the  types  ot  figs.  45  and  46 
should  be  pruned  midway  between  the  two  illustrations. 
Fig.  47  represents  a  Madame  Gabriel  Luizet  that  was  pegged  down  last 
year.  The  side  shoots  have  flowered,  and  should  be  cut  off  at  the  cross 
marks.  It  generally  happens  that  the  wood  upon  these  layered  shoots 
is  so  ripe  and  sound  that  many  are  tempted  to  prune,  such  as  shown  b\ 
the  dotted  lines  (figs.  46  and  47),  but  if  we  do  so  we  get  a  less  number  of 
flowers,  and  these  of  inferior  quality  to  what  would  be  the  case  if  the  long 
shoots  a,  6,  c,  and  d  were  pegged  down,  and  the  older  wood  cut  out  entirely. 
There  are  many  of  our  very  vigorous  growing  Teas,  Noisettes,  Hybrid 
Perpetuals,  and  others,  which  give  a  far  better  display  when  pegged 
down  in  this  way  than  grown  as  an  ordinary  bush. 
When  these  same  varieties  are  upon  a  wall  or  fence,  it  is  better  to 
save  as  much  as  possible  of  the  longest  and  most  vigorous  growths, 
making  room  for  these  by  cutting  out  older  wood. 
Standards  of  the  same  classes  or  types  of  Roses  need  the  same  style 
of  pruning,  the  long  rods  in  figs.  46  and  47  being  allowed  to  droop  over 
with  the  weight  of  growth  and  blossom.  As  a  rule  the  Mosses,  Cabbage, 
and  Gallica  Roses  are  best  when  pruned  upon  rather  harder  lines  than 
recommended  in  fig.  44.  The  Scotch  and  Japanese  Briars,  also  the 
Polyanthas,  merely  require  the  points  of  dead  wood  removed. 
Fig.  48  shows  a  Rose  planted  in  the  autumn,  one  of  many  thousand- 
that  will  soon  need  pruning.  The  upper  buds  are  elongating  considerably, 
as  is  the  case  also  with  the  older  plants  above  referred  to,  though  the 
advancing  growths  are  not  depicted.  As  a  rule  the  longer  in  reason  these 
basal  buds  remain  dormant  the  safer  the  growths  which  issue  from  them 
are  against  the  accident  of  frost,  and  the  earlier  the  pruning  the  sooner 
those  buds  are  pushed  into  danger.  That 
is  why  many  cautions  persons  defer  the 
pruning  till  March  is  well  advanced,  and 
then  the  stems  of  the  young  Roses  are  cut 
down  to  the  marks  or  lower,  even  at  the 
risk  of  some  bleeding,”  from  which  plants 
unchecked  by  frost  soon  seem  to  recover. 
So  far  as  the  best  time  for  pruning 
Roses  is  concerned  quite  as  much  depends 
upon  the  position  as  the  season.  In  low 
and  moist  situations  we  suffer  from  late 
spring  frosts  much  more  than  upon  a  high 
and  fairly  dry  soil.  Nor  do  the  plants 
in  the  latter  case  make  such  precocious 
growth  as  when  in  a  warmer  and  more 
sheltered  spot. 
Make  it  a  point  to  cut  back  to  a  sound 
eye,  have  this  facing  awa}-  from  the  centre 
of  the  ])lant  where  possible,  and  cut  the 
wood  iback  close  to  the  terudnal  eye  or 
bud. 
The  rambling  Roses,  such  as  Ayrshires, 
Boursaults,  Evergreens  and  Hybrids  of 
similar  growth,  merely  need  some  of  the 
older  wood  thinned  out  and  last  years  FiG.  48. — PRUNING  ISewly 
shoots  left  their  entire  length. — Practice.  Planted  Rose. 
ANOTHER  MIXTURE. 
The  Strawberry  as  an  Annual. 
Where  there  is  no  lack  of  labour  in  gardens,  or  where  a  gardener  is 
fairly  well  handed,  the  question  of  the  cultivation  of  the  Strawberry  as 
an  annual  will  gradually  resolve  itself  into  a  general  practice.  There 
was  a  time  when  plantations  of  Strawberries  were  kept  going  for  years, 
producing  average  crops  of  undersized  fruit,  admirably  suited  for  pre¬ 
serving,  and  nothing  else  ;  but  in  the  present  go-ahead  days  a  gardener 
is  expected  to  grow  them  aa  large  as  possible.  Nothing  short  of  a  fruit 
an  ounce  weight  seems  to  satisfy  some  employers.  That  this  can  be 
accomplished  is  evident  by  various  reports  last  year  of  Strawberries 
scaling  3  ozs.  This  weight  seems  incredible  even  in  this  age  of  gigantic 
productions,  and,  if  correct,  the  fruit  would  require  more  than  the 
proverbial  “ two  bites”  to  dispose  of  it.  Annual  planting  has  much  to 
recommend  it,  especially  with  certain  varieties,  such  as  King  of  the 
Earlies,  Royal  Sovereign,  President,  Scarlet  Queen,  and  La  Grosse 
Sncr4e,  with  Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury,  Keen’s  Seedling,  Grove 
End  Scarlet,  and  others,  that  are  suitable  for  preserving  ;  these  would 
stand  two  or  three  years.  The  secret  of  good  culture  rests  in  layering 
early,  from  maiden  plants  if  possible,  planting  in  firm,  rich,  warm  borders 
or  beds  in  July  or  Aujust,  well  mulching  with  half-decayed  manure, 
watering  the  plants  in  dry  times,  and  well  bedding  down  with  litter  in 
early  winter,  having  previously  kept  dow  n  all  weeds  and  removed  runners. 
Hatching  Earwigs. 
Recently  I  had  occasion  to  have  prepared  several  pits  for  early 
Potatoes  and  Carrots.  The  material  used  was  ordinary  stable  manure  and 
leaves,  the  latter  predominating,  which,  after  a  few  turnings,  was  put  in, 
made  firm,  and  soiled.  Chancing  to  lift  one  of  the  lights  during  a  sunny 
day,  I  was  astonished  to  see  hundreds  of  baby  earwigs  perambulating  the 
surface  of  the  warm  soil,  evidently  stretching  their  limbs  and  developing 
their  bodies  in  order  to  be  in  better  training  for  the  Poaches  and  Apricois 
when  ripe,  where  they  ivill  without  doubt  migrate.  Is  it  (iorrect  the 
female  broods  her  eggs  and  hatches  them,  or  has  the  artificial  heat  acted 
in  the  way  of  an  incubator,  and  brought  forth  this  very  undesirable 
family  ?  They  were  present  in  all  stages  of  early  life,  but  I  did  not  see 
any  old  ones  present.  There  are  still  incredulous  folk  who  will  not  be 
convinced  that  earwigs  have  the  power  to  fly.  That  they  can,  and  do  in 
numbers,  I  have  testified  on  various  occasions.  The  best  traps  I  find  are 
ho  low  tubes  of  dry  Hemlock,  or  anything  of  that  kind,  placed  about  the 
trees,  blowing  the  pests  out  every  morning  into  a  wide-mouthed  bottle, 
with  a  little  piraffin  or  hot  water  in.  I  have  had  the  tubes  completely 
blocked  at  times  with  a  huddling  mass  of  full-blown  earwigs  after  a  night’s 
gorging  and  feasting. 
Chimonanthus  fragrans. 
This  is  a  very  sweet-scented  desirable  shrub,  flowering  as  it  does  in 
the  early  months  of  the  year  before  the  leaves  make  their  appearance. 
We  have  it  against  a  west  wall.  It  appears  to  flower  in  the  axils  of  the 
previous  year’s  growth,  rendering  it  most  necessary  to  be  pruned  after 
nowering  to  induce  well-grown  shoots,  which,  if  ripened,  should  produce 
the  maximum  of  flowers.  It  thrives  best  in  good  light  soil,  and  is 
benefited  during  the  growing  season  with  supplies  of  liquid  manure.  If 
a  few  of  the  flowers  only  are  cut  they  prove  sufficient  to  permeate  a  room 
with  delicious  fragrance.  It  has  a  similar  scent  to  Daphne  indica,  and  its 
time  of  flowering  corresponds.  We  are  not  too  well  off  for  such  shrubs  as 
the  Chimonanthus,  the  flowers  of  which  are  so  welcome  early  in  the  year 
by  their  sweet  perfume. — Geo.  Dyke,  Stuhton  Gardens, 
