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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER , 
December  22,  1898. 
ROSE  NOTES. 
Planting. 
Planting  has  been  in  full  swiDg  for  some  time,  but  is  far  from 
completion.  I  have  seldom  seen  Hybrid  Perpetuals  and  Hybrid  Teas  in 
better  condition  for  lifting.  The  wood  is  sound,  growth  free  from  any 
suspicion  of  coarseness,  and  we  are  not  likely  to  lose  many  through 
transplanting.  Too  many  Roses  are  planted  without  a  little  thought 
as  regards  depth.  When  a  Rose  is  worked  upon  a  foster-stock  we  are 
naturally  anxious  to  keep  the  base  of  the  Rose  itself  beneath  the 
surface  soil.  This  is  quite  correct.  But  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  we 
are  often  planting  the  stock  much  deeper  than  is  beneficial,  and  it  is 
to  the  stock  that  we  look  for  support  to  the  Rose. 
Unless  dwarf  Roses  are  worked  very  close  upon  the  crown  of  roots, 
planting  sufficiently  deep  to  cover  the  junction  of  Rose  and  stock 
means  an  unhealthy  condition  of  the  latter.  Fortunately  we  do  not 
often  meet  with  Roses  budded  so  far  from  the  roots  as  was  formerly 
the  case.  I  have  recently  been  asked  the  cause  of  failure  among  some 
plants  worked  upon  the  Manetti  stock ;  and  on  lifting  they  were  found 
budded  at  least  6  inches  above  the  base  of  the  stock.  Now  when  these 
Roses  were  planted  the  stock  was  quite  9  to  12  inches  lower  than  was 
natural  to  it,  consequently  it  did  not  thrive.  Another  bad  feature 
about  such  careless  budding  is  the  large  portion  of  stock  remaining, 
and  from  which  almost  innumerable  suckers  result. 
Why  some  strong,  healthy  looking  plants  did  not  flower  freely, 
and,  when  they  did,  produced  only  clusters  of  small,  semi-double 
flowers  quite  distinct  and  inferior  to  before,  has  often  been  asked  me. 
I  answer  again,  it  is  through  badly  worked  plants.  The  Rose  had 
died,  and  the  stock,  either  Manetti  or  De  la  Grifferaie,  has  grown 
healthily.  The  latter  stock  is  so  much  like  some  Rose  foliage  that 
many  an  amateur  has  tended  it  with  care,  and  then  complained  of 
supposed  deterioration.  It  is  a  great  point  in  favour  of  seedling 
Briars  as  a  stock  for  Roses  that  they  cannot  well  be  budded  except 
close  upon  the  roots,  oftentimes  only  upon  the  root  itself.  See  that 
you  have  souud  and  not  overgrown  plants,  well  worked  near  the  roots 
of  any  stock,  and  plant  so  that  the  junction  is  covered  by  an  inch  and 
a  half  or  so  of  soil.  Such  plants  will  thrive,  provided  other  conditions 
are  not  radically  wrong.  _ 
I  must  say  a  word  or  two  about  the  preparation  of  the  soil.  By 
all  means  move  it  deeply.  Bastard  trenching  is  the  best  way.  But 
do  not  put  a  thick  layer  of  manure  at  the  bottom.  Its  juices  either 
percolate  beyond  reach  of  the  roots  or  it  encourages  deep  rooting  into 
what  will  soon  be  indifferent  soil.  A  very  little  thought  will  convince 
us  that  the  fertilising  properties  of  manure  do  not  rise,  but  percolate 
through  the  soil ;  hence  the  greater  value  of  top-dressing,  or,  at  least, 
the  mixing  of  manures  with  the  upper  spit  of  soil.  In  cases  of  stiff  or 
very  poor  soil  some  stable  manure  dug  into  it,  or  decayed  vegetable 
refuse  and  rich  loam  added,  is  almost  a  necessity ;  but  the  old  idea 
of  deep  trenching  and  manuring,  presumably  for  the  roots  to  find  it, 
is  not  so  successful  as  mulching,  and  the  after  percolation  to  where 
the  roots  are  established.  We  all  admit  that  the  finer,  or  what  are 
known  as  feeding  roots,  exist  near  the  surface.  Then  why  not  place 
any  added  food  as  nearly  as  possible  to  them  ? 
When  to  plant  would  seem  most  important,  if  one  is  to  judge  from 
the  most  pressing  way  purchasers  ask  for  their  orders  to  be  executed  at 
a  given  date.  Do  it  as  earlv  as  the  plants  will  admit,  so  long  as  the 
soil  is  in  good  condition.  No  fixed  date  can  be  given  ;  simply  choose 
that  most  suitable  between  October  and  early  in  March,  and  plant 
firmly.  Do  not  cramp  or  crowd  the  roots,  and  see  that  plenty  of  the 
finer  soil  is  worked  among  them  in  the  early  stages  of  planting.  If 
very  drying  winds  set  in  syringe  the  wood  freely,  and  so  lessen  the 
strain  upon  sap  in  both  wood  and  roots.  We  must  remember  that  how¬ 
ever  carefully  a  plant  is  lifted,  a  very  large  number  of  the  more  minute 
roots  will  be  broken  off.  In  the  case  of  established  plants  these  would 
supply  the  sap  needed  during  drying  winds.  One  reason  why  I  advocate 
early  planting  is  because  the  roots  quickly  push  out  a  few  new  growths, 
and  are  then  able  to  supply  enough  sap  to  keep  the  wood  plump  and 
sound. 
Air.  E.  Mawley’s  analysis  in  the  issue  for  October  20th  appears 
even  more  interesting  and  instructive  than  usual.  Year  by  year  we 
find  our  home  productions  takinz  higher  places.  It  is  pleasing  to 
note  that  the  only  four  varieties  starred  as  new  ones  taking  their 
position  in  so  wide  a  competition,  are  of  home  origin.  These  are  Mrs. 
W.  J.  Grant,  Helen  Keller,  Muriel  Grahame,  and  Tom  Wood.  All 
come  from  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  &  Sons,  Newtownards,  who  I  also  note 
introduced  no  less  than  ten  of  the  seventy-one  H.  Perpetuals  and  H. 
Teas.  In  the  tables  of  new  varieties  they  head  the  lists  with  Helen 
Keller  (1895)  and  Muriel  Grahame  (1896)  respectively.  Among  the 
six  new  H.P.  and  H.T.  section  four  came  from  this  firm.  Forty- three 
Roses  in  the  analysis  are  home-raised,  and  take  the  premier  position 
in  three  out  of  the  four  tables.  Of  the  102  varieties  tabulated  forty- 
eight  have  been  sent  out  during  the  last  two  decades,  and  twenty- 
three  since  1888,  being  only  two  less  this  than  in  the  previous  decade 
— a  very  favourable  position  when  it  is  borne  in  mind  how  much 
higher  a  standard  has  been  set.  I  am  sure  we  all  endorse  Mr. 
E.  Mawley’s  assured  welcome  to  a  really  good  white  II.  Perpetual, 
also  the  remarks  about  a  superfluity  of  pinks. 
Catherine  Mermet  not  only  heads  the  list  of  Teas  and  Noisettes, 
but  one  of  her  sports  follows,  and  another  heads  the  list  of  new  Roses. 
This  grand  old  Rose  has  three  sports  in  a  select  list  of  thirty-one 
varieties,  and  also  what  I  believe  to  be  its  only  known  seedling — viz., 
Maman  Cochet.  It  may  interest  your  readers  to  know  that  Monsieur 
Scipion-Cochet  has  written  me  confirming  the  parentage  of  Maman 
Cochet.  By  the  way,  what  a  grand  Rose  this  has  been  this  autumn. 
But  I  must  leave  the  Rose  analysis  at  present — one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  appreciated  labours  of  Mr.  E.  Mawley’s  many  gifts  to 
rosarians. — Practice. 
AKEB1A  QUINATA. 
0 
This  pretty  twining  deciduous  shrub  is  seldom  met  with  out  of 
doors,  even  in  the  south  of  England,  where  it  flourishes  so  well. 
Except  in  this  garden  I  do  not  recollect  another  instance  of  seing  a 
really  good  specimen.  In  the  northern  counties  of  both  Lancashire  and 
Yorkshire  I  have  met  with  it  as  a  climber  under  the  roof  of  a  conservatory 
or  greenhouse.  Under  such  conditions  its  growth  is  not  so  sturdy,  nor 
its  foliage  so  densely  green,  as  one  is  accustomed  to  see  it  growing  here. 
In  the  drier  and  more  or  less  confined  atmosphere  of  the  greenhouse  the 
perfume  from  its  blossoms  is  perhaps  more  powerful. 
It  is  said  that  a  compost  of  sandy  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  peat  is  the  most 
suitable  for  the  plant,  but  in  the  ordinary  strong  soil  here  it  flourishes 
amazingly.  The  leaves  are  usually  divided  into  five  oval  or  oblong 
emarginate  leaflets  with  a  stiff  wiry  stalk,  generally  4  to  6  inches  long. 
The  leaves  are  very  useful  for  cutting,  as  they  associate  well  with  small 
flowers,  and  are  equally  useful  for  “  backing  ”  buttonhole  bouquets  on 
account  of  their  lasting  properties.  The  purplish-brown  flowers  are  freely 
produced  in  axillary  racemes  in  March  and  April,  and  are  pleasantly 
scented,  but  useless  for  cutting  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  the  stalks. 
Eor  training  over  gateways,  archways,  pergolas,  or  even  as  a  wall 
climber,  Akebia  quinata  is  well  worthy  of  attention.  An  east  or  southern 
aspect  is  favourable  to  success.  Covering  the  eastern  side  of  one  of 
the  entrances  to  the  kitchen  garden  is  a  grand  specimen  that  yearly 
pervades  that  part  of  the  garden  with  its  perfume. 
When  the  allotted  space  is  covered  the  plant  should  be  annually 
spur-pruned  before  new  growth  commences,  as  by  this  method  of  training 
the  flowers  are  kept  closer  to  the  wall,  and  are  thus  safer  from  injury 
by  frost.  During’ the  summer,  when  growth  is  being  freely  made,  it  is 
well  to  regulate  the  shoots  by  removing  any  surplus  and  training  the 
leaders,  as  when  allowed  to  grow  in  a  mass  the  shoots  so  entwine  that  it 
is  difficult  to  separate  them  afterwards.  Timely  attention  in  this  respect 
saves  much  labour  later  on. 
In  the  greenhouse  red  spider  is  likely  to  attack  the  leaves  if  the  roots 
are  allowed  to  become  dry  ;  growing  outside  no  insect  pest  seems  to 
trouble  them.  The  plant  alluded  to  has  occupied  its  present  position 
without  any  protection  for  the  last  twelve  years.  —  E.  Molyneux, 
Sicanmore  Park,  Hants. 
[Presumably  the  Swanmore  plant,  which  grows  freely  and  flowers 
yearly,  has  not  produced  fruit.  The  specimen  represented  in  fig.  82  was 
placed  before  the  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on 
November  8th  of  the  present  year  by  Mr.  F.  Cornish,  gardener  to  the 
Dowager  Lady  Bowman,  Joldwyuds,  Dorking.  They  were  quite  ripe, 
and  distinctly  attractive  by  their  pale  lavender  colour,  and  contained 
many  seeds.  Such  fruits  are  rare,  as  produced  by  plants  in  the  open  air 
in  this  country.  They  are  plentiful,  as  the  plants  cling  to  hedges,  and 
hang  in  festoons  from  trees  in  China  and  Japan,  and  the  Japanese  use 
them  as  an  emollient  medicine.] 
