August  10,  1899. 
Ill) 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Selection  has  produced  the  Strawberry,  the  Raspberry,  the  Apple, 
and”other  fruits  as  we  know  them  to-day,  and  selection  and  cultiva¬ 
tion  would  do  as  much  for  the  hitherto  neglected  Rubus.  The 
•material  is  to  hand,  the  ground  and  the  labour  would  cost  little,  and  if 
■the  result  were  failure,  which  is  extremely  doubtful,  there  would  be 
very’little  loss. — C. 
VEGETABLE  CROPS  AND  THEIR  INSECT 
PESTS. 
SPEAKING  generally  as  to  vegetable  crops  here  in  the  centre  of  the 
Midlands,  the  drought  of  last  year  and  this  has  seriously  diminished 
the  output,  and  success,  whole  or  partial,  is.  only  the  portion  of  those 
who  have  dug  deeply,  manured  wisely,  sown  timely,  and  kept  cleanly. 
Good  cultivation  tells  this  year  its  lesson,  to  those  who  have  eves  to 
see,  in  very  plain  evidences ;  and  those  who  cannot  see,  or  will  not 
see,  but  are  stupidly  bound  up  in  their  own  conceit  -well,  nothing 
will  (each  them,  I  suppose,  except  losses.  “  Experience  is  a  dear 
school,  but  fools  will  learn  in  no  other.” 
Potatoes  are  g>  od  but  small,  with  no  sign  of  disease  as  yet.  There 
was  great  complaint  at  the  outset  of  the  season  of  patchy  plantations, 
by  the  failure  of  seed  here  and  there  not  germinating,  or  not  germinat¬ 
ing  first  eyes,  the  general  opinion,  whether  right  or  wrong,  being  that 
seed  had  been  caught  by  frost,  cither  before  planting  or  in  the  rows 
after  planting. 
Celery  so  far  is  clear  from  the  fly  as  a  rule,  but  the  main  crops  are 
backward,  and  needing  much  attention  in  watering  where  late  planted. 
Parsnips  are  looking  well  all  over.  Parrots  are  not  a  first-rate  crop  in 
many  instances,  and  the  aphis  has  sei  oil  on  some,  but  the  drought 
is  telling  powerfully  on  most  of  the  crops.  The  greatest  foe  to  Carrots 
in  the  Midlands  is  the  enemy  at  the  end  of  the  roots  stopping  their 
further  growth,  and  eating  little  holes  into  the  stems  of  the  roots, 
whether  insectivorous  or  fungoid  1  cannot  say. 
Broad  Beans  are  generally  good  and  clean,  but  are  quickly  over, 
ripening  fast  in  the  present  drought.  1’eas  are  the  worst  as  to  the 
main  crop.  The  first  sowings  came  out  all  right,  but  later  sowings, 
especially  on  dry  soils,  with  no  watering  arrangements,  are  very  thin  and 
poor,  the  late  blooms  shrivelling  up.  \  few  tlirips  are  evidenced  hero 
and  there,  but  not  generally,  harm  Peas,  like  farm  Strawberries,  are 
quickly  over,  and  the  late  sowings  in  gardens,  even  in  trendies,  do  not 
look  at  all  prosperous  or  fruitful.  Scarlet  Runner  Beans  arc  also 
feeling  the  effect  of  the  drought  ;  the  bine  is  weak  and  thin,  and  the 
flowers  are  sotting  badly,  Dwarf  Beans  are  better,  and  notably  so 
where  they  have  had  the  benefit  of  water. 
Cabbage  plantations  were,  in  the  majority  of  oases,  patchy,  with 
an  unusual  number  of  “  bolters,"  and  wore  clear  of  caterpillars  until 
just  lately.  1'hey  tire  bad  enough  now.  Cauliflowers  ran  quickly 
into  heads,  and  Haiti  beads  flew  open  with  lightning  speed.  The  early 
Rottuoo  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  large,  full,  succulent,  but  in 
this  drought  it  is  quite  a  business  to  keep  a  good  head,  particularly 
of  the  Pcs  family.  Spinach,  also,  has  been  electrically  quick  ;  it  was 
sown,  in  (lower,  yellow,  gone,  almost  before  you  could  say  the  usual 
“  Jack  Robinson  !  ” 
Turnips;  ah,  mo  1  what  with  the  “fly,”  and  what  with  “grub” 
and  “rot,"  there  are  very  few  loft  of  the  fust,  sowings;  the  later 
sowings  (duly")  look  a  little  better.  Red  Beet  is  looking  well,  it  is  a 
relief  to  chronicle  something  prospering.  Onions  whore  ordinarily 
spring  sown,  say  in  March,  are  not  looking  at  their  best,  but  those 
which  were  sown  under  glass  in  January  or  February  In  boxes,  and 
planted  out,  are  really  line,  and  the  autumn  sown  ones  are  monsters. 
Vegetable  Marrows  are  looking  well,  so  far,  this  year,  and  do  not 
seem  affected  by  the  “  yellows,”  as  they  have  been  in  many  eases 
the  last  year  or  two.  Drought  suits  Vegetable  Marrows  no  doubt 
when  they  have  a  good  old  hotbed  to  send  their  roots  down  into,  or  a 
well  tilled  trench. 
Well,  I  have  said  something  of  vegetable  orops,  but  little  of  insect 
jH'sts,  and  do  not,  as  a  rule,  bother  about  them  ;  they  belong  to  those 
ills  of  lile  the  gardener's  life  that  have  to  he  endured,  though  no 
doubt  some  ot  them  can  be  cmed.  N.  II.  P. 
-  Visi  ions  to  Krw  in  1  HUS.-  The  number  of  persons  who 
visited  the  Royal  Botanic  Darden*  during  the  year  l, SON  was  1,-77,'JI i 
that  for  tsi>7  was  The  average  for  I8SH*()7  was  1,111,71(1. 
The  total  number  on  Sundays  was  181,084,  and  on  week  days 
798,1(11.  The  maximum  number  on  any  one  day  was  71,871  on  May  Noth, 
and  tlm  smallest  i>7  mi  November  "ls(.  It  is  rcmurkublo  (hat,  while  tlw> 
total  numbet  tluetuntea  within  comparatively  narrow  limit*,  the  aggregate 
attendance  on  week  day*  increases,  while  that  on  Sundays  diminishes. 
In  ISUt  they  nearly  hnlattoed.  The  detailed  monthly  returns  are  given 
Oelow  January,  20,048  i  February,  1 9, SWA  I  March,  88,8 1 1  ;  April, 
182,491;  May,  ISI.a.M  .  June,  189,008  »  .1  uly,  212,888  ,  August.  UNI, 07 1  ; 
Hepteiuher,  UM.Otqi  i  October,  .'Ml, '.’Oti  j  November,  28,787;  Deeemher, 
18,824,  -("  Kow  Bulletin.") 
Bosks  i\  Vouksiuuk. 
I'll k  accident  of  circumstances  brought  me  near  Richmond 
recently,  and  having  an  hour  to  spare  1  thought  1  would  call  on 
Messrs.  R.  Mack  A  Sons’  at  Patterick  Bridge.  As  it  was  over  twenty 
years  siuce  1  had  been  there  before  1  was  most  anxious  to  see  the 
nurseries  again,  and  although  my  visit  was  hurried  1  was  more  than 
repaid  bv  the  magnificent  and  enormous  quantity  of  Roses  in  bloom. 
In  one  enclosure  there  were  f>  acres  in  full  bloom. 
Messrs.  Mack  A  Sons,  as  thorough  rusarians,  alllrm  that  the  Teas 
should  be  budded  on  the  Briar  only,  and  U.P.  on  the  Manotti, 
and  results  ptoolaim  the  advantage  of  the  practice.  All  Messrs. 
Alex.  Dickson  A  Soil’s  Roses  are  doing  well.  Our  visit  was  too  short 
to  obtain  many  names,  but  Mrs.  <1.  Piling  was  making  nnwellous 
growths,  and  Plio,  an  improved  Papt.  Phristy,  was  simply  flourishing, 
whilst  Mrs.  W.  \.  Richardson  was  revelling  and  covered  with  blooms, 
as  well  as  Gloiro  do  Dijon.  Altogether  110  acres  are  devoted  boro  to 
R<  ses,  on  a  loamy  soil  over  gravel  ;  at  Soorton,  another  nursery 
belonging  to  the  linn,  there  are  ilf>  acres  on  a  loam  over  clay,  and 
this  year,  the  season  being  so  dry,  the  Roses  have  been  grand. 
Altogether  over  800  varieties  are  grown.  M  e  forgot  to  mention  that 
over  17o,000  stocks  for  Roses  was  planted  in  ISOS. 
Since  my  lust  visit  Mr.  Mack  has  rebuilt  his  house,  which  is  very 
picturesque,  the  design  being  a  mixture  of  Swiss  and  Plieshiro,  and  a 
most  beautiful  building  it  is,  and  the  well  kept,  lawns  in  front  of  it 
and  the  maze  adjoining  givo  it  more  the  appearance  of  a  gentleman’s 
private  estate  than  a  nursery. 
1  would  advise  any  of  your  readers  who  are  Rose  struck  in  coming 
north  not  to  miss  this  splendid  sight.  The  nurseries  are  within 
1100  yards  of  the  station,  where  trains  frequently  pass.  The  proprietors 
will  give  anyone  a  most  hearty  welcome,  and  Oatteriok  Bridge  is 
itself  quite  a  Moral  treat.  The  genial  stationnuister,  Mr.  J.  Jeffrey, 
has  for  four  years  consecutively  won  the  lirst  pries'  lor  the  beautiful 
way  tin’  station  is  kept,  and  tile  (lower  garden  in  which  beds  tilled 
with  the  usual  summer  bedding  plants  and  the  well-kept  turf  is  a 
treat  in  itself.  Biciinaiu*  Pow  an. 
Pmmiung  Bosks. 
Rosies  are  exceedingly  effective  (lowering  plants,  because  they 
furnish  a  crop  of  beautiful  blooms  suitable  tor  cutting,  the  Mow  ers, 
if  h’ft  to  bang  upon  the  bushes,  are  decorative.  Some  varieties  produce 
Mowers  in  succession,  and  these  for  general  purposes  are  most,  useful, 
as  t  hey  furnish  a  reasonable  number  ot  Mowers  at  various  tunes. 
The  culture  of  Roses  on  walls  is  comparatively  easy,  provided  the 
aspect  is  good,  light  abundant,  and  the  soil  generous.  The  space  tor 
training  the  Rosea  on  may  ho  exceptionally  ample  and  favourably 
situated,  but  if  the  medium  for  the  roots  iH  not,  suitable  the  results 
will  be  unsatisfactory.  The  majority  of  climbing  Roses  w  ill  thrive 
vigorously  it  the  soil  is  deep  and  fairly  moist,,  and  at  the  same  time 
well  drained.  Overhanging  projections,  which  prevent  vain  reaching 
the  soil,  us  well  as  the  proximity  of  large  trees  and  shrubs,  lire  not 
conducive  to  continuous  healthy  growth,  as  the  roots  ot  the  latter 
abstract,  the  larger  part,  of  the  lood  and  moisture.  I  o  grow  climbing 
Roses  well,  therefore,  the  soil  must  be  deeply  broken  up,  and  a  fair 
quantity  of  dcoom posed  manure  worked  in.  A  space  I  feet  square  is 
not  too'tuuoh  to  prepare  in  this  way,  as  it  will  give  the  plants  a  good 
start.  Should  the  surrounding  soil  also  be  good  the  roots  ot  tho 
Ro..es  will  in  time  penetrate  tins,  forming  strong  tap  roots,  which  will 
promote  vigorous  shoots  of  groat  length. 
South  and  west,  walls  ought,  to  lie  planted  with  climbing  Teas 
and  Noisette  Rosos,  S  or  l)  feet  apart.  Autumn  is  the  best  time  to 
plant,  after  tho  leaves  have  fallen.  Strong,  but  not  too  large,  plants 
must  be  used. 
Tho  best,  Teas  for  tho  purpose  are  Gloiro  do  Dijon,  one  of,  it  not 
the  most  generally  cultivated  Roses  for  walls.  It  is  a  very  hardy 
variety,  and  the  Mowers  aro  very  sweetly  tea  scented.  The  colour  la 
hull.  it.  is  seen  thriving  in  positions  where  many  others  would  not 
succeed.  Retne  Marie  lionriotte  lias  blooms  of  a  deep  cherry  red. 
1 1.  is  a  vigorous  variety,  and  tho  Mowers  contrast  well  with  Globe  do 
Dijon.  Ohoshunt  Hybrid  is  a  good  dark  coloured  hose  ot  a  do  iiv 
carmine  colour.  A  good  yellow  lea  Rose  for  walls  is  Madame  lierard, 
fawn  yellow.  The  deepest  yellow  coloured  Roses  aro  louinl  among, st 
tho  Noisettes.  The  best,  white  is  undoubtedly  Olhilhiiig  Ni  photos. 
This  is  a  pure  white  Tea.  It  has  the  rocommoiulatlon  ol  being  a 
robust  grower,  and  blooms  freely, 
A  handsome  Noisette,  especially  In  tho  bud,  is  William  Allen 
Richardson.  A  robust  healthy  plant,  will  continue  to  produce  blooms 
over  a  long  poriod  of  a  deep  orange  colour.  Bike  many  otliei  Roses, 
