July  8,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
23 
Rose  Show  Fixtuees  foe  1897. 
J^uly  8th  (Thursday), — Bath,  Bedford,  Farningham,  Gloucester,  Harrow, 
Newca«tle-on-Tyne,’t’  and  Woodbridge. 
,,  9th  (Friday). — Glasgow. 
,,  10th  (Saturday). — Manchester,  New  Brighton. 
„  13th  (Tuesday). — Wolverhampton. f 
„  15th  (Thursday). — Norwich  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  22nd  (Thursday), — Halifax,  Trentham,  and  Bedale. 
„  23rd  (Friday). — Ulverstone. 
„  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  further  fixtures  that  may  be  sent 
me,  whether  of  Rose  shows  or  of  horticultural  exhibitions  where  Roses 
form  a  leading  feature. — Edwaed  Mawley,  Rosebank,  Berkhanisted, 
Herts. 
St.  Mtjkgo  Rose  Show. 
The  third  annual  Show  of  the  St,  Mungo  Rose  Society  will  be  held 
in  the  Fine  Art  Institute,  175,  Sauchiehall  Street,  Glasgow,  on  Friday 
next,  when  is  hoped  there  will  be  a  capital  display  of  the  queen  of 
flowers.  The  schedale,  in  which  twenty-nine  classes  are  particularised, 
is  a  comprehensive  one,  and  while  the  prizes  are  not  very  large,  they 
shoald  be  safficiently  good  to  bring  forth  fairly  strong  competition.  In 
and  around  Glasgow  alone  there  ought  to  be  some  ardent  rosarians,  and 
it  is  well  known  that  several  of  the  nurserymen  north  of  the  Tweed  can 
stage  excellent  Roses  when  it  pleases  them  to  do  so. 
Some  British  Roses  op  the  Victorian  Era. 
The  finest  Roses  originated  by  British  rosarians  during  the  reign  of 
Qieen  Victoria  have  been  for  the  most  part  of  pink  or  crimson  hue. 
Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  are  Beauty  of  Waltham  and  Dske 
of  Edinburgh,  natives  of  Waltham  and  Cheshunt  respectively,  from 
which  great  rosariums  have  also  come  Duke  of  Teck,  Duke  of  Albany, 
Crown  Prince,  Cheshunt  Hybrid,  Salamander  ;  Waltham  Standard,  a 
handsome  variety  of  recent  origin,  somewhat  akin  to  A.  K.  Williams  ; 
Carmine  Pillar,  a  single  crimson  climber  of  great  beauty  ;  and  Princess 
May,  described  as  a  pale  pink  Gloire  de  Dijon. 
Mr.  B.  R.  Cant  of  Colchester  has  given  us  Prince  Arthur,  a  brilliant 
variety,  derived  from  G4a6ral  Jacqueminot.  Mr.  Harry  Turner  has  come 
to  us  from  the  Royal  Nurseries,  Slough  ;  while  to  Mr.  Cranston  of  Here¬ 
ford  we  are  indebted  for  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  and  the  Crimson  Redder, 
the  former  of  which  I  regard  as  being  quite  distinct  from  its  so-called 
synonyms,  in  which  opinion  I  by  no  means  stand  alone  ;  while  the  latter 
is  a  variety  of  charmingly  bright  aspect  and  exquisite  fragrance,  and 
therefore  of  great  value  for  garden  cultivation. 
The  late  Mr.  Henry  Bennett’s  Captain  Hayward  is  also  a  very  beautiful 
and  richly  perfumed  Rose,  Among  pink  Roses  of  British  origin  the 
must  precious  are  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Marchioness  of  Downshire,  and 
Mrs.  Sharman  Crawford,  of  which  the  last-mentioned  variety,  though 
not  the  grandest  in  dimensions,  is  the  most  graceful  in  habit  and  artistic 
in  form.  For  this  reason  I  prefer  it  to  Mrs.  John  Laing. 
The  two  most  valuable  white  Tea  Roses  raised  in  England  during 
Victoria’s  reign  are  Devoniensis  and  Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince,  the  latter 
of  which  I  find  more  reliable  than  any  Rose  of  its  special  colour  I 
possess.  No  continental  yellow  Tea  with  which  I  am  acquainted  is 
superior  to  Medea,  a  superbly  endowed  native  of  Waltham  Cross. — 
David  R.  Williamson. 
Roses  at  Kew. 
Anyone  visiting  Kew  during  the  summer  months  cannot  fail  to 
admire  the  masses  of  colour  produced  by  the  groups  of  Roses  in  the 
“  Rose  garden  ”  near  the  pagoda.  Formerly  a  long  cutting  from  which 
sand  and  gravel  had  been  taken,  it  was,  eighteen  months  ago,  trans¬ 
formed  into  its  present  condition,  and  now  forms  one  of  thQ  most 
popular  features  of  the  Gardens.  The  centre  is  a  broad  grass  walk, 
flanked  on  each  side  with  terraces  and  bays,  the  soil  being  kept  in 
position  by  large  tree  butts  placed  roots  outward. 
The  Roses  which  are  used  are  the  best  flowering  species,  with  a  few 
of  the  rambling  semi-double  varieties ;  also  dwarfs,  such  as  “  White  Pet,” 
which  do  admirably  in  the  crevices  between  the  tree  roots.  Massing  is 
done  on  an  extensive  scale,  each  separate  bay  or  terrace  being  devoted 
to  a  single  species  or  variety. 
Some  idea  of  the  effect  produced  by  these  masses  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact  of  twenty  to  thirty  good-sized  plants  of  R.  lutea  being 
planted  together,  seventy  plants  of  Crimson  Rambler,  and  so  on. 
Rosa  multiflora  is  made  use  of  at  the  back  of  the  butts,  cn  the  topmost 
terrace,  where  it  is  allowed  as  much  room  as  it  likes  for  development. 
A  hybrid  between  the  last  named  and  a  H.P.  forms  a  group  close  to 
R,  multifiora ;  it  has  pretty  semi-double  pink  flowers,  which  are  very 
freely  produced.  R,  rugosa  and  a  collection  of  the  newer  hybrids  from 
this  well-known  species  are  to  be  seen.  Two  of  the  best  of  the  hybrids 
are  R.  Blanc  de  Coubert,  a  very  pretty  semi-double  white,  with  flowers 
as  large  as  those  of  R.  rugosa,  and  a  red  known  under  the  name  of 
Mrs.  Anthony  Waterer,  The  latter  is  an  exceptionally  vigorous  grower 
and  free  flowerer,  and  as  it  becomes  better  known  is  sure  to  be  eagerly 
sought  after.  A  group  of  twenty  or  more  plants  may  be  seen  at  Ke'w. 
A  large  group  of  R.  spinosissima,  with  its  many  coloured  single  and 
double  varieties,  may  be  seen.  Perhaps  the  most  showy  of  the  varieties 
of  this  species  is  R.  spinosissima  var.  altaica,  which  grows  taller  and 
produces  larger  flowers  than  the  type.  Several  plants  of  Carmine 
Pillar  are  planted  at  the  foot  of  a  large  Holly,  the  dark  foliage  of  which 
makes  a  fine  background  for  the  pretty  carmine  flowers.  The  white- 
flowered,  dwarf-growing  Japanese  Rose,  ”  Rosa  Wichuriana,”  forms  a 
mass  on  a  bank  ;  the  pink-flowered  R.  setigera  (a  N.  American  species) 
makes  a  beautiful  picture  in  another  place  ;  while  many  other  equally 
good  species  and  varieties  are  to  be  seen. 
The  plants  are  nearly  all  on  their  own  roots,  and  are  planted  in 
heavy  clay  soil  mixed  with  some  of  a  lighter  nature,  and  appear  perfectly 
happy.  Anyone  wishing  to  grow  a  selection  of  Roses  of  this  class 
cannot  do  better  than  visit  the  Rose  garden  at  Kew  during  the  summer 
months. — D.  K. 
Roses  foe  Town  Gaedens. 
We  think  we  can  best  answer  ”  F.  W.’s  ”  question  regarding  Roses 
for  town  gardens  by  reproducing  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Wm. 
Paul  which  appeared  in  these  columns  a  few  years  ago,  and  which  will 
be  found  thoroughly  reliable. 
So  much  has  been  written  on  Roses  of  late  that  one  feels  it  almost 
necessary  to  offer  an  apology  for  taking  up  the  pen  to  add  to  the  already 
abundant  literature  on  the  subject,  and  yet  day  by  day  we  receive  letters 
seeking  information  on  various  points  in  Rose  culture,  which  show  that 
the  writers  have  not  met  with  the  information  they  stand  in  need  of,  or 
have  failed  to  understand  it.  The  most  numerous  queries  that  reach  us 
relate  to  the  management  of  Roses  in  and  around  large  towns,  and  to 
that  phase  of  the  subject  I  propose  at  the  present  moment  to  give  my 
attention. 
Even  in  and  around  large  towns  the  disadvantages  which  vegetable 
life  have  to  contend  with  vary  to  a  considerable  extent.  Dense  smoke 
is  not  always  the  most  inimical  of  these.  The  existence  of  certain 
chemical  works  filling  the'air  with  the  noxious  vapours  they  exhale  are 
often  more  pernicious.  We  have  known  Roses  and  other  plants  prosper 
fairly  well  amidst  dust  and  smoke,  but  succumb  rapidly  after  the 
working  of  a  manufactory  of  chemicals.  If  the  latter  exist  extensively, 
and  the  consequences  of  the  mischief  they  produce  cannot  be  modified 
by  scientific  or  other  means,  we  fear  the  cultivation  of  Roses  within 
their  influence  will  give  little  satisfaction.  But  mere  smoke,  the  smoke 
arising  from  the  consumption  of  ordinary  coke  and  coal,  unless  in 
unusual  quantities,  may  be  met  and  negatived  to  more  or  less  extent  by 
proceedings  which,  if  costly,  may  yet  compensate  for  the  trouble  and 
expense  incurred. 
In  very  smoky  districts  we  would  not  recommend  the  cultivation  of 
Roses  otherwise  than  under  glass.  A  span-roofed  house,  the  slopes 
facing  east  and  west,  the  top  lights  removeable,  is  recommended  for 
this  purpose.  It  should  be  heated  with  4-inch  pipes,  and  the  plants 
may  be  either  planted  in  beds  or  kept  in  pots.  In  districts  less  smoky 
the  plants  may  be  placed  in  beds  or  borders  out  of  doors.  As  in  both 
cases  it  is  the  pursuit  of  Rose  growing  under  difficulties,  no  point  should 
be  missed  that  is  likely  to  minimise  the  existing  disadvantages.  A  good 
soil  should  be  secured  for  them  to  grow  in.  A  careful  regulation  of  the 
temperature  and  moisture  should  be  secured  for  the  plants  indoors,  and 
shelter  in  spring  and  winter  be  provided  for  those  out  of  doors.  Clean¬ 
liness  is  in  both  cases  very  important.  Not  only  keeping  the  plants 
free  from  insects  by  smoking  or  washing,  but  keeping  the  leaves  free 
from  sediments  of  various  kinds  should  be  sedulously  attended  to.  A  good 
syringe  is  an  indispensable  instrument  for  this  purpose,  and  a  solution 
of  softsoap  and  quassia  forms  an  excellent  wash.  Never  allow  dirt  of 
any  kind  to  remain  settled  on  the  leaves,  nor  allow  any  insects  to  rest 
there  long  enough  to  look  upon  the  plants  as  a  home. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  mistakes  made  when  about  to  grow 
Roses  in  smoky  and  other  unfavourable  districts  is  in  an  unfortunate  or 
injudicious  choice  of  plants  and  sorts.  Free-breathing  Roses  are  wanted 
for  smoky  districts,  as  free-rooting  Roses  are  wanted  for  heavy  soils. 
But  little  attention  has  hitherto  been  paid  to  these  distinctions,  although 
the  practical  cultivator  knows  how  important  they  are.  First  let  me 
offer  a  list  of  sorts  that  appear  most  likely  to  flourish  in  and  around 
large  towns. 
Fifty  Roses  foe  Veey  Smoky  Disteicts  to  be  Gbown 
Undee  Glass. 
Moss. — Crimson  Globe  and  Zenobia. 
Hybrid  China,  ^'O. — Charles  Lawson,  Cfa4n4dol4,  Coupe  d’Hdbd, 
Paul  Perras,  Paul  Ricaut,  and  Panl  Verdier. 
Hybrid  Perpetual.  —  Albert  la  Blotais,  Alphonse  Soupert,  Anna 
Alexieff,  Anna  de  Diesbach,  Baroness  Rothschild,  Boule  de  Neige, 
Captain  Christy,  Charles  Dickens,  Charles  Lamb,  Coustess  of  Rosebery, 
Countess  of  Oxford,  Crown  Prince,  Dupuy  Jamain,  Edward  Morren, 
Elizabeth  Vigneron,  Ella  Gordon,  Gdndral  Jacqueminot,  Heinrich 
Schultheis,  Inigo  Jones,  Jean  Rosenkrantz,  John  Hopper,  Jules  Margottin, 
La  France,  Madame  Cesar  Brunier,  Madame  Clemence  Joigneanx,  Magna 
Charta,  Marchioness  of  Lome,  Merveille  de  Lyon,  Mrs.  John  Laing, 
