JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  12,  1902. 
ol6 
The  Rose  Liberty. 
I  saw  this  Rose  used  to  perfection  a  day  or  so  ago  as  a  bouquet 
flower.  Used  in  the  right  place  it  requires  a  lot  of  beating.  It 
is  truly  the  best  royal  red  Rose  grown.  I  saw  some  bridal 
bouquets  made  up  loosely,  and  uith  much  taste,  of  this  Rose. 
On  long  .stalks,  with  own  foliage,  excepting  a  few  pieces  of 
Adiantum  cuneatum,  it  wanted  nothing,  and  was  simple,  ex¬ 
quisite,  and  rich.  The  Rose  is  perfect,  and  makes  an  exceedingly 
pretty  dinner  table.  In  the  lamp  light  the  red  is  of  the  richest. 
— H.  R.,  Kent. 
Roses  by  the  Wayside. 
A  short  paragraph  in  a  daily  paper  tells  how  an  American 
lady  who  lives  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  has  planted  Roses  by  the 
side  of  a  newly-formed  road.  The  same  authority  states  that 
they  are  properly  fenced  in  and  protected,  and  the  necessity 
of  this  will  be  obvious  to  those  who  have  any  knowledge  at  all 
of  the  ways  of  the  British  public  where  flowers  are  concerned. 
Considering  the  accommodating  character  of  many  flowers  and 
shrubs  usually  confined  to  gardens,  it  seems  a  pity  that  more 
of  them  are  not  planted  in  wmodlands  and  by  waysides  to 
brighten  rural  landscapes,  but  there  is,  unfortunately,  not  much 
encouragement  to  plant.  Unless  “  properly  fenced  and  pro¬ 
tected,”  I  am  afraid  they  would  be  regarded  no  more  than  are 
the  wild  flowers  and  Ferns  that  are  so  ruthlessly  pulled  up  and 
carried  away  to  die  an  untimely  death  in  places  unsuited  to 
their  requirements. — H. 
Seasonable  Hints. 
Everybody  will  w'ant  to  make  the  most  of  their  Roses  this 
season,  and  doubtless  in  the  majority  of  gardens  special  efforts 
have  been  made  in  regard  to  pruning  and  manuring  in  order 
to  secure  a  profusion  of  fine  blooms.  During  the  next  three 
weeks  much  can  be  done  to  give  .size  and  substance  to^  the 
flowers,  and  by  keeiiing  them  free  from  insects,  to  have  both 
foliage  and  flowers  fresh  and  beautiful  at  Coronation  time. 
Both  bushes,  standards,  and  climbers  look  particularly 
promising  at  the  present  time.  The  recent  cold  w’eather  re¬ 
tarded  the  growth  considerably,  and  although  the  severe  frosts 
injured  many  of  the  Teas,  the  H.P.’s  and  other  hardy  types 
seem  to  have  escaped  unscathed;  and  the  flower  buds  are  swell¬ 
ing  satisfactorily.  Neither  green  fly  nor  caterpillars  are  so 
numerous  on  Rose  trees  as  during  the  first  week  of  June  last 
year ;  this  is  probably  owing  to  the  absence  of  sunshine  and 
to  the  frequent  rains  of  the  last  few  weeks.  Efforts  should, 
how’ever,  be  made  to  entirely  free  the  trees  from  such  pests 
before  the  flower  buds  begin  to  open. 
Hand-picking  is  still  the  best  means  of  getting  rid  of  cater- 
])illars  at  this  season,  when  they  are  sealed  between  the  leaves, 
but  a  dressing  of  Paris  green,  or  arsenate  of  lead,  if  applied 
before  the  leaves  urifold,  is  an  excellent  preventive. 
For  green  fly  paraffin  emulsion  is  thoroughly  effective,  and  if 
all  Rose  trees  were  freely  dressed  with  it  before  the  flower 
buds  begin  to  unfold,  we  should  hear  far  fewer  complaints 
about  the  destructiveness  of  this  most  prolific  of  insects.  A 
good  method  of  mixing  the  emulsion  is  the  following  :  — Dissolve 
1  pint  of  softsoap  in  1  quart  of  soft  boiling  water,  then  add 
4  pint  of  paraffin,  and  mix  thoroughly  with  a  syringe.  Before 
use  dilute  with  ten  times  its  bulk  of  water. 
Those  who  require  large  blooms  should  complete  the  dis¬ 
budding  of  both  shoots  and  flowers  as  soon  as  possible.  Remove 
all  weak  shoots,  leaving  only  one  or  two  young  growths  on  each 
cut-back  shoot.  Strong,  upright  growing  kinds,  .such  as  Her 
Majesty,  Mrs.  J.  Laing,  Merveille  de  Lyon,  and  Ulrich 
Brunner,  look  extremely  imposing  when  fine  blooms  can  be  cut 
with  long  shoots,  and  it  is  only  by  thinning  freely  that  such 
can  be  obtained-  Many  of  the  Noisettes  and  other  climbing 
Roses  produce  strong  shoots,  carrying  at  their  points  one  large 
central  bud  with  so  many  smaller  ones  around,  that  if  all  are 
retained  the  clusters  look  too  close  and  heavy,  but  by  thinning 
the  buds  freely,  so  as  to  leave  from  three  to  five  around  the 
central  one,  long  shoots  with  fine  clusters  are  obtained,  which 
are  splendidly  adapted  for  arranging  in  tall  vases. 
Regular  feeding  from  the  present  time  till  the  bulk  of  the 
fl.owers  have  expanded  should  receive  special  attention.  I  am 
often  asked  by  the  owners  of  gardens  if  I  can  tell  them  wliy 
they  do  not  succeed  in  growing  good  Roses,  and  why  insects 
give  them  so  much  trouble.  My  reply  invariably  is  that  they 
do  not  feed  enough.  When  a  Rose  tree  has  once  produced 
l)lenty  of  roots,  judicious  feeding  and  pruning  will  generally 
keep  it  in  good  condition  for  an  indefinite  time,  but  in  far  too 
many  instances  the  feeding  is  done  in  a  very  spasmodic  manner. 
At  the  present  time  those  who  have  liquid  manure  at  command 
should  by  all  means  water  their  Roses  freely  with  it  after  it  has 
bJen  diluted  with  from  four  to  six  times  its  bulk  of  water. 
Whenever  the  soil  is  very  dry,  it  should,  of  course,  be  watered 
with  clear  water  before  giving  the  liquid  manure. 
A  good  chemical  Liquid  manure  may  be  formed  by  dissolving 
lib  of  nitrate  of  potash  and  lib  of  phosphate  of  potash  in 
twenty  gallons  of  water.  One  pound  of  Peruvian  guano  to 
twenty  gallons  of  water  is  also  an  excellent  stimulant  for 
Roses,  and  in  showerj'  weather  soot,  or  some  good  chemical 
manure,  if  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  soil,  will  prove 
of  immense  benefit.  When  the  flowers  are  unfolding,  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  in  a  liquid  form  will  help  to  give 
high  colour ;  loz  to  4  gallons  of  water  is  a  .safe  strength  at 
which  to  use  it.  In  many  gardens  where  Roses  are  highly 
prized,  large  numbers  are  grown  in  the  reserve  garden  specially 
for  supplying  cut  flowers.  In  such  cases  a  heavy  mulching  of 
partially  decayed  manure  early  in  June  will  do  more  than  any¬ 
thing  else  to  ensure  fine  blooms  and  healthy  foliage ;  but  in  the 
flower,  or  Rose  garden,  dressings  of  manure  at  this  season  are, 
unfortunately,  objectionable. — H.  D. 
Decorative  Fuchsias. 
The  popularity  of  these  plants  for  bedding  purposes  during  the 
past  few  seasons  seems  bidding  fair  to  become  general.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  it  will  be  so,  for  when  used  in  the  delightful 
inixed  beds  seen  in  our  London  parks,  they  cannot  fail  to  prove 
attractive,  and  there  is  a  gracefulness  about  them  that  lends 
itself  readily  to  almost  any  position.  The  tall  specimen  plants, 
from  3  to  4  feet  high,  springing  out  from  coloured  foliage 
below,  are  always  conspicuous,  and  the  flowers  themselves  are 
not  too  glaring  in  colour,  so  that  they  can  be  made  to  harmonise 
with  the  surrounding  colours  if  a  little  forethought  is  used.  How 
different  are  these  plants  from  the  old-fashioned  type,  that  were 
almo.st  as  broad  as  high,  giving  them  a  dull,  heavy  appearance ; 
or  the  old  stagers  that  were  wintered  year  after  year,  and  pruned 
in  early  in  the  spring,  so  that  their  unsightly  old  timbers  should 
be  hidden  by  the  new  growth !  One  can  only  be  thankful  that 
such  objects  w’ere  lost  during  the  past  decade,  and  that  the  young 
vigorous  plants  have  taken  their  places. 
Where  such  specimens  are  required  as  “  dot  ”  plants  for  the 
coming  season,  no  time  must  be  lost,  for  it  is  getting  late  alreadv  ; 
but  those  who  were  looking  ahead,  and  propagated  good  suitable 
varieties  last  September,  have  time  well  by  the  forelock,  and  at 
the  present  time  they  are  j)ushing  ahead  vigorously,  and  will  be 
fine  plants  for  putting  out  in  the  beds  at  the  latter  end  of  May 
or  early  in  June;  not  only  will  they  be  fine  plants,  but  they  will 
be  flowering  also,  and  so  produce  an  immediate  effect.  Even  if 
cuttings  are  rooted  during  the  present  month  it  is  surprising 
how  tall  they  will  grow  by  the  bedding  season  if  only  they  receive 
the  right  treatment. 
From  the  time  the  cuttings  are  rooted,  the  idea  should  be 
to  make  them  forge  ahead,  or,  in  other  words,  keep  them  growing 
without  a  check.  If  the  latter  should  be  received  by  becoming 
pot-bound,  bloom  buds  are  produced,  and  half-ripened  wood  the 
result.  This  must  be  avoided,  and  it  can  be  accomplished  by 
growing  the  plants  under  a  light  shading;  this  keeps  the  wood 
soft.  Again,  they  must  not  be  pot-bound.  In  the  first  insta'nce 
they  may  Ke  placed  in  thumbs,  and  a  second  shift  given  them 
as  soon  as  the  roots  are  seen  in  a  large  60 ;  while  the  final  pot 
should  be  a  48  or  32. 
If  moved  on  in  this  way  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  pro¬ 
ducing  plants  from  3  to  4  feet  high  by  bedding-out  time. 
Pinching  should  be  avoided,  except  in  cases  vhere  a  clear  stem 
is  desired,  so  as  to  be  well  above  the  carpet  plants.  As  the 
leader  develops  it  should  be  neatly  tied  to  a  stake,  and  as  it 
proceeds  the  lateral  growth  will  develop  naturally. 
As  soon  as  the  desired  height  has  been  attained,  or  a  little 
earlier,  the  shading  should  be  removed,  so  as  to  partially  ripen 
the  growth  to  induce  flowering.  During  their  stay  in  the  houses 
the  syringe  must  be  used  at  least  daily,  and  in  hot  weather  twice 
will  not  be  too  often ;  for  it  not  only  keeps  them  clear  of  aphis 
and  thrips,  but  growing  also.  Large  supplies  of  water  must 
be  given,  and  a  little  weak  liquid  manure  will  strengthen  the 
plants,  as  would  any  of  the  quick-acting  fertilisers  used  in  a  dry 
state  on  the  pots. 
As  to  varieties,  I  might  add  that  any  of  the  vigorous  varieties 
will  be  suitable.  Personally,  I  prefer  the  single  forms,  though 
some  of  the  semi-double  kinds  are  suitable ;  but  I  should  avoid 
the  large  double  sorts  of  the  phenomenal  type  as  being  unsuit¬ 
able,  for  they  do  not  flower  any  too  freely,  and  consequently  are 
not  effective  for  this  puiqjose.  A  few  of  the  be.st  that  T,  know 
are  Mrs.  Marshall,  Rose  of  Castile  Improved,  Lord  Be’acons- 
field,  Mrs.  G.  Rundle,  Mr.  H.  Roberts,  J.  Welsh,  Display, 
Charming,  Wiltshire  Lass,  and  Daniel  Lambert.— Ax  Old 
CONTRIBIJTOB. 
