-  150 
February  23,  1899. 
.lOUllNAL  OF  llOliriCULTUU 
THE  IIISTOKV  OF  THE  ROSE. 
A'l  tl)o  last  fovtniplitly  niectin"  of  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Oardenor.s’ 
Association,  an  inslnictive  paper,  prepared  by  Mr.  E.  d.  Love,  of  the 
Mount  Radford  Nurseries,  was  read,  entitled  “The  History  of  the 
Hose.”  'I'lie  earliest  records  of  cultivation  of  the  “  D'ltJen  of  Flowers” 
took  tlicni,  lie  said,  back  to  the  days  of  ancient  (J  recce  and  Home. 
Theory  justified  them  in  assuming  that  the  Rose  came  from  the 
central  or  western  central  ])art  of  Asia.  That  the  (1  reeks  used  the 
Rose  for  personal  embellishment  there  could  belittle  doubt;  they  were 
lavisli  in  its  use  at  their  public  festivities  and  religious  ceremonies,  not 
only  dedicating;  it  to  their  gods  and  goddesse.s,  but  investing  it  with 
many  sui)])o.sed  medicinal  virtues. 
During  the  days  of  the  Roman  Empire  the  Hose  occupied  a  hicli 
position,  and  many  districts  became  famous  for  their  Hose  gardens.  Of 
the  colour  of  their  Hoses  they  only  knew  red  and  white.  So  far  as 
substance  of  ])etal  and  solidity  of  bloom  were  concerned  they  cotild 
only  conjecture ;  but  they  must  have  attained  a  much  higher  state  of 
perfection  than  would  have  been  imagined  so  long  ago.  From  the 
fourth  to  the  .sixteenth  century  scarcely  anything  was  known  of  the 
Itose  as  a  cultivated  plant. 
The  coming  of  the  Rose  into  England  took  ydace  about  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  In  1029  they  were  told  that 
there  were  twenty-four  varieties,  in  1700  forty-three,  and  in  1770 
seventy-nine.  The  Moss  Hose  was  introduced  from  Holland  in  1090, 
the  Austrian  Briar  came  the  same  year,  the  Rosa  mnltillora  in  1801, 
the  China  Hose  in  178!),  and  from  the  Celestial  Empire  in  1810  c.arne 
the  first  'I'ea  Roses.  Looking  back  over  a  period  of  2000  years,  he 
ventured  to  say  that  never  before,  not  even  in  Rome’s  jialmy  days  or 
in  the  zenith  of  Grecian  glory,  had  the  Queen  of  Flowers  such  devoted 
and  loyal  subjects  as  to-day. 
Lord  Henzance’s  charming  Sweet  Briar  was  the  most  notable 
addition  to  their  Rose  gardens  of  late  years,  but  ho  was  afraid  that 
although  a  “thing  of  beauty”  it  would  not  be  a  “joy  for  ever.” 
Ho  thought  it  was  a  trait  in  their  national  character  that  beauty 
alone  did  not  ])ermanently  attract  them.  He  looked  more  to  the 
Tea  and  Hybrid  I’erpetual  section  to  maintain  the  high  posit'on 
attaimd  by  the  “  (jucen  of  Flowers.” 
Mr.  W.  Mackay  occupied  the  chair.  Owing  to  the  very  bad 
weather  the  attendance  was  small.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer 
ivnd  the  (diairman  was  ])a8sed  after  a  rather  interesting  discus.sion. 
— (“  Devon  and  Exeter  Gazette.”) 
I  )ECOUATINa  FRUIT  E XIII  HITS. 
AIk.  .iKj'h'Kity,  on  page  82,  suggests  as  a  defining  line  between  collec¬ 
tions  cf  triiit  the  introduction  of  epergnes  and  ^ases  ot  llowers,  which  he 
thinks  would  convey  a  striking  decorative  elTect  to  the  fruit  tables.  If  it 
were  practicable  to  afford  the  space  needed  to  the  flower  and  fruit  exhi- 
bition  separately  for  staging  no  doubt  the  imaginative  picture  drawn  by 
your  correspondent  would  be  an  effective  one.  In  actual  practice,  how¬ 
ever,  there  would  arise  some  friction  between  the  two  sections,  because, 
unless  special  facilities  were  provided,  one  would  get  very  much  in  the 
way  of  and  ]trove  a  hindrance  to  the  other.  Those  who  haie  had  a  long 
course  of  experience  at  exhibitions  will  readily  admit  this  difficulty, 
while  it  may  be  just  as  truly  said  the  idea  of  placing  the  tloral  decoration 
-exhibits  between  those  from  fruit  growers  would  make  a  novel  and  very 
pretty  blend. 
The  two  objects,  however,  are  widely  separated,  and  ns  a  rule  the 
owner  of  the  one  has  not  a  prominent  sympathy  with  the  other,  and  this, 
I  feel  certain,  would  not  be  mutually  strengthened  b}'  bringing  the  two 
in  conffict  one  with  the  other.  'I’he  grower  who  had  fine  Grapes  to  stage 
would  feel  nervous  in  having  so  close  an  association  with  the  epergno 
dresser,  and  •cice  versa.  The  only  satisfactory  method  of  dealing  with  the 
suggestion  is  for  societie.i  to  find  separate  tables  for  the  florists'  use,  with 
the  spaces  so  arranged  that  they  can  stand  the  vasc.s  in  their  places  after 
the  fruit  is  staged,  and  the  solution  of  such  a  difficulty  is  easier  of 
imagination  than  is  the  actual  currying  out  of  the  work  in  the  show  tent. 
There  are  few  flower  shows  where  the  officials  do  not  find  a  dilFicultv 
in  dealing  with  entries  on  the  morning  of  the  show,  and  these  would 
bo  still  further  added  to  if  the  limit  of  time  allowed  were  hindered  bj'  the 
introduction  of  epergnes  and  vases. 
I  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Jeffery,  as  wdll  many  other  readers  and 
exhibitors,  that  much  confusion  exists  in  the  arrangement  of  the  fruit 
•collei’tions  ai  some  shows,  and  often  without  any  real  necessit}'.  It  is 
not  unusual  to  see  these  classes  huddled  together  at  one  end  of  the  fruit 
tables,  and  the  other  end  scantily  filled,  from  no  other  reason  than  that 
no  estimation  of  space  is  made  relative  to  the  number  of  entries.  Uidike 
■Chrysanthemum  shows,  there  are  no  rules  as  to  the  size  of  the  Grape 
stands,  which  usually  govern  the  extent  of  space  required  for  fruit 
F  AND  COTTAGF  GAllUENER, 
collections,  and  it  is  this  uncertainty  alone  in  regard  to  space  required 
that  invariably  accounts  for  the, crowding  and  contusion  that  exist,  when 
each  exhibitor  is  given  an  equally  measured  space. 
A  collection  of  fruit  is  usually  looked  upon  as  'the  most  important 
class,  but  duo  regard  is  not  always  paid  to  its  position  and  arrangement ; 
the  matter  of  a  few  inches  in  the  space  required  is  freouently  made  a 
cause  for  unneccHsary  friction.  The  difficulty  of  defining  between 
exhibits  could  he  easily  decided  by  having  wide  strips  of  coloured 
materials  left  unfastened  until  the  space  for  each  collection  is  determined, 
and  if  each  exhibitor  was  expected  to  furnish  the  amount  of  space 
required  for  the  Grape  stands,  officials  would  then  be  in  possession  of 
the  necessary  information  for  measuring  the  space.s.  This  is  solicited  by 
some  societies  in  their  schedule,  but  I  have  never  heard  of  a  case  where 
dis({ualification  followed  the  non-observance  of  the  rule.  If  such  materials 
were  provided  as  that  suggested,  and  instructions  given  to  exhibitors  on 
the  show  day  to  the  effect  that  they  were  intended  as  a  dividing  line,  it 
wpuld  bo  very  simple  for  the  definition  to  be  clearly  proved,  for  the 
information  equally  of  judges,  exhibitors,  and  the  patrons  of  the  society. 
Personally,  1  believe  it  would  bo  better  to  allow  the  decorative  aspects 
of  the  fruit  tallies  to  remain  in  the  hands  of  those  who  stage  them,  no 
great  effort,  or  larj^e  quantity  of  material  is  required  to  give  a  pretty 
furnish  to  collections  of  fruit.  It  must  be  admitted  that  occasions  are  not 
so  freiiuent  as  the^  might  be  where  effectivo  decoration  is  applied  to  fruit 
collections,  and  which  I  think  lend  themselves  very  readily  to  such  treat¬ 
ment.  Some  fruit  growers  consider  decorations  beyi  nd  leaves  for  plates 
absolutely  superfluous.  This,  however,  is  strictly  a  matter  of  opinion, 
and  will  always  remain  so  between  adherents  of  the  practice  anu  those 
who  look  upon  it  with  disfavour.  Trails  of  green  or  coloured  Virginian 
Oeejicr  of  the  small-leaved  kinds,  Smilax,  Lygodium  scandens,  fronds  of 
Lycopodiums  or  Maidenhair  Ferns,  can  all  bo  adapted  to  the  purpose. 
W.  S.,  liaoJ,  Ashton,  Wills, 
UOVENT  UARDEK  MARKET. 
Town  versvs  Countkv  Gkowkks. 
Litioation  has  arisen  between  a  number  of  maiPet  gardeners 
growing  fruit,  flowers,  vegetables,  roofs  and  herbs  in  the  neighliourhood 
of  London,  for  sale  in  Covent  Garden  Market,  and  the  lord  of  the  market, 
the  Duke  of  Bedford.  His  Grace  owns  the  market  under  letters  patent 
granted  by  (Jharles  11.  A  private  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed  in  1828, 
regulating  the  market  and  fixing  tolls  to  be  charged  to  “  growers  ” 
frc(|ucnting  it  and  occu])ying  the  stands  with  their  waggons  or  carts  for 
the  purpose  of  selling  their  goods.  The  plaintiffs  have  brought  their 
action  for  the  juirpose  of  claiming  a  declaration  that  they  have  statutory 
preferential  right  to  hire  three  classes  of  stands— viz.,  the  casual  cart 
stands,  yearly  cart  stands,  and  yearly  pitching  stands.  They  allege  that 
the  duko  had  been  excluding  them,  and  I'efusing  them  these  stands,  even 
w  hen  vacant,  or  filling  the  stands  with  other  than  growers  so  as  to  prevent 
growers  having  the  use  of  them,  with  the  result  that  the  jdaintiffs  have 
had  to  go  to  other  stands  or  to  places  outside  the  market,  where  the 
conditions  imposed  by  tho  Act  do  not  apply,  and  higher  foils  are  exacted. 
To  all  this  the  Duko  of  Bedford  replies  with  the  contention  that  the 
stands  were  intended  to  be  available  for  growers  throughout  the 
country,  and  that  this  action  is  a  scheme  by  which  the  growers  round 
London  who  cart  their  produce  to  market  setk  to  get  possession  of  the 
thirty-eight  casual  cart-stands,  so  as  to  exclude  all  the  growers  who 
send  their  goods  up  by  train.  The  case  has  not  yet  reached  the  trial 
of  these  interesting  issues,  in  which  tho  public  have  concern  as  well  as 
the  growers  and  the  ducal  owner.  At  present  the  action  has  reached 
only  a  preliminary  stage — viz.,  tho  legal  right  ot  the  six  jilaintifts  (who 
are  market  gardeners)  to  join  together  in  bringing  one  representative 
action  on  behalf  of  the  whole  class  of  growers.  The  duke  raised  this 
point  by  taking  out  a  summons  to  have  all  proceedings  in  the  action 
stayed  on  the  ground  that  the  jilaintiffs  having  separate  and  distinct 
causes  of  action  could  not.  as  private  individuals,  sue  on  behalf  of  a 
class  of  the  public  in  respect  of  public  or  statutory  rights.  Mr.  Justice 
Uomer  decided  in  the  duke’s  favour,  and  plaintiffs  appealed. 
The  Master  of  the  liolls  and  Ijords  .Justices  Higby  and  ^'aughiln 
Williams  delivered  judgments  on  the  appeal  on  Tuesday.  The  Master  of 
the  Holla  said  that  if  he  could  come  to  tho  conclusion  that  the  action  was 
frivolous  and  that  the  growers  had  not  any  rights  at  all  either  against, 
the  public  or  against  the  T.ord  of  the  market,  it  would  follow  that  the 
action  was  in  his  opinion  misconceived  ;  hut  ho  could  not  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  there  was  nothing  honestly  to  try  in  the  controversy. 
W’hen  the  Market  Act  was  passed  London  was  supplied  with  fruit  and 
vegetables  by  the  market  gardeners  round  about ;  iiut  now  growers  sent 
their  produce  fi'om  Cornwall,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  even  from  California; 
and  us  to  what  ‘‘growers”  as  referred  to  in  the  Act  now  meant  he  said 
nothing.  But  he  found  that  “growers”  had  certain  statutory  rights,  and 
the  right  which  tho  plaintiffs  claimed  was  a  statutory  preferalile  right  over 
three  classes  of  stands  If,  us  thej'  said,  all  their  preferential  rights  were* 
ignored,  ho  could  not  see  why  that  question  could  not  be  raised  in  one 
action  instead  of  three.  In  his  view,  ilierefore,  the  ap|)cal  must  bo  allowed. 
Lord  Justice  Higby  was  also  of  opinion  that  tho  case  was  a  projiiT  one 
for  a  representative  action  by  one  or  more  growers.  Lord  .luatico 
Vaughan  Williams  arrived  at  a  different  conclusion.  He  thought  that  the 
judgment  of  Jlr.  .lustice  Hcmer  was  perfectly  right. 
In  accordance  with  the  judgment  of  the  majority  of  the  C.ourt,  the 
appeal  was  alb.  wed  and  the  order  of  the  Court  below  discharged,  upon  the 
undertaking  of  the  plaintiffs  to  make  the  Attorney-General,  as  repre¬ 
senting  the  general  public,  a  defendant. — (“Daily  Mail.”) 
