514 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  16,  1904 
Buttonhole  Roses. 
Tliere  is  no  doubt  that  when  obtainable,  a  Hose  is  generally 
preferred,  to  any  other  floner  for  a  buttonhole.  This  is  not  sur¬ 
prising,  when  it  is  remembered  what  a  great  range  of  colour 
there  is  to  choose  from,  not  to  mention  the  sweet  fragrance  of 
many  of  our  most  beautiful  varieties.  The  fragrance  of  the 
most  highly  scented  Rose  is  never  strong  or  disagreeable,  rather 
is  it  deliciously  delicate,  so  much  so  as  never  to  prove  offensive 
to  anyone  with  the  mo.st  sensitive  sense  of  smell.  In  making  a 
selection  of  varieties  most  suitable  for  decoration  and  button¬ 
hole  pui'poses,  I  may  perhaps  allude  to  a  few  that  are  not  con¬ 
sidered  by  some  Rose  authorities  to  be  good  sorts.  By  this  I 
moan  that  some  may  object  to  a  variety  if  it  be  not  an  exceed¬ 
ingly  strong  growing  and  floriterous  kind,  forgetting  at  the 
time  there  are  some  varieties  weak  in  growth,  but  exceedingly 
l)eautiful  in  flower,  though  the  blooms  be  but  few. 
Often  on  discussing  with  some  fi'iends  the  qualities  of  some 
pai’ticular  varietv,  I  have  he^ard  the  remark  passed,  “  It  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  a  beautiful  flower,  but  one  gets  so  few  blooms  from 
it  that  it  is  hardly  worth  growing.”  I  may  })e  different  to  the 
re.st  of  my  fellow  gardeners,  but  I  must  say  I  am  not  so  par¬ 
ticular  about  getting  quantity  for  my  money,  and  am  quite 
content  to  nurse  many  a  bad  grower  for  the  sake  of  the  few 
exquisite  blossoms  it  may  produce. 
What  can  one  wish  for  more  beautiful  than  the  blo.ssoms  of 
the  Comtesse  de  Xadaillac?  From  the  bud  untii  the  bloom  is 
full  is  this  lovely  variety  perfect  in  delicate  colouring,  form, 
and  delicious  fragrance,  yet  to  get  but  a  few  blossoms  it  must 
be  nursed  with  every  care.  L’ldoale  is  often  classed  as  a 
vigorous  Rose,  but  is  seldom  found  to  be  so.  This  variety  is  one 
of  those  sorts  given  to  vary  in  colour,  a  mixture  of  coppery 
red  and  deep  yellow,  outer  petals  occasionally  streaked.  For  a 
buttonhole  Rose  this  is  exceedingly  rich,  especially  the  first 
blossoms,  which  I  have  noticed  assume  their  best  metallic  tints 
under  the  influence  of  a  cold,  sunless  season,  when  the  buds  are 
opening.  As  the  summer  wears  on  the  colouring  is  not  so  good. 
William  Allen  Richardson  is  a  very  great  favourite,  and  a 
rampant  grower,  quite  distinct  in  colour  when  blooms  of  the 
deepest  orange  shade  are  obtained,  but  it  often  has  a  washed 
out  appearance  from  the  effects  of  the  sun.  Under  glass  in  the 
spring  months  the  best  colouring  is  usually  to  be  seen ;  then 
may  be  had  those  deep  tints  and  shades  corresponding  more 
with  the  extravagant  descriptions  one  sees  in  catalogues  of 
Roses. 
One  of  tlie  most  beautiful  displays  of  Roses  it  has  been  my 
jileasure  to  see  was  a  house  full  of  that  grand  old  General 
.Jacqueminot.  Those  were  grown  for  cutting  on  St.  George’s 
Day,  and  the  beauty  of  that  mass  of  livid  glowing  scarlet 
crimson  blossoms  amid  vei'y  healthy  green  foliage,  is  a  very 
l)leasant  memory.  Perhaps  the  greatest  favourite  of  all  is  the 
Marechal  Niel,  splendid  Rose  indeed,  the  best  yellow  we  have. 
It  must  be  grown  indoors  if  one  is  to  get  the  best  out  of  it.  In 
spite  of  its  great  charm  the  blossoms  in  perfection  are  a  trifle 
large,  otherwise  in  form,  colour,  and  fragrance  it  excels. 
Among  other  Roses  suitable  for  buttonholes,  doing  best 
under  glass,  Niphetos  for  a  white  is  perhaps  the  best.  Catherine 
Mermet  is  extra  fine,  its  light  flesh  coloured  blooms  being  ex- 
((uisite  in  half-opened  buds.  IVo  very  pleasing  .shades  of 
yellow  are  Perle  des  .Jardins  and  Isabella  Sprunt,  the  latter 
forcing  extremely  well.  Safrano,  a  bright  apricot,  of  which  we 
find  a  lot  in  the  cut  flower  markets,  is  fine  in  bud,  and  has  nice 
dark  foliage.  As  a  cut  flower,  Beryi,  a  rich  gold,  is  superb,  and 
the  long  pointed  bud  of  Killarney,  a  lovely  pale  fle.sh,  is  ideal. 
The  delicate  orange  buds  of  Mdme.  Pierre  Cochet  are  excellent, 
so  also  are  the  rosy  crimson  buds  of  Papa  Gontier.  Two  superb 
pinks,  Mrs.  AV.  .J.  Grant,  an  unique  colour,  with  buds  beauti- 
fidly  tapered,  and  Sheila,  a  bright  rose,  also  well  formed. 
Liberty  is  entitled  to  first  place  as  a  velvety  crimson.  It  is 
exceedingly  good  on  all  points,  and  very  free.  Brilliant  is 
another  of  this  colour,  and  deserves  a  place  in  every  garden. 
Beauty  of  AValcnam,  an  old  one,  but  still  good,  cherry  colour, 
lovely  and  sweet.  The  tawny  crimson  Morning  Glow  is  a  very 
rich  colour. 
Ihe  foregoing  are  among  the  best  one  may  wish  for  as 
buttonhole  Roses,  which  should  occupy  positions  in  every 
garden.  A  longer  list  I  may  have  given,  there  being  many  other 
suitable  varieties,  but  ’tivill  keep  until  another  time. — 
Gswaldstuee. 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
Some  Temple  Show  Notes. 
One  always  makes  notes  at  the  Temple  Show,  as  elsewhere, 
even  if  they  are  never  printed  ;  but,  snatching  an  unoccupied 
moment  or  two.  I  have  tried  to  place  mine  on  record,  and  pro¬ 
bably  they  may  be  of  some  small  value.  Taking  a  glance  at 
Roses. 
first,  the  following  are  a  few  that  deserved  attention  because  of 
their  merit  Prince  of  Bulgaria,  rich  golden  orange;  Fabyier, 
somewhat  like  Paul’s  Carmine  Pillar  ;  Achebrodel,  a  bright 
rosy-pink  Polyantha ;  Killarney  and  Irish  Glory,  both  of  which 
were  in  good  form  and  bright.  Three  Rambler  Roses  that  are 
considerably  alike  are  lieuchstern,  Blu.sh  Rambler,  and  AA’^altham 
Rambler.  To  my  mind  the  latter  is  the  most  desirable.  Its 
trusses  are  large,  sweetly  coloured,  and  very  beautiful.  Leuch- 
stern  is  rather  too  loose  and  scarce,  and  Blush  Rambler  affords 
a  semi-double.  Each  are  pink,  with  a  light  or  white  centre. 
The  recent  H.T.,  Mrs.  Mawley,  was  admirably  staged  by  Mr. 
Geo.  Mount,  and  proves  to  be  good  for  early  as  well  as  mid¬ 
season  use.  The  AYichuraiana  rubra  is  a  close-growing,  single 
flowered  variety  of  a  crimson  purple  colour,  with  a  light  centre. 
Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes. 
Roses  and  Cucumbers  are  not  kindred,  and  I  only  give  them 
sequence  thus  because  they  faced  one  another  at  the  Temple 
Show!  Of  a  number  of  varieties,  the  one  that  pleased  me 
best  by  its  useable  dark  green,  even  and  not  over-laige  appear¬ 
ance,  was  Sutton’s  Everyday.  In  Tomatoes  the  variety  Eclipse 
proved  to  be  firm,  smooth,  even,  and  of  nice,  moderate  size  and 
colour.  As  a  fruit  it  is  Al.  The  variety  Dessert  is  one  of  the 
smallest  of  the  reds  that  are  eatable,  and  has  as  many  as  eight 
fruits  in  each  long  cluster. 
Sweet  Peas. 
Lastly,  the  Sweet  Peas  sent  by  Air.  H.  .1.  Jones,  of  Ryecroft, 
Lewisham,  brought  with  them  a  breath  of  the  hay-making 
season  of  summer.  Countess  Spenser,  blushing  blush,  is  a 
remarkable  variety  indeed,  and  quite  distinct  in  its  charm  and 
grace  ;  Eckford  gold  medal  novelty,  the  renowned  Scarlet  Gem, 
was  also  well  staged  ;  and  among  others  we»e  Lady  Grisel  Hamil¬ 
ton,  mauve;  Hon.  F.  Bouverie,  rosy-fawn;  Hon.  Airs.  Kenyon, 
primrose;  Aliss  AVillmott,  light  pink;  Saloihan, -rich  crimson; 
and  Emily  Eckford,  white.  If  I  may  drag  in  a  reference  to 
Pyrethrums,  it  would  be  to  name  two  kinds  ;—AA"aterloo, 
brightest  mauve-pink ;  and  A'ivid,  richest  of  dark  crimsons. 
Ke’way’s  of  Langport,  and  Some  Notes  on  Somerset. 
Somerset  has  mainly  been  a  peaceful  county.  Its  name  has 
always  stood  for  sunshine  in  my  mind — Somerset  and  sunshine — 
but  I  do  not  know  really  why.  Long  ago,  when  I  ran  about  the 
banks  of  the  Tweed  in  the  Scott  country,  a  dear  old  Somerset 
lady  used  to  take  me  to  hei'  and  tell  of  the  beauties  of  that 
south-west  of  England  maritime  shire,  and  the  memories  must 
have  remained — a  land  of  sunshine.  But  though  I  now  know 
that  Somerset  is  beautiful  in  the  main,  yet  those  great  bleak 
moors  in  some  of  its  parts  impress  the  mind  with  a  feeling  of 
their  dire  nninterestingness,  and  a  doctor  friend  has  told  of  his 
winter  nights’  journeys  over  them  when  they  were  deepl.y 
flooded  ;  and  I  reflected  on  inv  Scottish  hills,  and  liked  them  the 
moi’e.  Central  Somerset  possesses  the  curions  ph.ysical  feature 
of  “  islands  ”  of  hills  rising  from  the  flat  surface.  On  the  whole, 
it  is  a  very  agreeable  county,  especially  in  the  region  of  the 
Alendip  Hills  and  in  the  extreme  n  est,  Avhere,  again,  the  country 
is  hilly  .and  varied;  and  I  like  Somerset. 
Castles  are  few,  because  old-time  wars  were  not  frequently 
waged  here,  though  the  scenes  of  the  civil  strife  betweeii 
Stephen  and  Aland  are  marked  on  Somerset  soil,  and  we  all 
remember  that  the  Duke  of  Alonmouth,  who  laid  claim  to  the 
throne  of  Charles  I.,  after  suffering  reverses  in  various  places, 
was  completel.v  and  finally  routed  at  Sedgmoor  in  July,  1685. 
One  passes  Sedgmoor  in  the  journey  from  Bristol  via  Dunston  to 
Langport,  and,  like  Culloden,  it  is  its  memory  that  gives  an 
interest  to  the  passing  scene.  liangport  also  was  the  place  of  a 
battle,  at  which  Charles  I.  suffered  loss. 
Nowadays,  and,  indeed,  for  over  200  years,  Somerset  as  a 
county  has  been  peacefully  employed.  It  is  rich  in  agricultural 
produce.  Its  dairy  farms  are  celebrated,  and  its  cheese,  espe¬ 
cially  that  which  takes  its  name  from  Cheddar,  of  high  excel¬ 
lence.  The  warmer  valle.ys.  especially  fowards  the  west,  near 
Taunton,  abound  in  orchards,  and  a  large  quantity  of  cider  is 
produced.  The  principal  manufactures  are  those  of  woollen 
cloth,  worsted,  and  silk,  at  Frome,  Taunton.  Twerton,  and  AA'el- 
lington  ;  of  gloves  at  A'eovil,  Stoke,  Alartock,  and  Taunton  ;  of 
lace  at  Chard  ;  of  linen  and  sailcloth  at  Crewkerne  ;  of  horsehair 
seating  at  Castle  Cary  and  Bruton ;  of  bricks,  draining  tiles, 
and  the  celebrated  bathln'ick,  at  Bridgwater,  where  are  also 
large  engineering  works. 
But  this  reads  very  much  like  a  leaf  from  a  school  geography, 
and  to  save  my  fail'  fame  I  must  adorn  these  pages  with  notes 
of  another  kind!  It  was  the  nurseries  of  Alessrs.  A\k  Kelway 
and  Son,  at  Langport,  that  suggested  a  tour  in  this  direction  oil 
