4 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.luly  2,  1903 
Roses  :  Late  versus  Early  Pruning. 
The  nnwiscloni  of  being  “  too  previous  ”  in  pruning  Roses  in 
tlie  open  air  was  perhaps  never  more  clearly  demonstrated  than 
during  the  present  season.  The  mild  bright  weather  of  Feb¬ 
ruary  caused  the  upper  parts  of  the  shoots  to^  start  into  strong 
growth,  so  that  by  the  beginning  of  March,  in  warm  districts, 
the  leaves  were  unfolding  rapidly,  so  much  so  that  the  cultivator 
needed  a  cool,  calculating  head  to  prevent  being  tempted  to  use 
the  pruning  knife  on  them  thus  early.  Many  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  after  the  middle  of  March,  with  the  result  that 
the  severe  frosts  of  April  completely  ruined  the  buds  which 
started  quickly  after  pruning.  Standards  and  bushes  so  treated 
at  the  present  time,  as  a  rule,  look  miserable,  as  what  growth 
there  is  is  extremely  weak,  and  great  trouble  is  given  with  aphis 
and  caterpillars,  and  good  flowers  will  as  a  consequence  be  con¬ 
spicuous  bv  their  absence. 
The  healthiest  and  most  promising  lot  of  Rose  bushes  in  the 
ciien  air  that  I  have  seen  this  year  are  at  Barford  Hill,  near 
Warwick.  The  growth  is  strong  and  clean,  and  there  is  an 
entire  absence  of  rusty  leaves  and  growths  so  noticeable  where 
early  pruning  was  practised.  Mr.  R.  Jones,  the  head  gardener, 
has  alwavs  been  a  late  primer,  but  this  year,  on  account  of  the 
cold  winds  which  prevailed  late  in  March,  pruning  was  deferred 
till  the  second  week  in  April.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith-Ryland 
are  particularly  fond  of  Roses,  and  by  reason  of  their  gardener’s 
forethought  they  will  be  able  to  have  them  in  their  usual  abun¬ 
dance  this  year  also,  when  so  many  are  bewailing  the  sorry  con¬ 
dition  of  their  trees. 
Those  who  xvUl  have  Roses  in  the  open  air  as  early  as  possible 
must,  of  course,  prune  early,  but  the  man  who  wants  plenty  of 
fine  flowers,  and  does  not  mind  waiting  for  them,  had  far  better 
prune  a  little  late  than  too  early.— H.  D. 
Tea-scented  Roses. 
In  the  centre  page  illustration  we  depict  a  group  of  Tea  Roses, 
tetmed  by  one  authority  the  elite  of  the  Rose  world,  and  they  are 
]\uphetos'(top),  Madame  Cusin  (the  red),  Devoniensis,  and  Gloire 
de  Dijon.  Tea  Roses  are,  and  ever  will  be,  favourites.  Owing 
to  the  backwardness  of  the  present  season  Tea  Roses,  more  than 
others  perhaps,  lack  the  refined  quality  which  they  usually 
possess  in  favourable  seasons.  The  darker  coloured  varieties  are 
somewhat  tabooed  in  this  delicate  section  of  Rosa,  but  signs  are 
not  wanting  of  a  change  toward  a  wider  range  of  hues.  Together 
with  the  varieties  we  figure,  the  following  are  among  the  best 
popular  sorts:  Catherine  Mermet,  Marechal  Niel,  Souvenir  d’un 
Ami,  Rubens,  Caroline  Kuster,  Souv.  de  S.  A.  Prince,  Hon.  E. 
Gifford,  Anna  Olivier.  Mine.  Margottin,  Francisca  Kruger,  Com- 
tesse  de  Nadaillac,  and  Innocente  Pirola.  These  Roses  do  well 
away  in  the  north,  even  as  they  succeed  in  southern  counties, 
though  the  elegance  and  smooth  beauty  is  not  so  prominently 
noticeable  amongst  Scottish  Tea  Roses.  In  all  cases,  however, 
they  require  considerable  care,  there  being  so  many  evils  to  guard 
them  from. 
Gadding  and  Gathering, 
From  the  introductory  notes  on  Messrs.  Dicksons’  nurseries 
(Chestei),  it  was  seen  that  this  representative  firm  had  put  into 
commerce  quite  a  number  of  the  finest  ornamental  hardj'  sub¬ 
jects.  They  believe  in  being  up  to  date  in  everj'thing,  whether 
it  be  new  Roses,  new  Conifers,  new  seed  cleaning  machineis,  or 
matters  of  business  technique,  and  their  business  jilaces  and 
nursery  quarters  are  all  exceptionally  well  appointed.  Even  in 
the  new  office  at  the  “hoine”  nurs:ories  they  have  what  can 
accurately  be  called  a  small  museum  of  botanical  and  entomo¬ 
logical  specimens,  and  in  the  same  room  there  is  a  collection  of 
garden  implements,  from  secateurs  to  scythes,  and  nail-bags, 
trowels,- rakes,  rollers,  ad  infinitum. 
Half  a  Million  Roses. 
The  Roses  are  a  special  feature,  covering  clo.se  on  twenty- 
five  acres,  a  quarter  of  a  million  dwarfs  having  been  grafted  last 
year,  together  with  some  50,000  standard  Roses;  and  as  only 
a  few  score  of  plants  remained,  the  reader  may  gather  from 
these  figures  how  great  is  the  output.  All  the  newest  varieties 
are  included,  and  every  care  is  exercised  to  produce  the  best 
possible  stock.  The  Rhododendrons  are  another  section  of  orna¬ 
mental  shrubs  to  whie-h  both  space  and  time  is  liberally  given, 
with  gratifying  results,  and  the  selection  of  handsome  standard 
Rhododendrons  is  indeed  very  extensive ;  and  these,  coming 
from  this  loamy  soil,  when  given  a  peaty  compost  in  private 
gardens,  speedily  become  established,  and  assume  the  mo.st 
robust  character.  And  the  Hollies  here  at  C'hester  are  excep¬ 
tionally  good,  being  of  an  even,  bushy  shape,  with  large,  dark, 
glos.sy  foliage.  Ilex  Hodginsi  and  I.  nobilis  are  greatly  in 
demand,  and  the  handsome  I.  camellia'folia  is  another,  to  form 
a  trio.  The  gold  and  silvery  variegated  forms,  and  the  milkmaid 
and  hedgehog  Hollies  each  find  a  place. 
Ericas  .and  Dwarf  Shrubs. 
Ncr  are  the  dwarfer  mountain  sub-shrubs  overlooked,  for 
seldom  will  a  better  collection  of  Ericaceee  be  seen  than  that 
covering  perhaps  two  acres  of  ground  in  the  home  grounds. 
The  Mediterranean  Heath,  with  Krica  cinerea,  and  C’jdisus  albus, 
C.  scoparius,  C.  Andreanus.  Andromedas,  and  Arbutus  find  a* 
place,  in  varying  stages  of  their  growth.  And  of  a  very 
different  nature  are  the  Japanese  iMaples,  in  great  quantities  and 
of  all  sizes;  ivhile  in  frames  cilose  against  where  these  were 
cculd  bo  ncted  a  collection  of  Show  and  Alpine  Auriculas  in  pots, 
which  quite  surprised  me  for  the  variety  and  general  excellence 
of  it.  Not  far  off,  either,  one  could  .see  the  fading  remains 
of  the  popular  Narcissi,  and  Sir  Watkin  of  old-time  fame  is 
grown  to  the  number  of  half  a  million  bulbs;  yet  while  the 
commoner  sorts  are  so  liberally  set  out,  from  intimations  already 
given  we  know  that  some  of  Mr.  Engleheart’s  seedlings  are  in 
the  firm’s  hands  for  di.stribution. 
The  Glass  Houses. 
Glancing  at  the  houses,  their  occupants  are  too  numerous  to 
name  in  detail,  but  one  must  rapidly  survey  the  stout-wooded 
pot  Roses,  the  big  collection  of  pot  Clematises,  the  greenhouse 
Rhododendrons,  the  magnificent  tree  Pmonies,  already  in  flower, 
and  some  had  seen  service  at  the  Chester  races  about  the  time 
cf  my  visit  ;  and  with  these  come  the  Regal  and  Zonal  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  the  fine  stock  of  Tree  and  Malmaison  Carnations, 
Romneya  Coulteri  filling  an  entire  house,  and  some  span-roofed 
structures  with  pot  Vines  of  first-class  excellence.  The  long 
clean  shoots,  stout  and  fresh,  and  the  large  leathery  foliage 
were  demonstrative  of  really  good  Vines.  The  same  remark 
can  be  applied  to  the  trainee!  Peaches  of  all  forms  and  sizes,  and 
I  was  informed  that  a  great  export  of  these  to  Italy  had  been 
made  during  the  spring  by  Dicksons.  Out  of  doors  there  are 
goodly  quantities  of  pot  Apricots,  Apples,  and  Plums  (some  of 
them  Gft  high)  plunged  in  ashes.  On  either  side  of  the  main 
entrance  to  the  grounds  there  are  mixed  borders  of  choice  trees 
and  shrubs,  the  study  of  which  would  be  of  importance  as  a 
guide  to  those  about  to  plant  extensively. 
The  Seed  Houses. 
Tho  seed  houses  and  business  shop  of  Dicksons  is  situated  in 
the  main  thoroughfare  of  the  beautiful  and  anciently  historic 
town,  and  from  the  back  parts  of  the  building  the  lovely  Cathe¬ 
dral  appears.  Seen  with  its  carpet  of  garish-green  grass  and  half 
buried  tombstones,  the  elegant  and  extensive  Cathedral,  built  of 
charming  pink-mauve  stone,  is  a  sight  that  no  one  can  surely 
help  admiring.  Messrs.  Dick.sons,  Ltd.,  are  as  strong  in  agri¬ 
cultural  machinery  as  they  are  in  the  gardening  implements, 
and  the  storehouses  for  their  reapers,  Ac.,  are  behind  the  shop. 
The  Eastgate  front  faces  “  The  Rows,”  those  remains  of  mediseval 
antiquity  which  are  characteristic  of  Chester  and  very  few  other 
English  towns.  ‘‘ Th.e  Rows”  are  long  timbered  galleries  built 
on  a  raised  stone  pavement  or  side  walk,  and  the  line  of  old- 
fashioned  shops  at  the  back  are  thus  screened  from  sun  or  rain 
the  whole  way  through.  Many  of  the  houses  are  historical  and 
famous,  and  not  a  few  are  built  in  the  half-timber  pattern. 
In  St.  John  Street  are  the  agricultural  .seed  stores  (for  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  farmer,  as  well  as  the  gardener 
and  forester,  makes  large  calls  on  the  firm’s  resources),  with  the 
.seed-cleaning  machines,  the  largest  and  most  powerful  being 
driven  by  electricity  from  the  city  supply,  and  a  very  speedy 
and  effectual  seed-cleaning  machine  it  is.  The  old  “  jumpers  ” 
ago  now  going  into  disuse  under  the  stress  of  the  newer  rivals. 
Cereals,  grasses.  Clovers,  I’oot-crop  seeds,  and  sackloads  of 
Potatoes  fill  floor  on  floor,  though  in  May,  of  course,  the  stores 
were  practically  cleared.  Importations  of  seeds  are  made  from 
all  the  world  wherever  the  best  is  obtainable.  Even  New 
Zealand,  and  certainly  the  L.S.A.,  contribute  their  annual 
((uotas  of  C-lovers  and  grasses.  On  the  basement  floor  of  this 
fine  store  the  visitor  should  not  omit  to  see  tho  remains  of  a 
Roman  wall,  which  has  been  inspected  by  many  archaeologists 
and  others.  During  excava.tions  .some  years  ago  the  workmen 
unearthed  this  solid  stone  wall,  and  would  soon  have  proceeded 
to  demolish  it  had  not  Mr.  Geo.  Dickson,  the  senior  partner, 
discovered  and  stopped  tho  vandalism.  So  now  it  stands  there, 
safe  and  protected.  Chester  was  a  little  township  prior  to  the 
Roman  invasicn,  and  these  gallant  warriors  made  it  one  of  their 
principal  stations,  laying  down  four  leading  ways,  now  termed 
Northgate,  Eastgate,  Wa-tergate.  and  Biddge  Street,  and  they, 
encircled  tho  town  with  a  wall  and  gates.  FeAv  will  leave 
Chester  without  a  walk  round  its  ancient  wall,  which  is  the  mo.st 
perfect  example  of  its  kind  in  the  kingdom.  Eaton  Hall,  tho 
palatial  residence  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Westmin.ster,  is 
some  three  miles  distant  from  Chester,  and  I  believe  visitors  can 
view  the  grounds  and  house  by  ticket. 
