July  25,  1903. 
JOUIiT^AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
81 
CARDEK,  CKEA'NINCSji 
Concerning  Roses. 
Roses,  which  form  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  floral  attractions 
of  this  season  of  the  year,  have  a  singular  connection  in  old  folk¬ 
lore  with  death.  Camden,  in  his  “  Britannia,”  published  in  1603, 
writes: — “There  is  a  classical  custom  observed  time  out  of  mind 
at  Oakley,  in  Surrey,  of  planting  Rose  trees  on  the  graves, 
especially  of  the  young  men  and  maidens,  so  that  the  churchyard 
is  full  of  them.”  It  is  the  more  remarkable  since  it  was  anciently 
used  in  this  connection  both  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  who 
were  so  very  religious  in  it  that  we  find  it  often  annexed  as  a 
codicil  to  their  wills.  The  Romans,  of  course,  were  famous  for 
their  love  of  Roses,  and  used  them  in  huge  quantities  for  decora¬ 
tion  purposes  at  their  banquets,  and  this  love  for  the  flower  pur¬ 
sued  them  to  their  tomb.  Among  modern  nations,  the  Turks  dis¬ 
play  remarkable  affection  for  Roses,  Avhich  sprang,  according  to 
their  legend,  from  the  perspiration  beads  which  dropped  from 
Mahomet’s  forehead.  They  also  employ  them  largely  in  decorating 
graves. 
Irish  Anemones. 
Undoubtedly  the  finest  strain  amongst  the  Coronaria  section 
are  the  St.  Brigid  Anemones.  There  is  really  nothing  to  equal 
them  for  size  of  bloom,  brilliant  delicate  colourings,  and  lasting 
qualities.  While  writing  this  I  am  admiring  a  bed  of  them 
that  is  still  continuing  to  open  out  quantities  of  blossom,  and 
for  beauty  of  colouring  I  have  seen  nothing  to  equal  them  this 
summer  yet.  In  this  district  (North  Shropshire)  they  are  not 
much  grown,  and  this  one  is  the  admiration  of  the  immediate 
neighbourhood.  The  St.  Brigid  is  a  variety  that  can  easily  be 
grown  from  seed,  which  should  be  procured  at  once  and  sown 
immediately  to  produce  flowers  next  spring.  The  seed  being 
very  light,  of  a  fluffy  nature,  should  be  well  mixed  with  sand  to 
separate  them  and  facilitate  an  even  distribution  when  sown. 
They  are  a  very  hardy  variety,  increasing  quickly,  bearing  mostly 
flowers  of  a  semi-double  form,  and  make  an  ideal  spring  garden 
flower.  For  cutting  for  decorative  purposes  they  are  also  ex¬ 
tremely  useful,  lasting  a  long  time  in  water,  and  with  their 
great  variety  of  colours  being  adaptable  to  almost  any  required 
shade. — J.  W.  J.,  Oswestry. 
The  Effect  of  Light  in  Animal  and  Plant  Life. 
I  note  the  veiy  interesting  and  very  able  article  in  your  last 
issue,  by  Dr.  James  Weir,  in  which  he  describes  the  effect  of 
light  in  plant  and  animal  life  with  but  one  probable  error,  which 
I  shall  endeavour  to  point  out.  He  says,  among  other  things : 
“  Flammarion’s  beautiful  exi>eriments  at  the  Climatological 
Station  at  Invisy  have  shown  beyond  ciuestion  of  doubt  the 
widely  different  effect  of  the  red  and  violet  rays  on  plants. 
The  plants  clrosen  were  of  the  genus  Mimosa,  or  Sensitive  Plant, 
and  were  subject  to  the  same  thing,  with  this  exception : 
that  some  were  reared  beneath  dark-blue  grass,  and  others 
beneath  the  red.  In  four  months  the  plants  reared  under  the 
red  glass  had  attained  extraordinary  development,  while  those 
subjected  to  the  violet  rays  had  made  no  progress  whatever. 
Similar  effects  were  noted  in  the  case  of  Strawberries  and 
numerous  other  plants,  trees,  and  slnrubs.  The  plants  from 
beneath  blue  glass  did  not  die,  but  seemed  to  remain  in  a 
dormant  condition,  without  growth  or  further  development. 
Zacharamietz,  of  Vaucluse,  has  also  shown  that  plants  are 
strongly  affected  along  the  lines  of  rapid  growth  and  develop¬ 
ment  by  red  and  orange  rays.  As  early  as  1883  I  demonstrated 
and  published  the  fact  that  typhoid  fever  germs  would  not  live 
when  subjected  to  the  blue  and  violet  rays.”  From  the  foregoing 
we  get  the  impression  that  plants  under  a  red  glass  are  sub¬ 
jected  to  red  rays  of  light,  while  the  reverse  must  be  true,  as 
the  red  glass  has  absorbed  all  the  red  rays  of  light,  and  the 
remaining  only  have  penetrated.  Who  has  not  observed  that  in 
a  dark  photographic  room,  where  a  red  light  is  used,  anything 
therein  which  is  red  will  appear  white?  for  there  are  no  red 
rays  in  the  room,  all  being  absorbed  by  the  red  paper  through 
which  the  light  has  filtered. — E.  Ritchson  (in  “Scientific 
American  ”). 
A  Heavy  Cantaloup. 
I  cut  a  Melon  (Cantaloup  Noir  des  Cannes)  to-day  which 
weighed  14^1b.  I  have  grown  a  lot  of  Cantaloups,  but  this  is  the 
heaviest  that  I  have  cut. — Arthur  Bowman,  The  Gardens,  Manor 
Heath,  Halifax,  July  18. 
The  Dahlia  as  a  Vegetable. 
The  Dahlia  is  now  cultivated  in  Europe  for  its  flower,  but 
according  to  a  recent  writer,  it  was  first  introduced  there  for  its 
root  as  a  vegetable.  The  Dahlia  bulb,  when  roasted  and  eaten,  is 
wholesome  and  a  substitute  for  the  Potato. 
New  Single  Roses. 
Three  new  Roses  have  just  been  placed  on  the  market  called 
Irish  Brightness,  Irish  Pride,  and  Irish  Star.  Like  the  much- 
admired  novelties  of  last  year — Irish  Glory,  Irish  Modesty,  and 
Irish  Beauty — the  new  Roses  are  perpetual  flowering  .singles  of 
great  charm  and  beauty. 
Orchids  as  Fodder. 
In  Chicago  the  other  day  a  messenger  boy  put  a  basket  of 
Orchids,  worth  £8,  on  the  sidewalk  while  he  attended  to  some 
other  affair,  and  an  old  horse  standing  bv  made  a  meal  of  them. 
The  Orchids  were  probably  worth  more  than  the  horse ;  and  that 
is  the  costliest  thing  in  luncheons  yet  recorded  in  the  annals  of 
the  stable. 
Carnations. 
The  Carnation  (Dianthus  Caryophyllus)  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  flowers  of  the  garden,  firstly  because  of  its  great 
variety,  all  having  come  from  the  little  single-flowered  species 
which  is  still  preserved  alongside  its  grandly  developed 
descendants ;  and  secondly,  because  of  the  beauty  of  the  multi¬ 
farious  sorts  and  their  characteristics  in  growth  in  habit.  We 
figure  to-day  a  selection  of  Flaked  and  Self  Carnations.  The 
Carnation  is  divided  into  three  main  groups  by  florists,  viz., 
Bizarres,  Flakes,  and  Selfs.  The  Bizarres  ai’e  sub-divided  into 
crimson,  pink,  purple,  and  scarlet  flowered ;  Flakes  into  purple, 
rose,  and  scarlet.  Bizarres  are  variously  coloured  or  spotted  or 
striped  with  two  or  three  distinct  colours  on  a  clear  ground. 
Flakes  have  a  pure  ground,  flaked  with  one  colour  only  the  entire 
length  of  the  petal.  Picotees  are  a  section  of  Carnation  classified 
according  to  the  breadth  and  colour  of  the  edging,  and  also  the 
body-colour  of  the  petals.  Show,  Stage,  or  Fancy  Carnations 
are  one  and  the  same,  and  these  are  named  yellow-ground  or 
white-ground  Fancies.  The  former  are  exceptionally  beautiful. 
The  propagation  of  Carnations  by  layers  is  now  being  prac¬ 
tised,  though  the  work  will  not  be  general  for  a  week  or  more. 
Cross-fertilisation  for  securing  new  seedling  forms  is  very 
interesting  wmrk,  and  can  now  be  undertaken. 
Trees  and  Shrubs  in  an  Isle  of  Wight  Carden. 
The  following  notes  are  sent  by  Captain  Dawley,  Buckingham 
Villa: — Caesalpinia  japonica,  most  beautiful,  18ft  through,  with 
forty  blooms  present  time  (June  25) ;  Edwardsia  grandiflora, 
flowered  profusely  in  spring,  25ft  high. 
Myosotidium  nobile,  just  out  of  flower,  a  fine  plant ; 
Embothrium  coccineum,  a  young  plant,  doing  well ;  Lapagerias 
roseum  and  album,  under  glass,  against  north  walls  and  under 
trees,  all  vigorous  in  growth  and  flower. 
Lonicera  Hildebrandti,  vigorous  in  growth,  has  not  flowered; 
Cistus  formosum,  fine  in  bloom;  Carpenteria  californica;  Budd- 
leias  Colvilli  and  madagascariensis  each  growing  vigorously; 
Physianthus  albens,  flowers  on  w-est  wall,  vigorous;  Sollya 
heterophylla,  blooming  in  greenhouse,  plant  out  of  doors  not  yet 
flowered;  Calochorti,  very  successful. 
Bamboos  making  good  growth;  varieties:  nobilis,  fine  speci¬ 
men;  Simoni,  nigra,  viridi-glaucescens,  nitida,  Castlionis,  Quilioi, 
henonis,  palmata,  and  Arundinaria  japonica. 
Desfontainia  spinosa;  Photinia  serrulata  and  P.  japonica; 
Raphiolepis  ovata;  Crinodendron  Hookeri,  just  out  of  flower; 
Bignonia  grandiflora;  Cypripedium  spectabile,  strong  clumps, 
very  strong  in  bloom  ;  Mandevilla  suaveolens. 
Abelia  rupestris  and  A.  floribunda ;  Gerbera  Jamesoni,  has 
flowered  out  of  doors  for  four  years;  Crinums  and  Lilies  (varie¬ 
ties)  ;  Poincinia  Gilliesi ;  Disa  grandiflora,  doing  well,  to  flower  in 
August;  Dimorphotheca  Eckloni,  new  composite;  Roinneya 
Coulteri;  Clematis  Davidiana;  Hedychium  Gardnerianum,  out  of 
doors;  Irises  in  varieties  ;  Iris  Ksempferi;  Water  Lilies,  varieties; 
Lotus  peliorhynchus.  All  subjects  appear  to  be  thriving. 
