August  20,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
167 
Stocks  for  Roses. 
I  agree  with  a  great  deal  that  “  W.  R.  R.”  says  on  page  148, 
especially  as  to  rushing  into  print  about  Rose  stocks.  It  was, 
when  Rose  showing  first  began,  I  well  remember,  irresistible, 
and  even  beguiles  me  now  into  offering  an  opinion.  “  W.  R.  R.” 
does  not  mention  standards.  To  my  mind,  these  have  never 
been  fully  appreciated,  and  in  my  thirty  years  of  growing  show 
Roses  I  found  nothing  like  them.  They  are  not  back-breaking 
to  bud  ■,  they  are  easy  to  get  to  root,  and  they  give,  I  always 
found,  almost  unsurpassable  maiden  blooms.  I  remember  a  well 
known  nurseiwman,  who  in  the  seventies  always  showed  from 
his  maidens,  always  managing  to  sell  off  his  whole  stock ;  and 
then  every  autumn  planting  out  his  fresh  hundreds  of  Briar 
stocks,  every  one  with  at  least  a  foot  deeip  of  good  manure 
beneath  it. 
I  was  myself  exceptionally  well  placed  for  getting  Briars.  In 
my  Surrey  parish  my  farmers  most  graciously  gave  me  the  run 
of  all  their  hedges  in  November,  and  my  two  or  three  days 
“  briaring  ”  used  to  supply  me  with  the  three  or  four  hundred 
stocks  I  needed.  I  then  always  thought  that  for  exhibition 
H.P.’s  there  was  nothing  like  a  good  Briar  stock;  whilst  half- 
standards  always  seemed  to  me  to  give  the  best  Teas.  If  not 
wanted  for  exhibition,  high  standards  certainly  make  the  finest 
show',  and  here  in  Berkshire  a  well  knowm  Rose  grow'er  at 
Aldermaston  has  Teas  of  great  magnificence  upon  standards  of 
all  heights. 
As  “  W.  R.  R.”  remarks,  it  is  most  pathetic  to  see  the  poor 
plants  so  often  buried  before  they  are  dead.  In  many  gardens 
the  soil  rises  higher  and  higher  up  the  stem  wdth  each  yearly 
manuring,  until  the  marvel  is  that  the  plant  flowers  at  all.  One 
other  standard  advantage  I  must  mention  before  dropping  my 
pen :  a  standard  Briar’s  suckers  are  honest,  open,  and  unmis¬ 
takable  ;  not  like  those  of  the  insidious  Manetti  and  De  la 
Grifferie,  which  I  continually  observe  in  gardens  here  with  their 
half  or  three-quarters  murdered  foster  children. — A.  C.,  Read¬ 
ing,  August  13. 
Evergreen  Shrubs  for  Seaside  Planting. 
In  his  useful  recommendation  of  shrubs  suitable  for  this  pur¬ 
pose  (page  148)  your  veteran  correspondent,  Mr.  G.  Abbey, 
includes  Euonymus  japonicus.  This  reminds  me  that  it  is  par 
excellence,  the  villa  frontage  hedge  at  that  charming  seagirt 
Sussex  town  of  Worthing,  so  famous  for  emporium  of  Grape, 
Tomato,  Cucumber,  and  Melon  cultivation.  There  hedges  of  it  from 
a  yard  to  even  six  yards  high  strike  the  visitor  with  w’onder  and 
admiration,  and  in  effect  even  surpassing  the  less  lively  greenery 
of  the  common  Holly,  which  latter,  however,  it  is  needless  to 
observe,  affords  the  more  protective  element  as  a  fence.  Contribut¬ 
ing  also  to  the  scenic  effect  is  the  variegated  golden  form  of  the 
Euonymus  japonicus,  wdiicli  appears  to  luxuriate  equally  with  its 
prototype  there,  though  comparatively  much  less  in  adoption. 
Its  introduction  from  Japan  to  England  occurred  nearly  seventy 
years  ago,  while  the  original  variety  w'as  introduced  about  thirty 
years  previously. 
Some  of  the  older  established  plantings  of  the  subject  in 
question  at  Worthing,  and  when  not  closely  pruned  or  allowed 
to  grow  unrestrained,  eventually  produce  fruit  more  like  the 
scarlet  berries  of  the  Butcher’s  Broom  (Ruscus  aculeatus)  than 
those  of  the  Holly,  though  not  nearly  in  such  profusion  as  the 
latter.  Of  course,  my  observations  relate  to  the  Euonymus  w'here 
sheltered  from  the  direct  exposure  to  the  sea ;  otlierw'ise,  if 
sheltered  by  a  retaining  wall  or  other  suitable  fence,  both  the 
green  and)  golden  varieties  luxuriate  in  close  proximity  to  the 
seashore,  as  exemplified  at  Worthing. 
Apropos  of  the  formation  of  a  hedge  of  Euonymus,  a  novel 
design  is  that  to  be  observed  in  a  few  instances  at  Worthing,  with 
a  foundation  of  a  wattled  Hazel  wood  fence,  about  3ft  high,  and 
w’hich  serves  as  a  ijrotection  and  support  to  the  Euonymus  in  its 
initial  stage  of  grow’th.  The  shoots  protrude  through  the  inter¬ 
stices  of  the  fence,  which,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  is  com¬ 
pletely  enveloped  by  the  rapid  growing  plants.  The  fence  had, 
in  the  meanwhile,  presented  a  pleasing  rustic  appearance,  and,  in 
fact,  much  more  so  than  one  composed  of  open  palings. 
In  conclusion,  it  has  just  occiuTed  to  me  that  there  is  another 
shrub  worthy  of  notice,  and  not  mentioned  by  Mr.  Abbey,  that 
is  the  common  Tamarix  (Tamarix  gallica),  an  excellent  seaside 
plant,  extensively  planted  along  the  South  Coast;  but,  strangely. 
not  so  at  Worthing,  excepting  somewhat  sparsely  as  a  hedge  plant 
in  front  of  inner  villas,  forming  as  it  does  by  reason  of  its  pale 
green  elegant  and  slender  Cupressus  macrocarpa  like  growths,  a 
very  pleasing  contrast  to  the  other  various  kinds  of  hedge  shrubs. 
It  is  also  readily  amenable  to  the  pruning  shears  or  knife.  Slip^s 
or  cuttings  readily  root  in  the  moist  sea  sand. — W.  G. 
The  hew  Carden  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
In  view  of  the  large  number  of  letters  I  am  receiving  asking 
if  Wisley  Garden  can  be  visited  by  Fellows,  will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  permit  me  to  say  that  at  present  the  property  has  mrt  yet 
been  handed  over  to  the  Society,  and  that  none  of  our  oihcers 
are  there  as  yet.  It  is  therefore  impossible  to  open  it  to  the 
Fellows  at  present.  In  fact,  some  few  months  will  probably 
elapse  before  that  can  be  done,  but  due  notice^  will  be  given 
to  all  Fellows  as  soon  as  ever  it  is  possible. — V\  .  \\  ilks,  bee. 
Flowering  of  Hardy  Bamboos. 
It  is  seldom  we  have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  in  this 
country  any  of  the  hardy  Bamboos  flowering  in  the  open  air. 
This  year,  however,  is  an  exception  to  the  general  rule ;  for  here, 
and  probably  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  they  have  flowered 
and  are  producing  seed  freely,  and  eventually  I  hope  to  ha\e 
seedling  Bamboos  raised  from  home  grown  seeds. 
So  far  only  one  species  has  flowered  here,  that  being  Arun- 
dinaria  Simoni,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  plants  lifted  and 
divided  as  recently  as  the  last  week  in  April  have  flowered  and 
are  maturing  seed  quite  as  freely  as  old  and  established  plants. 
It  was  thought  at  one  time  that  when  the  plants  floweied  they 
died;  but  that  is  far  from  being  the  case,  as  not  only  are  fresh 
shoots  springing  from  the  underground  rhizomes,  but  the  f™i^  ' 
ing  branches  are  also  producing  new  growths,  and  appear  like.y 
to  survive  for  a  considerable  time  the  production  of  their 
fruits. 
.  It  would  surely  be  interesting  to  know  what  reasons  can  be 
assigned  for  this  sudden  floriferousness  on  the  part  of  plants 
that  though  old  and  well  established,  have  never  been  known 
to  flower  before.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  climatic  con¬ 
ditions  which  have  prevailed  in  this  country  for  the  past  two 
years  have  been  favourable  to  the  better  growth  and  develop¬ 
ment  of  these  giant  Reeds,  and  in  that  fact  we  shall  probably 
find  the  cause.  It  would  be  instructive  and  interesting  to  have 
the  views  of  other  Journal  readers  who  possess  collections  of 
these  noble  and  decorative  plants.— S.  Popplewell,  Stokko 
Gardens,  Wilts.  i  i.  > 
[Arundinaria  Simoni  habitually  flowers  in  Earl  Ilchester  s 
London  garden. — En.] 
- - 
A  Plea  for  the  Mole. 
A  writer  in  a  recent  issue  of  “The  Daily  News ”  says  that 
“farmers  owning  much  pasture  land  do  not  speak  higi  y  o  ^ 
mole.”  That  is  quite  true;  there  is  a  venerable  and  obstinate 
prejudice  to  overcome;  but  facts  are  facts  and  text-books  and 
works  of  reference  clearly  prove  that  the  mole  is  not  a  destructn  e 
animal.  ... 
M.  Flourens  states  that  the  mole,  if  not  exclusively,  is 
essentially  carnivorous,  and  probably  the  most  ^ 
the  animal  kingdom.  He  feeds  on  worms,  snails,  slugs,  cater¬ 
pillars  cockchafer  grubs,  and  many  other  .siibterranean  and  snr- 
File  creSres.  M?  R.  A.  Sterndale,  F.Z.S.,  in  h.s  "o*  t  ■» 
“  Mammalia  of  India,”  says  that  moles  are  not  in  India 
and  that  their  destruction  in  this  country  is  carried  on  in  a  spiiit 
rvf  icronrance  Maceillivray,  an  ob.servant  naturalist,  regarded 
Fhe  mole  L  a  uaSnio.aK  ’  I  th.nk  it  was  Frank  Buckland  w  .o 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  wherever  moles  have  been  the 
grass  grows  afterwards  very  luxuriously  Miss  Ormerod  and  Sir 
Herbert  Maxwell  have  also  written  to  the  same  effect. 
The  Board  of  Agriculture  publishes  a  leaflet 
life  history  of  the  cockchafer,  in  which  it  is  stated  .  Moles  and 
•  shrewmice^  feed  upon  cockchafers,  and  both  of  these  animals 
should!  be  protected.” 
Moles  instead  of  being  farmer’s  foes,  are  really  hi.s  friends, 
and  we  may  yet  see  laws  passed  to  saye  him  from  exterminatiqn 
“  the  haLi’oTlS  oenselLs  persecutors.  toimw  it  rs  that  m 
the  nresent  depressed  condition  of  agriculture  (to  quote  from 
an  article  in  “The  Nineteenth  Century,”  by  the  Rev.  Augustus 
Jessop)  “it  is  difficult  to  esLmate  how  much 
flwno-  done  bv  the  extermination  of  one  of  the  tai nier  9  oest 
SmoF?  influential  friends,  the  .nole.'-JosEPB  COLL.KSOK, 
53,  Chancery  Lane,  M  .C. 
