October  22,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
c81 
my  sticky  soil.  In  Lincolnshire  it  lifted  18  tons  per  acre,  with 
an  average  of  31b  of  diseased  tubers  per  ton.  As  for  King 
Edward  A  ll.,  which  was  sent  out  this  year,  I  knovr  for  a  fact  it 
has  lifted  at  I85  tons  per  acre  under  field  culture  in  Lines,  and 
last  year  it  was  over  20  tons  per  acre,  with  little  disease.  King 
Edward  VII.  out-yielded  Northern  Star  in  about  the  same  fashion 
as  the  moon  does  the  light  of  Jupiter,  although  my  soil  is  not 
.suited  to  growing  large  tubers.  Moreover,  King  Edward  VII. 
is  a  second-early,  and  the  most  beautiful  coloui’ed  Kidney  variety 
ever  sent  out  ;  whilst  Pivergood  is  one  of  the  most  taking  white 
Rounds  to-day.  Northern  Star  as  a  showman’s  “tater”  is  of 
little  use,  and  the  cottagers  who  paid  10s.  per  pound  (and  I 
believe  there  are  some)  probably  have  found  that  their  old  sorts, 
of  no  market  value,  are  still  necessary  to  win  prizes.  In  a  word. 
Northern  Star  is  the  mo.st  disappointing  variety  I  have  grown 
this  year.  Perhaps  if  I  had  coddled  it  under  a  fx'ame  and  planted 
out  on  a  specially  prepared  warm  bed  I  should  have  lifted  a 
hundredweight  or  two  :  but  I  did  not,  and  that  is  the  end  of  the 
tale. — T.  A.  Weston,  Porthing,  Hythe,  Kent. 
- - - 
Orchid  or  Violet  Day? 
Following  last  week’s  note  on  page  352,  Mr.  Chamberlain 
should,  I  think,  have  a  flower  day,  to*  be  instituted  on  similar 
lines  to  the  Primrose  Day  ;  but  I  would  like  to  suggest  Violets 
in  place  of  Orchids,  because  I  think  Orchids  are  only  for  the  few  ; 
whereas  Violets  may  be  obtained  by  all  classes,  that  is,  if  the 
Violet  is  popular  with  Mr.  Chamberlain.  If  not*  that  one,  possibly 
there  may  be  another  hardy  flower  that  could  be  named  for  the 
purpose  by  makijig  enquiries.  There  are  so  many  sorts  and 
classes  of  Orchids  that  I  fail  to  see  how  it  could  be  successful. — 
A.  J.  Long. 
A  Hint  for  the  R.H.S. 
Mr.  W^.  Bateson,  F.R.S.,  is  reported  to  have  asked  “whether 
some  new  and  great  beneficial  departure  could  not  be  made 
when  the  new  Wisley  Garden  is  taken  over?  May  the  taking 
over  of  Wisley,”  he  asked,  “not  be  used  for  the  determination 
of  the  hybridisation  experiments  that  are  now  so  paramount  ?  ” 
W^ell,  that  is  great  work;  it  is  necessary  work;  and  it  is  a 
work  we  should,  I  think,  all  vote  for,  to  be  undertaken. 
Leaving  tlxat,  however,  might  I  suggest  that  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  begin  the  formation  now,  of  a  collec¬ 
tion  of  models  of  Apple  and  Pear  fruits  (these  more  par¬ 
ticularly),  to  be  placejd  in  ca.ses  round  the  walls  of  the  new 
hall  being  built  at  Westminster? 
The  Orchid  Committee  are  xvise  in  their  day  and  generation, 
for  they  made  a  rule  long  ago  that  every  striking  new  Orchid 
that  obtains  a  certificate  shall  be  painted,  and  they  carry  this 
rule  very  fullj'  into  effect.  Is  it  not  time  that  the  Fruit  Com¬ 
mittee  should  possess  a  collection  of  100  or  150  types  of  Apples 
and  Pears  modelled  in  wax  or  other  substance?  London  is  a 
great  centre ;  and  in  the  interests  of  students  of  iromology  I 
think  such  a  collection  ought  to  exist.  Printed  cards  containing 
a  few  particulars  of  the  varieties,  and  possibly  a  woodcut  block, 
to  show  the  character  cf  the  tree  (where  such  is  distinctive), 
Avould  be  needed  to  accompany  the  models. — Metropolitan 
Fellow. 
Autumnal  Strawberries. 
As  one  cf  the  members  of  the  Ipswich  Gardeners’  Society  Avho 
had  the  pleasure  of  inspecting  the  Strawberries  at  Sproughton 
Rectory,  permit  me  to  cordially  endorse  the  remarks  of 
“  J.  H.  D.”  on  page  350.  I  had  intended  sending  some  notes  to 
the  Journal  on  the  subject  had  not  the  genial  Rector  infonaed  us 
that  a  representative  of  the  staff  had  visited  him  a  short  time  pre¬ 
viously.  It  Avas  a  miserable,  Avet  afternoon  on  the  occasion  of  our 
visit,  so  that  there  Avas  but  a  small  muster  of  members;  Iioav- 
CA’er,  those  avIio  had  braA'ed  the  elements  expressed  themseU’es 
as  amply  repaid  by  the  sight  that  met  their  gaze. 
Mr.  Foster-Melliar,  Avith  his  usual  courtesy,  gave  us  all  the 
information  in  his  poAver  about  his  method  of  cultivation.  “  Gex 
inside  and  taste  them,”  said  the  Rector;  “I  doubt  the  flaA'our 
Avon’t  be  A^ery  grand  after  this  Avet  Aveather,”  observed  oiie 
individual  on  the  quiet.  He  Axas  the  last  to  leave  the  bed,  so 
had  probably  changed  his  opinio-n.  The  A^ariety  St.  Joseph  im¬ 
pressed  the  visitors  most ;  it  is  an  enormous  cropper,  .uossesses  an 
agreeable  flaA'our,  Avhile  a  great  point  in  its  faA'our  is  the  rela¬ 
tively  small  foliage,  so  that  the  trusses  of  fruit  elevated  on  the 
Avire  supports  are  fullA'  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  at  the  same  time 
kept  aAvay  from  the  damp  soil,  an  absolutely  essential  condition 
Avith  these  StraAvherries.  St.  Antoine  de  Padoue  produces  lareer 
fruit  than  St.  .Joseph,  but  is  not  such  a  free  cropper.  The 
foliage  is  also  much  too  vigorous,  iiotAvithstanding  the  drastic 
treatment  resorted  to  by  ilr.  Melliar  to  destroy  the  fungoid 
attack.  In  his  concluding  obsejwations  “  J.  H.  D.”  thinks  it 
improbable  that  their  culture  Avill  be  taken  up  by  the  market 
men  ;  neAmrtheless,  I  knoAV  of  one  local  groAver  Avho  has  disposed 
of  scA'eral  pecks  this  season  at  a  I'emunerative  price. — E.  G. 
Greek,  Westorfield  House  Gardens. 
Notes  on  Roses. 
No  time  should  be  lost  in  pruning  all  climbing  A'arietles,  other 
than  autumn  floAvering  sorts  like  Aimee  Vibert  or  Dorothy 
Perkins  for  example.  The  method  of  pruning  climbing  Roses  is 
very  different  to  that  required  by  H.P.’s  or  Teas.'  In  the  latter 
case,  close  priming  gives  the  best  results,  the  hest  blooms 
coming  from  the  groAvth  of  the  current  year.  Not  so  in  sorts 
like  Grimson  Rambler,  Aglaia,  and  The  Lyon.  True,  these 
floAver  from  spikelets,  so  to  speak,  but  the  foundation  shoots 
from  Avhicli  these  spring  are  the  result  cf  groAvth  the  preceding 
year.  In  Roses  of  this  section,  maturity  of  growth  has  much  to 
do  Avith  their  future  success.  Hoav  shall  Ave  obtain  maturity,  or 
in  other  Avords,  ripened  Avood?  Not  by  alloAving  all  the  summer- 
made  grO'Avth  to  become  thickly  entangled,  quite  excluding  light 
and  air,  and  remain  so  until  Avhat  is  knoAvn  as  the  general  Rose 
pruning  time,  April.  Directly  the  floAvering  season  is  past 
pruning  should  couunence. 
WJiy  leave  these  .superfluous  groAvths  until  the  .spring.  Avhen 
they  can  be  as  Avell  cut  aivay  noAv  ?  The  material  Ave  require  to 
give  a  full  crop  of  handsome  floAvers  is  strong,  vigorous  shoots 
groAving  from  the  base,  and  fully  10ft  long,  or  more.  If  these 
are  exposed  thoroughly  to  air,  sunlight,  and  Avind,  maturity  is 
effected  as  groAvth  progresses;  and  Avhen  flowering  time  once 
more  comes  round,  very  different  AA'ill  be  the  result  as  compared 
Avith  those  treated  the  reverse. 
Gut  aAvay  all  shoots  that  have  given  a  full  crop  of  bloom, 
except  in  some  instances  Avhere  added  groAA'th  is  being  matle, 
even  if  it  be  not  direct  from  the  base.  Weakly  shoots  should 
come  out  also;  such  are  of  little  aid.  When  all  are  pruned  array 
that  is  thought  to  be  necessary,  tie  those  remaining  to  the  .sup¬ 
ports,  Avhatever  they  may  be,  spreading  them  out  as  thinly  as 
space  Avill  admit.  If  by  any  means,  orving  to  position,  the  soil 
about  the  roots  is  not  moi.st,  give  it  a  thorough  soaking  to  enable 
the  plants  to  perform  their  proper  functions  of  bud  formation  in 
the  embryo  stage  ;  and  bear  in  mind  that  this  section  of  Roses  is 
quite  on  an  equal  rvitli  fruit  trees,  viz.,  that  the  foundation  of 
next  year’s  fruit  promise  is  laid  this  year. 
Making  Neav  Rose  Beds. 
When  nerv  Rose  beds  are  to  be  made  this  autumn,  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  making  preparation  so  that  early  planting  can 
be  done.  Roses  planted  in  October  are  much  more  likely  to 
succeed  than  those  put  in  the  ground  in  January,  or  even 
December.  Roses  are  not  like  fruit  trees;  the  latter  do  not,  as 
a  rule,  make  iieAV  roots  immediately,  but  Roses  do,  Avhen  planted 
at  the  time  suggested  ;  therefore  it  is  an  advantage  to  plant 
early.  So  much  of  the  Wure  success  of  Roses  depends  upon  the 
method  of  preparation  and  the  manipulation  of  the’  soil,  that 
all  means  to  ensure  success  should  be  adopted. 
Deep  trenching  of  the  soil  is  an  important  factor  in  Ross 
groAving,  especially  Avhere  the  subsoil  is  of  a  lieaA'y,  retentive 
character.  Roses  enjoy  copious  supplies  of  moi.sture  at  the 
roots  during  the  period  Avhen  groAvth  is  being  made  ;  but  they 
cannot  resist  stagnation  about  their  roots,  during  the  Avinter  and 
spring  months  especially.  In  the  case  of  heavy  soil,  trench  it 
fully  2ft  deep,  breaking  up  the  boftoin  another  Gin;  this  latter 
admits  of  a  quick  percolation  of  Avater  from  lieaA'y  rains.  For 
ease  in  the  after  stirring,  the  surface  soil  in  trenching  should  be 
retained  in  the  same  position  as  before — on  the  top.  While 
trenching  is  in  progress,  atld  half-rotteel  stable  manure  freely, 
also  decayed  vegetable  refuse,  Avood  ashes  and  road  grit,  all 
of  Avhich  tends  to  bring  the  soil  into  a  more  Avoi'kable  condition, 
rendering  the  rooting  space  for  the  Roses  more  congenial,  and 
imparting  vigour  to  the  groAvth  also. 
Where  light,  sandy  soil  has  to  be  dealt  Avith,  Rose-  groAving 
is  not  alAA'ays  so  successful  as  in  the  ca.se  cf  the  opposite  kind  of 
soil.  Trenching  need  imt  be  so  deep;  but  a  quantity  of  manure 
must  be  added — this  from  the  coav  sheds  if  possible — as  also  a. 
quantity  of  clay,  incorporated  Avith  the  sand.  A  3in  coAmring  of 
decayed  vegetable  refuse,  AA'ood  ashes,  and  road  grit  spread  over 
'the  surface  of  heavy  soil  after  trenching,  Avill  assist  the  planting 
considerably.  If  trenching  is  done  at  once  the  soil  has  tiimx  to 
settle  down  a  little  before  planting  time. — Hampshiue  Downs. 
Philadelphia  Raaibler  Rose. — The  new  Rose.  Philadelphia 
Ra'mbler,  is  well  thought  of  as  an  improvement  on  the  original 
Grimson  Rambler. 
Selection  of  Ro.ses. — Herefordshire  Incumbent  ”  desires  to 
add  the  folloAvins  A'arieties  to  his  list,  given  on  page  341) H.B. 
Madame  Isaac  Pereire  (cannot  be  too  highly  recommended); 
H.B.  Souvenir  de  Mahnaison  (just  half  century  old,  but  alway.s 
>  young). 
