Part 11

Having given these hints on the cultivation of roses and the means of preventing the ravages of these insect enemies, we have but a few words to say concerning the different varieties. These all naturally fall under four heads, the summer, autumnal, climbing, and monthly roses. By summer, is meant those hardy kinds which bloom in the early summer only; the autumnal sorts not only bloom in the early summer, but also again more or less in the autumn. These are also called Hybrid Perpetuals, and Remontants. They are indeed hybrids, but the term perpetual is only calculated to mislead, for they do not bloom perpetually, and many of them give but few autumn flowers.

By climbing, is meant those hardy, free-growing, rambling varieties which can be trained to climb over a trellis or cover the side of the house or verandah. It is not intended to embrace those tender climbers, such as climbing Devoniensis or Marechal Niel, which can be grown only in the house, and are grouped under the head of monthly roses, which includes those known as Bourbon, Tea, and China Roses, which bloom almost constantly during their growing season.

It is not proposed to give anything like an exhaustive list of the roses which are classed under these different heads, that would be wearisome, but only to name a few of those which have been well tested and are likely to become favorites in every rose garden. Of the summer sorts we name first of all one that is probably well known to every one of our readers, one that has been the companion of our childhood’s happiest hours, and fraught with many, many memories, the CABBAGE ROSE. It is yet one of our very prettiest roses, double to the perfection of fulness, and its petals suffused with blushes. Very like this, only with an added beauty, is the

COMMON MOSS ROSE, which is believed to be a sport from the old Cabbage Rose. A German writer has ventured to tell us how it happened:

The angel of the flowers one day Beneath a rose-tree sleeping lay; Awakening from his light repose, The angel wispered to the rose; ‘Oh fondest object of my care, Still fairest found where all are fair, For the sweet shade thou’st given me, Ask what thou wilt, ’tis granted thee.’ ‘Then,’ saith the rose, with deepened glow, ‘On me another grace bestow.’ The spirit paused in silent thought, What grace was there that flower had not? ’Twas but a moment; o’er the rose A veil of moss the angel throws; And robed in nature’s simplest weed, Could there a flower that rose exceed?

There is another variety of this which is known as the

CRESTED MOSS ROSE. The calyx is most beautifully edged with a mossy fringe, which gives to the buds a very attractive appearance.

MADAM PLANTIER is the best white, a most abundant bloomer, and very hardy.

PERSIAN YELLOW is the richest and most desirable, as it is the most double of the yellow roses.

KEAN is a magnificent, rich, velvety purple, with scarlet centre, making a most delightful contrast with the light-coloured roses.

In the autumnal class there is an almost endless list of names, and every year more are added, some of which are no improvement on those we already have. The few names that are given comprise some of the most desirable that thrive well in our climate. It should be borne in mind that the autumnal display can be considerably increased by cutting off half of the summer bloom as soon as the buds appear, and when the flowers that are suffered to remain have faded, cut back the shoots to three or four buds, so as to throw the plant into a vigorous new growth.

BOULE DE NEIGE, a beautiful pure white that also blooms freely in the autumn.

MADAME ALFRED DE ROUGEMONT is white delicately shaded with rose, a most charming flower, also blooming well in autumn.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH is a brilliant scarlet crimson, shaded with maroon, large and full; a most gorgeous flower.

FISHER HOLMES, reddish scarlet, shaded with deep velvety crimson, large and very brilliant.

LORD MACAULEY, a rich clouded crimson, large and full, with petals of great substance.

LE RHONE is dark vermillion, very rich and brilliant, one of the very best.

SOUVENIR DE WILLIAM WOOD is a very dark maroon, shaded with scarlet; a large and showy flower, and blooms well in autumn.

XAVIER OLIBO is velvety black, shaded with amaranth, blooms freely in the fall, and is one of the best.

MADAME LA BARONNE DE ROTHSCHILD is most magnificent; the color is a clear rose, shaded with white, the petals are of a shell-like substance, and each flower of great size.

MADAME FILLION is another large, finely formed flower, of a salmon rose color, one of the best.

MADAME RIVAL has a beautiful clear satin rose color, of large size, most handsomely cupped, and blooms well in the fall.

MADAM MARIE CIRODDE, has a large and handsomely imbricated flower, of a most beautiful rosy-pink color, and is certainly one of the best.

JOHN HOPPER is a very attractive flower, large and full, of a clear rosy crimson deepening in color at the centre.

COMTESSE DE CHABRILLIANT is handsomely cupped, the color is a bright pink, and it is richly perfumed.

MADEMOISELLE ANNIE WOOD blooms very abundantly in autumn, and is a large flower of a fine, clear red color.

DUCHESSE DE VALLAMBROSA, when it first opens is of a light peach-blow color, but gradually changes to pure white, the flowers are large and globular in form.

MADAME LACHARME is another beautifully clear wax-like flower, white, with a light blush in the centre.

TRIOMPH DE FRANCE is an extra large flower of perfect form and of a beautiful, bright rosy carmine.

These eighteen by no means exhaust the list of beautiful remontant roses, but they are sufficient to give some idea of their great beauty, variety and richness of coloring. Our climate will not admit of the use of any but the most hardy of the climbing roses. There is something indeed very enjoyable in a climate that will admit of festooning the verandas with climbing Devoniensis, or that glory of yellow roses, Marechal Niel; but we must content ourselves with those that will bear severer cold, and though lacking in perfume are by no means wanting in beauty.

QUEEN OF THE PRAIRIES is probably the best of the hardy climbers; color bright rosy-red, globular in form and somewhat cupped, of good size, and produced in great profusion.

BALTIMORE BELLE is a most delicately beautiful flower, white, suffused with a soft blush, quite double, and borne in very full clusters.

GEM OF THE PRAIRIES proves to be quite hardy, the flowers are large, perfectly double and fragrant, though not in a high a degree, color a light crimson.

THE AYRSHIRE FAMILY is not so hardy, yet may be used to run over a bank, or upon the ground, where they will be protected by the snow.

THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS is the best of this class, a pure white rose, flourishing even in a poor soil.

THE MONTHLY ROSES are too tender to bear the cold of our winters. They can be planted out in the summer, but must be taken up in autumn, and either potted and kept in the window, or the roots may be buried in earth in a cool cellar, and the plants kept there until spring. They bloom almost continuously, and it has been by crossing with these that our autumn blooming section has been obtained. We name a few of these that have been thoroughly tested, and are general favorites.

GLOIRE DE DIJON is a very beautiful tea-scented flower, yellow, shaded with salmon, very large and full.

MARECHAL NIEL blooms best when it is allowed to ramble; it makes a splendid green-house climber, and is the best deep yellow rose, very large and full, and delightfully scented.

SOUVENIR D’UN AMI is a favorite flower, rose color, shaded with deep salmon, large and full, excellent for pot culture.

CHESHUNT HYBRID proves to be a large, cherry-carmine rose, very beautiful in bud, and the plant a strong grower.

HERMOSA is a valuable light pink, a most profuse and constant bloomer.

Those who wish extended collections will consult the lists of our florists, which are indeed perplexing because of their abundance, especially to those who wish for only a few of the best. The hints here given we trust will be found helpful to our readers, who we feel sure enjoy nothing more than a bed of beautiful roses.

—————

SUMMER MEETING.

This was held in the City Hall, St. Catharines, on Wednesday, the tenth of July. The President, Rev. R. Burnet, of London, called the meeting to order, and after the transaction of some routine business, the meeting proceeded to discuss the question how far the fruit crops of Ontario had been injured by the late spring frosts. Chief Johnson, of Tuscarora, stated that his grapes had been badly injured, and that he should not have half a dozen bunches; while Mr. Taylor, of Hamilton, thought that the near proximity of Burlington Bay had been very serviceable to his grapes, as he should have a medium crop, though further back they had suffered more severely. P. C. Dempsey, of Albury, stated that the grape vines were frozen entirely back, but they had put forth a second growth, but when this was in bloom there came a rain which washed off the pollen, so that the fruit did not set. Strawberries turned out a fair crop. Plums were not injured, and there was every prospect of a most abundant supply. Of pears, there would be a fair crop of all sorts except the Flemish Beauty, which since the fruit set had mildewed very badly and dropped off. The apple crop was thin, but the samples would be very fine. L. Woolverton said that about Grimsby the apple scarcely suffered at all; pears suffered but very little; peaches were more injured than was at first thought, for they have been dropping off very badly; cherries were a total failure; currants were not hurt, indeed they were the finest they had raised in some time; the grapes were not much hurt.

A. Morse, of Smithville, reported that in his neighborhood the peaches were all gone, but a few grapes had escaped; plums were badly injured; cherries, a failure; pears, nearly half a crop; the raspberry crop never better; currants good; and apples half a crop. Red apples had escaped better than the light colored. W. Saunders, of London, said that on the nights of the 12th and 13th of May the thermometer fell to 26°. Up to that time everything promised well, but this frost killed two-thirds of the strawberry crop; black currants were nearly all killed, and the other sorts badly injured; the cherries were ruined, unless a few Maydukes, and some of the common Kentish; plums were blackened inside and fell off; pears suffered very badly; the injury to apples was sectional, very serious in some orchards; and the crab apples suffered the most; the grapes partially recovered when a second frost injured them, though not as seriously as the first; up to within ten days ago raspberries promised well, but the great heat accompanied with severe drought has dried them up very badly, and the fruit is small; and the apples are falling off from the same cause.

In the vicinity of Port Dalhousie, W. H. Reed informed the meeting the fruit crops had not suffered materially from frost, but that when the fruit trees were in blossom the weather was so wet that the pollen did not fertilize the blossoms, consequently the apple crop will be small, and cherries a failure; but there will be a fair crop of plums; a good crop of gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, and there has been an excellent crop of strawberries. C. Arnold remarked that at Paris the frost destroyed the blossoms of the grapes entirely, but that a second growth on some varieties has bloomed later, so that there will be a few grapes. Those plum trees that had set their fruit well before the frost, and those that bloomed after the frost, have escaped injury; there were but very few blossoms on the pear trees; apples bloomed profusely, and there will be a large crop. In some localities the strawberries were killed, in others they escaped, his own were all killed; raspberries were not injured by the frost, but the extreme dry and hot weather had totally dried up the berries, especially those of the black-cap family; black currants are a poor crop, of other sorts a passably fair crop, as also of gooseberries; the common red cherries were a total failure, a very moderate crop of other sorts. Wm. Roy, of Owen Sound, reported that there was four degrees of frost there when the strawberries were in full bloom, hence there had been only about a quarter of a crop; there will not be more than one-quarter of the usual crop of plums; apples were materially injured, yet there will be an average crop; pears are badly injured by the frost, but the grapes had not put forth, and so escaped, so that those who have grape vines will enjoy a good crop, though they have not been very generally planted; there were no cherries, but the raspberry crop was large and fine, and the gooseberries are very fine. W. McKenzie Ross said that at Chatham strawberries were badly injured by the frost, and grapes a complete failure; there was plenty of fruit on the quince bushes, and a large crop of the common red cherry, but none of the sweet varieties; apples would be a small crop, but on the shore of Lake Erie it would be good, and likewise a good crop of peaches, and a considerable crop of pears. Jonas Neff, of Port Colborne, states that there had never been a better display of blossoms on the pear trees, but the frost had destroyed them all; and the crop of apples would be small, though the Baldwin trees were well laden with apples; the plums have fallen off; there are no peaches; strawberries and cherries are a failure, but currants are abundant.

R. Werden reported for St. Catharines that though the frost killed the earliest strawberries, yet the crop was one of the largest; the raspberries were also very abundant and good; currants, a large crop; plums set their fruit abundantly, but the Curculio is causing them to drop off; and there is a good crop of gooseberries; apples promise to be only a medium crop. Mr. Laing said that at St. Thomas there was not more than half a crop of strawberries; black currants were a total failure, and of red and white sorts there would be only half a crop; the grapes are all gone; cherries, very few; a good many plums; and a pretty fair crop of apples, which promise to be an excellent sample. Geo. Leslie remarked that about Toronto there had been a medium crop of strawberries; cherries were a failure; and black currants about half a crop; there was a full crop of raspberries; an entire failure of plums; and almost a failure in pears, the Flemish Beauty giving the best crop of any variety; grapes escaped the frost; apples set their fruit well, but the late severe drought, which has lasted for five weeks, is causing many of the apples to drop. A. M. Smith said that at Drummondville all kinds of fruit had been injured; strawberries, apples, pears, &c., were not more than half a crop; cherries, almost a failure; black currants were more injured than the red and white; and grapes were very seriously cut off. At Jordan Mr. Honsberger said the strawberry crop had been fair; raspberries were a medium crop; red and white currants were not much hurt; black currants suffered more, but there was a fair crop; gooseberries are good; peaches, not half a crop, the Crawfords and Foster are hurt the most, Early Beatrice and Early Rivers are well loaded; the apple crop is light, the best show of fruit is on the Northern Spy.

Col. McGill stated that at Oshawa the strawberry crop lost its earliest berries; pears were nearly a failure; no cherries except the common red; and the plum crop would be about one-third as large as usual; grapes never promised better; raspberries were good; and apples not more than half a crop. J. G. Miller, of Virgil, reported that the first growth of the grape vines was wholly killed by the frost, but that a second growth was coming on, and there would probably be a pretty fair crop; there will not be half a crop of apples; the pear crop is very much injured; plums never promised better, and in my grounds have been unable to find a single Curculio, though traces of their work are to be seen; strawberries have been a good crop; cherries, half a crop; peaches will be a light crop; currants abundant; and apricots few.

The meeting then considered the question What new varieties of strawberries are promising well? Mr. Biggar, of Drummondville, thought that the Great American promised to be a good fruit. Mr. Laing, of St. Thomas, that the Monarch of the West is doing well. A. M. Smith named Cumberland Triumph as having done well this year, Great American as promising, and Monarch of the West as large, very productive, and of good flavor; and Mr. Morden thought Long John wonderfully productive. Dr. Watt, of Niagara, remarked that Col. Cheney was one of the best with him. Mr. Stewart, of Virgil, had found the Duchesse to be of medium size, early, very good, and fairly productive; Crescent Seedling moderate bearer, fair size, and good quality; Col. Cheney very productive, even more so than the Wilson, but the fruit was not perfect; Captain Jack to be of small size, very productive, and of good quality; Great American, after two years trial had not done well, the plants seemed to be weak and unable to make runners. Mr. Gilchrist, of Guelph, said the New Dominion had been about as productive as the Wilson, but was too soft for shipping; and that Col. Cheney had done well. A. M. Smith remarked that he had sent a few crates of the New Dominion to Hamilton and Toronto and had received fifteen cents per quart for them, while the Wilson brought only ten. Mr. Honsberger said he had shipped the New Dominion to Montreal and Ottawa and received no complaints as to the shipping qualities of the fruit.

The meeting spent an hour in discussing the methods of cultivation best adapted to the successful growing of small fruits. As was to be expected, a variety of opinions were elicited, yet the weight of opinion seemed to be in favor of making the soil quite rich for currants, raspberries, and gooseberries; only moderately rich for strawberries, and less rich for blackberries; with plenty of water for strawberries and gooseberries, and thorough clean surface cultivation for all, stirring the surface of the ground frequently. In the case of raspberries and blackberries, members were advised to cut out the old canes as soon as the fruit was gathered; take away any weak or superfluous young canes, and shorten in the remainder.

On the question as to what varieties of the raspberry succeed well, it was conceded generally that the Philadelphia was the most prolific of all, and several thought it also the most profitable, others had found the dark color of the fruit objectionable, and on that account preferred the brighter colored sorts, as the Clarke and Highland Hardy; the Highland Hardy was early, coming in before any other, even before strawberries were gone. Diadem was mentioned as being of fine flavor, and hardy. In Prince Edward County the black-cap raspberries had proved more profitable than the red, but this did not seem to be the experience in the western and southern sections.

There was a display of fruit of very fine quality, consisting of cherries, currants, raspberries and gooseberries, but very much less in quantity than was to be expected in such a famous fruit-growing section as St. Catharines and vicinity.

Most of the gooseberries were seedling varieties, raised from the European, and if they continue to be free from mildew they will be great acquisitions. Mr. Scott, of Orangeville, sent some fruit from a seedling gooseberry that he has cultivated for ten years without mildew.

The next meeting will be held in Sarnia, on Wednesday, the eleventh of September next.

—————

HORTICULTURAL GOSSIP. III.

BY L. WOOLVERTON, M.A., GRIMSBY.

The Fruit Grower should read up on science, especially in the subjects of Botany and Entomology. A knowledge of these will help his prosperity very materially, and give weight to his opinions. He should know the principles that underlie his methods, so that he may have independence of action, and not be swayed about by every opinion and superstitious notion of another.

A short time ago a neighbor came to me in great consternation, a large species of Hemiptera, (_Belostoma Americana_,) such as he had never seen before, flew into his window one night. He was terribly frightened, and brought it me, saying, “it was surely an omen of some great calamity!” The same man thought he had made a great discovery. One day, seeing countless numbers of Aphides upon his cherry trees, and many ants visiting them to suck their sweet juices, he at once concluded that the ants brought the lice, and exultingly told us he had found a method of keeping the ants from climbing his trees! Such men in their ignorance of science, will be very likely to mistake friends for foes; and the Lady Beetle or the Calosoma are as much in danger of destruction at their hands as the Aphis, or the Doryphora.

A COMMON MISTAKE IN PRUNING.—We notice those trees need most pruning that have had most of it. Vigorous shoots in the crotches of apple trees, in most cases indicate injudicious pruning. Some people try to make their trees grow dish-shaped, and cut out the central limbs; but nature rebels against such abuse. A little attention to botany shows that every tree has its normal shape, and that all the pruner should attempt is to thin out weak and superfluous limbs, or shorten in long and slender ones. Several young orchards here show much feebleness resulting from abusive pruning.

THE EARLY SEASON.—Blossoms were out three weeks sooner this spring than usual, as is seen by the following comparative memoranda: apple blossoms, May 25th, 1874; May 27th, 1875; May 26th, 1876; May 20th, 1877; May 3rd, 1878. Peach blossoms were out this year on the 24th of April, on which date in 1875, the ground was still frozen up and covered with snow.

THE MAY FROST has done considerable damage. Cherries have suffered worse than any other fruit, for the connection not yet being severed between the corolla and the receptacle, the frosting of the flower destroyed the fruit also. The peach suffered very little, being protected by the corolla, which was loosened, but not yet cast. Other causes, however, combine to destroy our hopes of a very abundant crop. The apple is intact, with the exception of the Greening and the Russet, which have been somewhat thinned.

THE CURL is a malady which has this year attacked the peach orchards about Grimsby to an extent hitherto quite unknown. It made its appearance toward the end of May, and was a source of great anxiety to some who mistook it for that terrible scourge, the yellows. The leaves curled up, became much thickened with reddish swellings on the upper side. Then they took a yellowish hue, and began to drop, and about the first of June our orchards presented an almost deathly appearance. Fortunately the experience of the past shows us that it does no material injury to the tree, and that we may expect a new crop of healthy foliage. The variety that has suffered most from the Curl with us is the Early Beatrice, from which not only the leaves, but most of the fruit has fallen.

—————

EXPERIMENTS WITH THE GRAPE VINE FLEA-BEETLE.

BY HENRY BONNYCASTLE, CAMPBELLFORD.