season, if unchecked, is generally followed by a barrenness the next, which is a state of things by all means to be avoided. I think the foregoing observations have a material bearing on the subject, and indicate the primary principles on which the necessary practice must be founded.

Redleaf.

JOHN COX.

THE NEMOPHILA.

AMONGST hardy annuals, I suppose that there is none so extensively employed, and so universally known, as the above. If we pay a visit to the garden of the most humble cottager a few patches of this will assuredly meet our eye. Although its duration of blooming is rather short the Nemophila is, nevertheless, most attractive during the early summer months, and with repeated sowings at different times its blooming period out of doors may be considerably prolonged.

It is now some years since I saw it employed for decorative purposes in the conservatory, and I feel rather surprised it is not used for such a purpose rather more extensively, as it forms a most beautiful object, especially if bloomed during March and April. For this purpose, seed may be sown in September in small pots, say 60-sized, and the young plants wintered in a cold house as near the glass as possible. Three plants in a pot will be sufficient. In January, should the plants be required to be grown tolerably large, they may be shifted into pots of larger size, and removed again to the same quarters. It is absolutely necessary that they should be kept tolerably dry all through the winter, as over-watering will soon tell its own tale by causing the plant to assume a yellowish hue, a sure sign of bad health.

I find the Nemophila in pots thrives remarkably well in loam and well rotted leaf mould in equal parts, with a liberal addition of old mortar rubbish finely sifted. In this compost, if the pots are thoroughly drained and every attention paid, the Nemophila will grow as strong as the Ice-plant, and bloom most profusely, rewarding those who may not consider it beneath their notice to bestow a little care on such a simple, but, nevertheless, most charming annual. Wrotham Park, Barnet. JOHN EDLINGTON.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT ROSES.

I SHOULD much like to elicit the opinion of some of the practical contributors to the FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST as to the suitability of the Manetti as a Rose stock for dry soils. I have lately been reading a good deal that has been advanced as to its merits and demerits; but nothing that has been said seems to tally with my own particular experience, which unfortunately is by no means favourable to the Manetti; but in any case, whether I may be right or wrong, fair and impartial discussion upon a subject of such vital importance to Rose-growers cannot fail to prove advantageous to all.

I think there can be no question that the Manetti is the favourite stock of the nurseryman, because it affords him the quickest possible means of propagating a large quantity; and also because of its adaptability to all soils and situations so long as it remains the Manetti and nothing else; but whether it is equally suitable for permanent purposes, and possesses all those characteristics which enable it to perpetuate Roses in their fullest degree of perfection for a number of years, is a matter of the first importance to the buyer, and well worthy the most careful consideration.

The Roses, on the growth of which my observations were made, were

supplied from the nursery of one of the largest growers in the south, the mention of whose name would be a sufficient guarantee that they were all that could be desired as far as health, robustness, and proper working could make them; and therefore we may fairly start with this premise, that whatever has gone wrong with them must either have been the fault of my method of cultivation, or have arisen from causes beyond my control.

My Rose-bed is situated in a very warm and sheltered position. When first planted the soil, which is a yellow loam, was trenched 2 feet deep, and liberally supplied with a dressing of rotten manure and scrapings from the roadside. The plants when received were remarkably strong and vigorous, but the shoots, being of very rapid growth, were necessarily pithy, and therefore not so well able to withstand the severe pruning that newly planted Roses must undergo. One that was particularly pithy, Evêque de Nîmes, died without starting a bud; but the remainder, having been mulched with half-rotten dung and liberally watered, managed to grow on, and bloomed in the summer pretty well. Unfortunately, however, with continued drought came a lack of water, and as a matter of necessity they had to be left to shift for themselves as best they could, and as a consequence I got scarcely any autumn bloom. During the ensuing winter, I forked in a good dressing of manure, and, after pruning, a top-dressing of soil from an old Cucumber-bed. The early part of the last summer, not having been so dry as the preceding one, I had a very fair amount of bloom; but the hot month of September once more exhausted our waterworks, and carried death and desolation into the midst of my Rose-bed; several were quite dead, others too far gone ever to make good plants again; and not one of those worked on the Manetti was anything to boast of.

Now, after this paragraph of failures has been read, I shall be asked, I imagine, "Did you bury the stock in the soil?" To this I reply, Yes. "How did you prune?" Hard the first year, and sparingly afterwards; as they never produced growth at all equal to what they did at the nursery. "Did you mulch the roots?" Yes. "Then how about moisture?" Well, really, this is my weak point, for situated as my garden is upon the saddle of a ridge, with a fall on either side, having from 2 to 3 feet of soil on the surface, with 12 feet of gravel under that, and where the water in the wells falls from 6 feet in winter to 36 at midsummer, some of them becoming quite dry by August-it must be confessed that I am not cultivating the Rose under the most favourable circumstances, especially when worked on the Manetti.

Now, I have not written this much simply for the purpose of depreciating the character of the Manetti as a stock. I have no doubt that in some situations it is all that can be desired; but this can only be where the soil is well adapted to it. All Roses do not do badly with me; because I have growing on their own roots a large number that have done remarkably well, and promise, at the present time, an abundance of bloom next summer. Among the Roses which I had from the nursery were a few on their own rootsviz., John Hopper, Beauty of Waltham, and others; these were planted in the same bed with others on the Manetti, and they have thriven in a way that affords a marked contrast to the latter. But the most direct confirmation of my belief that Roses on their own roots succeed better than those on the Manetti in dry soils, is to be found in a row of the former which I planted in the hottest situation in my garden, from whence I had previously grubbed out an old Laurel hedge; they were a mixed collection of Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals of my own striking, and the strong and redundant growth which they made in the course of the first season after planting, under even a less generous treatment than those on the Manetti received, has astonished as much as delighted me. I had some very fine blooms from these, especially in the

autumn; and now, thinking that it would be an act of vandalism to cut away all this luxuriant growth, which under the ordinary mode of pruning I should have done, I have, instead, adopted the plan so strongly recommended by Mr. Perry some time since in the FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST, of pegging down, having first taken out the smallest shoots, and taken a few inches off the tops of the stronger ones as the case might require. Judging by present appearances, I may anticipate a large display of bloom during the ensuing season, superinduced by this method of treatment.

Roses are by no means difficult to strike, especially where a little ordinary care and forethought are used. Almost every Rose-grower has his own particular plan; mine is as follows: Early in November, when the plant has shed its leaves, and the wood is well ripened, I take off for cuttings what wood can be spared without absolutely pruning the tree; it is cut into lengths of about 6 inches, carefully named, and the cuttings are inserted almost as thickly as possible in an old frame in which a compost of road grit and mould has been placed. Bury the cuttings about half their length in the compost, take care to keep them as close to the glass as possible, and throw a mat over this in severe weather, but when fine and mild give them all the air possible; this will help to mature the wood, and assist in callusing. By the beginning of March it will be found that the majority of the cuttings will have done so. At this time take advantage of open weather, and transfer the whole to some wellprepared ground in a sunny situation. Stretching a line, make a cut with the spade by its side, half fill up the shallow trench thus formed with sand or road grit, place the cuttings about 6 inches apart in the drills, 12 inches from row to row, tread them firmly in, make all neat, and then leave them to their fate. I feel satisfied, from my own experience, that those who may adopt this method of propagating Roses on their own roots will not be disappointed.

Maybush.

A. D.

CULTURE OF MELONS IN POTS.

WHAT I propose is to set up the growth of Melons in pots in opposition to beds of soil. By this method we know they can be brought to the highest state of perfection without any difficulty in low narrow houses, and I cannot see any valid reason why the same result may not be obtained in brick pits, whether bottom heat is supplied by hot water or fermenting dung. Let us adopt the latter means of heating, which is the more common of the two. The dung bed should be made in the usual way, and when the heat has subsided to about 85°, the pots may be safely plunged up to the rim, they being filled with rather adhesive soil, mixed with a fifth part of rotten manure, kept high enough to produce a slight elevation above the general surface, so as to prevent the accumulation of moisture at the neck of the plant. Pot-culture restrains excessive growth, and does away with the necessity of constant stopping and thinning, and were these the only advantages something would be gained; but there is another to which I would wish to direct special attention, and that is a reduction in the consumption of soil. Some gardeners are so favoured that it may be had ad libitum; but with the majority, when a supply is required, it is begrudged, and should the application not meet with entire rejection, the gardener is referred to some uncongenial corner where he is obliged to skin off the most suitable patches here and there. Should crops fail, and plants die, or become sickly, the subject of nourishment is never thought of, or disregarded, and the whole blame is thrust upon the operator's unsuccessful management.

What is used is that known among gardeners as an 18-inch pot, and as

six will be required for a pit 20 feet long, we find that they contain nearly 12 cubic feet of soil. A pit of that length, and 6 feet wide, filled 18 inches deep with soil, which is about the average quantity employed when Melons are planted out, amounts to 180 cubic feet, hence there is a surplus of 168 feet. As the surface of the bed, however, requires to be covered 2 inches deep with soil for the shoots to run upon, then 20 feet subtracted from 168 leave a residue of 148 cubic feet. Let us repeat six successional crops during the season, and we find that no less than 888 feet of soil are saved.

The economy of soil is one advantage, and a great one too; but the pot system does more-it very materially lessens labour, and prevents exposure, as is the case when the roots are moulded up. What I have stated I have practised, and I can therefore assert the advantages with confidence. Tortworth.

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

A. CRAMB.

A SERIES of small exhibitions to be held on Saturdays in the conservatory of the Society at South Kensington are fast growing into interesting meetings. Small prizes are offered, which are yet a sufficient inducement to exhibit; and as the season advances, and flowering plants get abundant, some very pretty displays may fairly be anticipated.

FEBRUARY 10TH.-A miscellaneous group of flowering plants from Messrs. W. Cutbush & Son, of Highgate, made the centre of the conservatory very gay and attractive. Among them were nicely flowered plants of Rhododendron Cunninghami; dwarf compact bushes of Prunus sinensis flore pleno, an admirable plant for forcing, the branches being thickly studded with pure white flowers; Azaleas Taylor's Red and Nosegay; Polygonatum vulgare, Dielytra spectabilis, &c. Of bulbs there were Hyacinths in large pots, containing six plants each, which were very striking: the sorts were, Grand Vainqueur, Grandeur à Merveille, and Voltaire, single whites, but different shades of colour; La Tour d'Auvergne, double white; Orondates, single pale blue; and Amy, single bright red. These are apparently early-flowering kinds. The following kinds of Tulips were also shown, twelve in a pot, and were remarkably gay Tournesol, double, and Vermilion Brilliant. Of Crocuses, there were Albion, dark purple-striped, very fine and showy; Giant Yellow, pale in colour; and Elfrida, a white variety, but having faint purple lines on the insides of the flowers. Mr. W. Young, of Highgate, had some ornamental and flowering plants, including Hyacinths, Yucca aloifolia marginata, Dracəna Cooperi, Epidendrum cochleatum, &c. Mr. W. Bartlett, of Hammersmith, an amateur, showed some Hyacinths and Narcissi; some of the former had good spikes, but the foliage was too much drawn.

A very interesting collection of Primula sinensis in variety came from Messrs. F. & A. Smith, of Dulwich, consisting of both double and single flowers. Of the latter there were P. sinensis fimbriata carminata, with large, stout, well-fringed flowers, suffused and flaked, and faintly spotted with carmine; alba superba, very large fimbriated flowers, pure white when young, but slightly tinged with pink when older; purpurea occulata, the centre brownish orange, the flower deep purple, with white spots-as shown it was but indifferent also P. filicifolia rubra, with very fine rosy red flowers. : Of double flowers there were plena incarnata, centre bright rosy pink, paling off to pure white, fimbriated edges-large and double; Queen of England, centre suffused with pink, the smaller and weaker flowers being pure white-very double; Fairy, not so double as the preceding, but in a kind of transition state, as the orange centre of the single flowers was quite conspicuous-centre pink,

with faint flakes of the same colour, fimbriated edges; and kermesina splendida, rosy carmine cerise, the flowers being semi-double only.

FEBRUARY 17TH.-On this occasion, also, Messrs. W. Cutbush & Son made a very effective display with spring-flowering plants. A collection of Crocuses included Albion, striped; Giant, yellow; Elfrida, white; Versicolor, striped; and Prince Albert, a very fine purple. A collection of twelve Hyacinths was made up of the following kinds: Queen of the Netherlands, Mirandoline, Mont Blanc, and Grandeur à Merveille, single white; Lord Wellington, double red; Garrick and Laurens Coster, double blue; and Duchess of Richmond, single red. A collection of forced bulbs included Vermilion Brilliant and Scarlet Van Thol Tulips, the former double the size of the latter, besides being of a very different formation; also, Yellow Prince, White Pottebakker, and Tournesol, double; Polyanthus Narcissi, Belle Princesse, and States General, yellow, with orange cups; and Gloriosa, white, with orange cup; some Hyacinths, &c. Also a miscellaneous collection of flowering plants, comprising Magnolia Soulangeana, Franciscea eximia, double-flowering Plum, Rhododendrons, Azaleas Louise Margottin and Queen Victoria, &c.

:

Mr. Bartlett also had Hyacinths and Narcissi, unnamed, and the following Tulips White Pottebakker and Vermilion Brilliant, single; Rex Rubrorum and Yellow Tournesol, double. A collection of Gourds was shown by Mr. W. Young, of Highgate; also a group of six Dracænas. Mrs. B. Hooke, of Fulham, sent four varieties of Cyclamen persicum; and from Mr. E. Robinson, gardener to Richard Benyon, Esq., of Reading, came the most interesting feature in the show-eleven plants of the Otaheite Orange, 18 inches to 2 feet in height, and from 12 to 18 inches in width, nice bushy plants, with very healthy foliage, and the fruit finely coloured. There were 111 fruit on the plants, one of them having fifteen on it. They were excellent specimens of Orange tree cultivation.

Mr. W. Earley, of Digswell, had a collection of vegetables, containing Paul's Crimson Beet, a very deep-coloured kind; Musselburgh Leeks, Green Top Stone Turnip, excellent Student Parsnips, ditto White Spanish Onions, early White Penzance Broccoli, Elford Rhubarb, an old but high-coloured sort; James's Carrots, Jerusalem Artichokes, Digswell Prize Hardy Endive, a good stock of Green Curled, Prickly Spinach, Scorzonera, Salsafy, &c. Also six dishes of Apples of the following kinds: Golden Reinette, Dredge's Fame, an excellent keeper; fine Cockle and Sturmer Pippin, Fearn's Pippin, and Hertfordshire Codlin. These had been kept in very dry silver sand. A small collection of vegetables also came from Mr. Beasley, gardener to Mr. Wood, Acton, in which was some very good Sea-kale.

The conservatory is now very gay and inviting with spring-flowering plants, among which Hyacinths, Tulips, and Narcissi play an important part. They have been arranged with great judgment and taste by Mr. Eyles.

R. D.

WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA.

A FEW years ago much fault was found with this noble and very ornamental tree, on account of its being apt, while in a young state, to lose some of its branches by fungus, &c., and to have its young wood turn brown. Of late, few such complaints have been heard, but, on the other hand, statements as to its rapid progress in height and symmetry, its producing cones, &c., have been frequent. Have any of your readers seen perfect seed produced from cones saved in England, or indeed in any part of the United Kingdom? We have trees here which have produced cones for several years, but in size not equal to that