GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11658, 15 August 1898, Page 6

GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

The Orchard and Garden Pests Bill now before Parliament is similar in its provisions to the measure introduced last session, with one important exception—the Auckland province is excluded from the operation of the proposed Act, the objectors in that province to clean orchards and sound fruit being' use a Bismarckian phrase—“ to stew in their own juice.” There is the usual opposition from tho noisy little Nelson coterie of selfstyled fruit-growers —who are not fruitgrowers and, of course, the Auckland opposition is extremely virulent, In the interest of districts where orchards are kept clean, it is to be hoped the Bill will be passed. Black roses are mentioned in the St Petersburg “ Novosti,” which states that Mr Fetisoff, an amateur botanist in Yerouezh, has succeeded, after ten years’ persistent experiments, in cultivating roses of a pure ' black colour. These new, black roses, it is further stated, will be exhibited shortly in London. The National Rose Society of England some time ago introduced a system of judging roses which has proved acceptable to lovers of this universally-popular flower. The testis a severe one; not only are three blooms of one kind to be staged, but a plant must be shown at the same time which has been lifted from the open ground. Thus the habit of the plant can be seen, a matter of considerable importance to buyers of new varieties. Ordinary classes of roses are judged by three members, but this special class is usually adjudicated upon by from seven to ten or twelve picked judges. In the “ Journal of Horticulture ” the following twelve kinds are highly recommended, most of them having received the highest award under the above system:—Her Majesty, a beauti-fully-clear and bright satiny rose colour; Mrs John Laing, a soft rosy pink of perfect shape, sweet-scented, and a continuous bloomer; Sir Rowland Hill, a deep velvety plum, very distinct'; Salamander, bright scarlet, and shaded with crimson, a fine imbricated flower; Margaret Dickson, a reliable and beautiful rose, of perfect form and shape, with grand foliage, white, with soft flesh-pink .centre ;,- Marchioness of Dufferin, of globular, shape, colour a soft rosy ; pink, a' free -bloomer and -vigorous grower; Marchioness; of t6ndqndei‘ry,.a:dwaff and robust 1 grower,:'almost thornless, large blooms, colour i pure ; white; Mrs/R. G. Sharman-Crawford; deep silvery, pink, partially ■ reflexed,' a. free and; continuous bloomer ; -Marchioness of Downshire, a soft satiny pink with handsome foliage, a compact grower, suitable for pots; Helen Keller, very distinct, bright, rosy cerise colour, very free blooming ; Souvenir de S. A. Prince, pale lemon when young, changing to a pure white; Muriel Qrahame, a pale creamy white, faintly flushed with rose while young. The last two kinds are teas, the others hybrid perpetuals. At the recent London Temple Flower Show the Acalypha Sanderi, which hails from New Guinea, was exhibited for the flrst time in England. The famous planthunter, M. Micholitz, was travelling in a remote district of New Guinea, inhabited by tierce cannibals, when he 1 came across a beautiful flowering plant, which' sprang up not onlyfrom the ground but from the tops of the mud huts of the natives. The expedi,tionwas of sufficient strength to overawe the

savages, and M. Micholitz, delighted at ;his discovery, caused several specimens to ; be collected. So.-sure was he f that.their*, beauty would cause a furore in England, that be accompanied the consignment over 3500 miles to Singapore, in order to see that the plants were safely despatched from that port. The Acalypha Sanderi is a green-leaved species, with spikes of gorgeous crimson flowers hanging from every node. These beautiful floral spikes are from twenty to thirty inches long, and as thick as an ordinary walking-stick. All the year round it sends forth its glowing pendants, and as its initial cost will be small, it is likely to be popular with thosr of modest purses who love the presence of, floral beauties.