Roses, and How to Grow Tuem. 335 



to the class to which they are held to belong. Let 

 any one walk through a large collection of roses from the 

 end of August till the time for lifting arrives, and he will be 

 struck at beholding row upon row of healthy lookingjtrees utterly 

 destitute of the vestige of a flower. In other cases a bloom here 

 and there may be seen, but nothing in quantity to justify the title 

 of perpetual, while others will be found yielding flowers till the 

 frost cuts them off. These last are the kinds most valuable for 

 the purposes of the general rose public, in contradistinction to 

 the limited class concerned with exhibition; hence the necessity 

 of ascertaining the trustworthy autumnal blooms every year. 



There is no doubt we have altogether too many kinds of so- 

 called Ilybrid Perpetuals, which, though excelling in many other 

 qualities, are lamentably deficient in this ; they are perpetual in 

 Dame only, and do not yield a sufficient number of flowers ; they, 

 therefore, should give place to true perpetual varieties. 



Vigor and healthfulness of bloom. — Last, and scarcely least, we 

 look for a strong constitution. 



Varieties subject to mildew have our commiseration as well aa 

 our regard ; while weak or slow growing varieties, like General 

 WasJiington, Giant of Battles, La France, etc., we unfavorably con- 

 trast with the exuberant, healthful growths of such sorts as JoJm 

 Hox>per, General Jacqueminot, Baronne Prevost, etc. 



Experience among the Roses. — Canon Hole, in his charm- 

 ing book about Eoses, says: "He who would have beautiful 

 roses in his garden, must have beautiful roses in his heart. He 

 must love them well and always. He must have not only the 

 glowing admiration, the enthusiasm, and the passion, but the ten- 

 derness, the thoughtfulness, the reverence, the watchfulness of 

 love." This is the sum and substance of what constitutes our 

 success in rose culture ; without this true love, failure, partial or 

 complete, must surely attend our efforts. Because we are im- 

 bued with a love for the rose, it does not of necessity follow that 

 we can grow roses well ; experience teaches otherwise ; the 

 novice must be prepared to expect some disasters arising from the 

 mistakes which he will certainly make. 



