SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 445 



pletely saturate the soil, and then about every two weeks after, during the 

 months of June and July, they should be allowed to dry off sufficiently to lose 

 their leaves, aud then pruned and started into growth gradually at first, for the 

 next season. 



To grow roses successfully it is very necessary that the houses should be 

 especially constructed for them ; no halfway business will do. Houses shonld 

 face the south, with the beds down the center, an 18-inch walk each side, with 

 three-foot wide benches on each side, made to hold six or eight inches of soil. 



Some people try to grow roses in houses heated with flues; that turned out a 

 failure long ago. Some try to grow them in houses with a mixture of green 

 plants; this may do to a certain extent if the house is heated with hot water, 

 but it will not be a success. 



The favorite tea roses now grown for winter are Perle des Jardins (yellow) ; 

 Niphetos (white); Catharine Mermet (rose); Bon Silene (carmine); Duke of 

 Connaught (crimson), and the latest introduction from England, the William 

 Francis Bennett, a crimson-scarlet hybrid Tea Kose. 



The New Roses. — Mr. James Taplin gives these valuable notes on the new 

 roses : Her Majesty, the latest novelty, is supposed to be a hardy rose. It is- 

 a very strong grower, and has a very large flower ; but it is too new for me 

 to give an opinion on its hardiness. Its appearance is much like that of the 

 Baroness Rothschild ; but we do not know yet whether it will flower as freely, 

 though, of course, it may do so. There is no doubt that this is one of the 

 largest, if not the largest, of roses; but we can find peonies as large, that 

 is, if size is its only recommendation, for it is woefully deficient in odor. 



The William Francis Bennett is also a new variety, and when well grown, 

 like some exhibited at the New York Horticultural Society's Show, it is a 

 grand rose. It is good under any circumstances. It was complained that 

 the flowers were nearly single when expanded ; but we find that from good, 

 strong plants the flowers are full and large, and the scent is also fine. 

 Unfortunately, like all the high-colored roses, the color soon goes; but I 

 believe that this will be one of the best new roses. It has not yet been 

 proved hardy. It may be, but although La France is such a splendid forcing 

 rose, it does little good in the open ground, and the Bennett belongs to the 

 same class. 



The American Beauty is said to have originated from seed gathered in the 

 garden of Bancroft, the historian, at Newport, Rhode Island. Wlien I saw 

 his garden, it was after a heavy thunder shower, and that evening the beau- 

 tiful green grass, to be seen in so few places in the United States, with the 

 roses all in full bloom, made a lovely sight. Some growers think this variety 

 will be a useful autumn rose out of doors. At any rate, it is a fine grower, 

 and also a splendid bloomer, and the scent is delicious. 



The Merveille de Lyon appears to be better than the Mabel Morrison ; but 

 all that class, although fine when well grown under glass, do not appear sat- 

 isfactory outside. 



The Sunset had, I presume, a good sale, and I have seen some very good 

 flowers of it from various growers; but, like the Perle des Jardins, from 

 which it sprang, it does not seem adapted to outside planting. 



The Bride will, I believe, be the best paying white rose in cultivation for 

 in-door culture; but, like its parent, the Catherine Mermet, I presume it 

 will be of little use outside. This sport originated with me, and I at once 



