MAT. 109 



AN AFTERNOON AT DRAYCOTT. 



DuAYcoTT is a pleasant little village some six miles south-east from 

 Derby, and here Mr. Allestree lives, a gentleman very famous in this 

 neighbourhood for his Roses ; to describe which is the object of this 

 paper. 



As an exhibitor Mr. Allestree has invariably taken a high place 

 at the shows held here ; and it was therefore with much pleasure I 

 received an invitation to visit his collection. A few minutes' ride by 

 rail sufficed to bring me to the village of Borrowash, from whence a 

 stroll of half an hour's duration, through rich meadows and fertile 

 fields, brought me to my destination. Entering from the high road, 

 the Rosery lay immediately before me, about half an acre in extent, 

 and sloping gently to the south-east. The ground round the house 

 is laid out in tastefully-formed beds and clumps ; farther removed 

 it is divided into quarters, one being assigned to each division of 

 the Rose family. On the right, and masking the boundary-wall, 

 were some noble specimens of Pillar-Roses, luxuriant in health, and 

 literally covered with flowers. Amongst others, I jotted down as more 

 especially fine, Paul Perras, Charles Duval, General Jacquemont, 

 Great Western, La Calaissienne, Leopold de Bauffremont, Triomphe 

 d' Angers, General Kleber, and Hypocrate. In front of these were 

 the Bourbons, consisting of some fifty varieties, among which Sou- 

 venir de la Malmaison, Armosa, Splendens, Augustine Lelieur, Le 

 Grenadier, Paul Joseph, Madame Tripet, Edouard Desfosses, Reine 

 de Congres, George Cuvier, Souchet, and Queen, were conspicuous 

 for their beauty and promise. On the opposite side of the lawn, 

 facing these, were some fine clumps and beds of Hybrid Perpetuals, 

 which comprised magnificent examples of the following : Baronne 

 Prevost, Clementine Seringe, Comte Egmont, Comte de Montalivet, 

 Comte de Paris, Comtesse Duchatel, Cornet, Dr. Marx, Due d'Au- 

 male. Duchess of Sutherland, Jacques Lafitte, Lady Alice Peel, and 

 La Reine, the flowers of the latter were exceedingly large and per- 

 fect. Geant des Batailles demands a special notice, three small plants 

 having upwards of twenty fully expanded blooms on each, and its 

 freedom of flowering, combined with its constancy in giving forth 

 autumnal blossoms, must make it a sine qua non to the Rose-grower. 

 I had almost omitted my old favourite, Madame Lafl^ay, which I 

 thought finer than I had ever before seen it. Robin Hood, ALir- 

 quise Boccella, Sydonie, &c. were good. Amongst newer varieties 

 which were pointed out as desirable, I remarked Cymedor, Duchess 

 de Praslin, General Negrier, Madame Trudeaux, and Standard of 

 Marengo, — the latter is something like Geant des Batailles, having 

 stiff', finely-formed petals, and being of good shape. Of the Damask 

 Perpetuals, Bernard and Mogador seemed the only varieties now de- 

 sirable to retain. 



The Summer Roses were superb ; in fact, they were one vast 

 sheet of bloom. In Mosses, Laneii was most beautiful, and must 

 undoubtedly become a favourite. Blush, too, was fine ; as were also 



