162 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the wretched mode of propagation adopted by the nurserj^men ; Oriflamme 

 de St. Louis, vivid and substantially made ; Charles Caprelet, with less of 

 purple in the petals than any of the class ; Duchess of Norfolk, now con- 

 siderably finer than when first introduced to the company of show roses, as 

 the result of a good cultivation ; Paul Eicaut, a rose of short endurance, 

 but, while it lasts, almost a match to Prince Leon. 



In the section of dai'kest roses, excluding the trashy purples and 

 indescribable mixtures of slate and chocolate, the best, all things con- 

 sidered, is certainly Lord Raglan. It is a fine centre, it holds its colour 

 tenaciously, is an extraordinary grower, whether on its own roots or any 

 free stock, and has a foliage to which there is no parallel among roses of 

 the hybrid perpetual section ; though the General and Jules ^iEargottin are 

 beautifully clothed. Prince IN'oir has been oiu' best dark rose for many 

 years, but it must have a second place now that the class has been 

 enlarged, and better growers have in some measure superseded it. Prince 

 jNToir ir, neither a good grower nor a free bloomer, though when just 

 opening it is rich beyond description, after which it becomes loose, and 

 fails before the show is over. Cardinal Patrizzi, a moderate grower of 

 rather robust habit, stands almost alone in the richness of its deep velvety 

 petals, which are of the same make as the petals of the General, though 

 on a reduced scale in proportion to the smaller size of the flower. This 

 ]iolds its place as a first-class rose among the dark varieties. Princess 

 ilathilde is another dark rose of fine character, there is a shade of bronze 

 mixed with the purple, the substance is good, but the flower is scarcely 

 full enough. Mr. Standish's Eugene Appert takes its place in this class 

 as one of the very best, and had it been sent out on its own roots instead 

 of on Poursault and Manetti stocks, it would bj- this time have acquired a 

 fume little less than that enjoyed by the General, for it has every good 

 quality of foliage, habit, and bloom, and when at its best is rich and 

 glowing, and of such good substance that the heat and dust of a day's 

 exhibition cast but a faint cloud upon its beauty. Francis Arago, 

 Emperor de Maroc, Yictor Trouillard, and Louis XIY. make up the full 

 list of those we consider indispensable among the roses of deep colour. 

 The last is new, and we have watched it attentively, and are satisfied, by 

 its behaviour in our own collection, that it is destined to play an important 

 part in future contests. 



The best shaped, fullest, freest, and most compact of all roses are those 

 which approach nearest to true rose colour. Take, for example, the com- 

 mon cabbage rose, and, in its way, it would be difficult to beat it ; make; 

 one step farther, and when Anna Alexieff" is well done, it is one of the 

 very best of roses for almost any purpose. It occupies a leading place in 

 our own rosery, through the necessity of its merit as a grower, an abun- 

 dant bloomer, and when disbudded is as large and better built than Sou- 

 venir de la Reiue d'Angleterre, or Colonel de Rougement, both of them 

 popular for their size, and both of them coarse in character, "William 

 Griffiths in this class of colour holds his place iniharmed ; and so, also, 

 does the strong-growing Jules Margottin, which will make almost as many 

 blooms as leaves if not disbudded, but, alas ! goes out of bloom for near six 

 weeks after the first eftort. Erancois Premier, Lord Palmerston, Yictor 

 Yerdier, Alexandrine Bachmeteff", Baronne Hallez, Marcchal de la 

 Brunerie, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Madame Jacquin, Madame Place, 

 Baronne Prevost, General Simpson, Alphonse Karr, and Anna de Diesbach 



