1873.] ROSES AND EOSE-CULTtJRE. CHAPTER XVIII. 217 



AURICULA CHARLES J. PERRY. 



WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 



HIS splendid Self Auricula was raised by Mr. Turner, of Sloncfli, anil was 

 very deservedly awarded a First-class Certificate by the Floral Committee 

 ^ij of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, at its meeting on May 7, 187''3. In 

 "^ the class of Selfs, it claims a very high position, possessing as it does so 

 many of the good properties essential to constitute a first-class flower. It is a 

 healthy free grower, has fine handsome white-dusted foliage, and produces stout 

 large trusses of its lovely flowers. The colour is a beautiful deep violet, the pips 

 being large and flat, remarkably smooth on the edge, and very circular, while the 

 colours are well proportioned, with a good white paste. It is a flower of firm 

 substance, and is not only very distinct, but particularly attractive, and in every 

 way well worthy a place in the most select collections of these most interesting 

 spring flowers. — M. 



ROSES AND ROSE-CULTURE. 

 Chapter XVIII. — On New Roses. 

 "jN the last chaptar I endeavoured to place fairly before the public the grounds 

 on which they ought to value and cultivate Old Roses. Let me now say 

 what can be fairly said in favour of New Roses. It has, I think, been the 

 fashion of late unfairly to depreciate the latter ; and because not more than 

 a tithe of the novelties yearly introduced are worthy of introduction, it has be- 

 come the custom with some to include the whole in one sweeping condemnation. 

 Now this is neither just nor wise. As well might we condemn all men because 

 there are bad men. I am free to admit that numbers of worthless roses are 

 annually palmed on the public ; the practice, after making reasonable allowance 

 for errors of judgment, to which all men are liable, is worthy of censure ; but 

 while there are buyers, there will be sellers, and buyers should be more cautious, 

 and only buy of those whose novelties of the past have given a fair proportion o'f 

 real gems, and by inference, a guarantee of value for money in the future. 



If the wealthy and those interested in Rose-culture were to give up the 

 purchase of new Roses, there would be no encouragement for the raising of seed- 

 lings, and consequently we should gain no improvement. That improvement is still 

 going on I shall proceed to show. Will my readers go back with me to 1 852, 

 a period of twenty years, and see what has been done during that period ? Very 

 few of the roses of that date are now considered to stand in the front rank. 

 The year 1853 gave us General Jacqueminot^ Jules Margottin^ La Ville cle St. 

 Denis, and Gloire cle Dijon. The next four years gave us, among others, Duchess 

 of Norfolk, Oloire de Vitry, Lcelia, Lord Raglan, Madame de Cambaceres, 

 Madame Knorr, Madame Masson, Madame Vidot, Madame Vigneron, Monsieur 

 de Montigni/, Charles Lawson, Madams Edoaard Ory, and Triomphe de Rennes. 

 And since that period the majority of our present splendid and most popular 

 3rd series. — VI. L 



