308 THE FLORIST. 



ROSA DEVONIENSIS. 



Your correspondent, " D.," has fallen into an error, when he states, as 

 he does at page 257 of your September number, that this Rose was 

 raised in France, and introduced into this country by Messrs. Lucombe, 

 Pince, and Co. 



Now, I will endeavour to give your readers some little account of 

 this Rose, so far as I am concerned in the matter, and in doing this I 

 will be as brief as I possibly can. In the year 1840, I was in the 

 employment of Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., in the plant depart- 

 ment of their nursery. In August of that year, that firm was solicited 

 to send some plants to a horticultural show at Devonport, which was 

 accordingly done. Mr. Nott, the foreman, took me with him as an 

 assistant. Devonport being about 40 miles and upwards from Exeter, 

 we started with a van-load of plants on Wednesday afternoon, and 

 arrived in Devonport on the Thursday. After the plants were put in 

 their proper places, two or three hours were given me to see Devonport ; 

 and as I had never before seen a man-of-war, and a great many other 

 things connected with a Royal arsenal, I very much enjoyed myself. A 

 young man, of the name of Short, from Messrs. Pontey's of Plymouth, 

 was my companion. I returned to the Town Hall (in which the exhi- 

 bition was held) at the time appointed for me to be there. I had not 

 been there long, before an elderly gentleman came to Mr. Nott, with a 

 Rose in his hand, and asked him his opinion of it, which was given 

 favourably, and I was immediately despatched to see the plant from 

 which the flower was cut. As I write from memory, I cannot recollect 

 the name of the place, but I rather think it was Stoke Dammerell ; be 

 that as it may, I had a good long walk. Mr. Foster, for that was the 

 gentleman's name, sent a lad with me, to show me the place ; I believe 

 it was his own son ; and in a small garden, and growing by the side of 

 a wall, I saw the original seedling plant. According to my instructions, 

 I noted down in a pocket book the number of branches and the length 

 of them, and cut some fresh flowers, to take to Exeter. On my 

 arriving at the place of exhibition, we repacked our plants, and started 

 again for Exeter, where we arrived on Friday. The first person I met 

 in the nursery was Mr. Pince. I presented the flowers to him, and 

 never shall I forget the smile that came over him, when he exclaimed 

 — " Willcocks, 1 never saw such a beautiful Rose before; what's the 

 the history of it?" That I left Mr. Nott to explain. Mr. Pince 

 immediately put himself in communication with Mr. Foster, and, the 

 first letter that was written was read by Mr. Pince to Mr. Nott and 

 me, and I then went and posted it. The correspondence was of short 

 duration, for, in a few days, I provided a hamper, and all things requisite 

 for packing ; and saw Mr. Nott start by the coach for Devonport, to 

 bring away the seedling Rose, from the place that gave it birth. The 

 next day, Mr. Nott returned with his darling child, as he called it. The 

 plant was unpacked by Mr. Pince, Mr. Nott, and myself — Mr. Pince 

 counting the branches, to see if they tallied with my statement, and 



