194 THE FLORIST. 



of nerve as well as taste to decide and select. Some of the great 

 Rose- growers continually try to confuse the poor amateur by their 

 long catalogues, and by their advertisements about "acres of Roses." 

 (Mr. Paul, an English nurseryman, published, in June last, that he 

 had 70,000 plants in bloom at once !) This is puzzling enough, 

 even to one who has his eyes wide open, and the sorts in full blaze 

 of beauty before them. What, then, must be the quandary in which 

 the novice, not yet introduced into the aristocracy of Roses, whose 

 knowledge only goes up to a "Cabbage Rose" or a "Maiden's 

 Blush," and who has in his hand a long list of some great collector 

 — what, we say, must be his perplexity when he suddenly finds him- 

 self amidst all the renowned names of old and new world's history, 

 all the aristocrats and republicans, heroes and heroines of past and 

 present times, — Napoleon, Prince Esterhazy, Tippoo Saib, Semiramis, 

 Duchess of Sutherland, Princesse Clementine, with occasionally such 

 touches of sentiment from the French Rose- growers, as Souvenir 

 d'un Ami, or Nid d'Amour (nest of love !), &c. &c. In this whirl- 

 pool of rank, fashion, and sentiment, the poor novitiate Rose-hunter 

 is likely enough to be quite wrecked ; and instead of looking out for 

 a perfect Rose, it is a thousand to one that he finds himself confused 

 amid the names of princes, princesses, and lovely duchesses, a vivid 

 picture of whose charms rises to his imagination as he reads the 

 brief words, " pale flesh, wax-like, superb," or " large, perfect form, 

 beautiful," or " pale blush, very pretty ;" so that it is ten to one 

 that duchesses, not Roses, are ail the while at the bottom of his 

 imagination ! 



Now, the only way to help the Rose-novices out of this difficulty 

 is, for all the initiated to confess their favourites. No doubt it will 

 be a hard task for those who have had butterfly fancies, coquetting 

 first with one family and then with another. But we trust these 

 horticultural flirts are rare among the more experienced of our gar- 

 dening readers — persons of sense who have laid aside such follies, as 

 only becoming to youthful and inexperienced amateurs. We give 

 our own list of favourites, as follows : 



First of all Roses, then, in our estimation, stand the Bourbons 

 (the only branch of the family not repudiated by republicans). The 

 most perpetual of all perpetuals, the most lovely in form, of all co- 

 lours, and many of them of the richest fragrance ; and, for us north- 

 erners, most of all, hardy and easily cultivated, we cannot but give 

 them the first rank. Let us, then, say — 



HALF A DOZEN BOURBON ROSES. 



Souvenir de Malmaison, pale flesh- 

 colour. 

 Paul Joseph, purplish crimson. 

 Hermosa, deep rose. 



Queen, delicate fa\vn-colour. 

 Dupetit Thouars, changeable car- 

 mine. 

 Acidalie, white. 



Souvenir de Malmaison is, take it altogether — its constant bloom- 

 ing habit, its large size, hardiness, beautiful form, exquisite colour, 

 and charming fragrance, our favourite Rose ; the Rose which, if we 

 should be condemned to that hard penance of cultivating but one 



