226 THE FLOEAL WOKLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



to be the class of hybrid perpetuals, and that, we think, is suflS.cient 

 proof that as a class they are the best of all garden roses. In the 

 first prize ninety-six, at the Crystal Palace show (Mr. Keynes, 

 June 23), there were only nineteen varieties that were not hybrid 

 perpetuals. In the first prize seventy-two, at Birmingham (Messrs. 

 Paul and Son, July 5), there were only ten that were not hybrid 

 perpetuals. It is but proper, however, to remark that nearly all 

 the perpetuals of recent introduction have in them such a predomi- 

 nance of Bourbon blood that they might be classed with Bourbons 

 without any serious impropriety. It is the strong taint of China 

 blood that in the first instance gives them their peculiar charat:ter, 

 and their variety of colouring. But the breeding inclines of late to 

 the Bourbon race, and hence no doubt results the sameness which is 

 but too apparent in the varieties of latest introduction. We 

 would counsel all who engage in raising new varieties (and the 

 number of raisers is fast increasing) to cross the Bourbons with the 

 Chinas and Noisettes, both to obtain new characters, and to pro- 

 mote the habit of continuous blooming, which though so imperfectly 

 developed in the hybrid perpetuals, has nevertheless contributed 

 greatly to their popularity. 



A thousand interesting points might be elucidated by a review 

 of the recent exhibitions ; but we must be content to deal with bub 

 a few. The relative influences of soil and climate are of great im- 

 portance to cultivators of roses. If both soil and climate are 

 unfavourable, the difiiculties are numerous. Take the case of Mr. 

 Francis, of Hertford. He has a poor gravelly soil and a climate 

 not of the warmest. The best he can do is to grow roses on the 

 Manetti stocks, which is able to find food in his unfavourable soil, 

 but is so precarious in growing that his losses in late springs are 

 numerous. The two unfavourable circumstances go far to explain 

 how it is that ]Mr. Prancis rarely takes a high position at a good 

 exhibition. Twenty years ago he was much more fortunate than 

 now, but competition has increased, and the roses that once gained 

 honours for the Hertford nurseries, are now not good enough for 

 fi.rst positions. Take the case of Messrs. Paul and Son, of Ches- 

 hunt, who have a cold climate and a strong soil. When Messrs. 

 Paul have a date that suits their climate, tliey can probably show 

 roses equal to any cultivators in the whole of Britain, and superior 

 to all except some two or three, who occasionally divide honours 

 with them. Give them their own time, and their soil will do the 

 rest ; let the time be unsuitable for their bleak position, and some 

 exhibitor from a warmer quarter will steal a march upon them. 

 This consideration leads us to reflect upon the conditions under 

 which Mr. Keynes pursues his career as a rose-grower. The soil at 

 the Salisbury nurseries is a poor thin, stony, dry material, which only 

 the Manetti can live upon with any fair prospect of success. It 

 is so thin, indeed, that it is impossible, or nearly so, to use a 

 spade on the ground ; the ground work is all done by means of 

 short-tined forks. Tet Mr. Keynes takes a full share of first 

 prizes, and always shows creditably, and occasionally astonishes 

 connoisseurs with the magnificence of his flowers. In this case it is 



