131 



EOSE GOSSIP.— ::o. III. 



THE NOVELTIES FOB 1863. 



"Estnati^raJiominumnovitatisavida," 

 •which may be read as to us florists, 

 f/reedy after tlie novelties. It is not 

 surprising, therefore, that a rose en- 

 thusiast ghould seize the earliest op- 

 portunity of obtaining a glimpse at 

 some of the forthcoming candidates 

 for honours in the rose lists, and that 

 he should desire to make known the 

 result of his researches to his brother 

 rosarians. 



The Lea Bridge lioad ITurseries 

 (Messrs. J. and J. Eraser) are the 

 nearest point where I can make sure 

 of seeing the elite of the novelties, 

 and, as the Messrs. Erasers are always 

 early with their plants, I can generally 

 depend upon seeing some in bloom. 

 On one of my visits I was fortu- 

 nate enough to meet with Mr. John 

 Eraser, and enjoy an interesting dis- 

 cussion upon matters connected with 

 rose lore. I saw hosts of fine young 

 plants just ready to send out, in addi- 

 tion to those specimens of older fa- 

 vourites kept for propagating purposes, 

 and many of both kinds in bloom. I 

 give the following as most striking, 

 and, to save space, must refer the 

 reader to the catalogues for detailed 

 descriptions : — H.P.'s Alfred de 

 Hougemont ; Due d'Anjou ; Deuil de 

 Prince Albert, one of the dark sorts, 

 with a twiggy habit, I think ; Jean 

 Goujon. Mr. Eraser agi'eed with me 

 in considering this a most promising 

 kind, and I noticed in a whole batch 

 of plants, that almost every shoot had 

 a bud upon it. Le Ehone, likely to 

 be good, put as a bedder ; Le Baron 

 Hothschild, fine colour ; B. Louise 

 Margottin, delicate and lovely, fine 

 habit, and an acquisition in a line of 

 colour much required. H.P.'s Presi- 

 dent Lincoln and Madame Valem- 

 bourg are pretty perhaps, and the 

 new yellow teas not much at present. 

 Teas, however, seldom show much 

 promise the first season or two ; they 

 are usually thin, and not very double. 

 It would be out of place to dilate 

 upon older favourites, but I must just 

 remark that I noticed a goodly stock 



of such in the frames ; well-hardened 

 plants, and just the stuff to turn out in 

 beds. There is one advantageous 

 feature in the mode of culture of these 

 plants : they are grown in loam from 

 thebeenning. Too many nurserymen 

 send oi;t their young stock in peat, 

 and suc'i-like soils. The consequence 

 is that when they are transferred to 

 the garden where the soil is stiffer, 

 they i;enerally stand still the first 

 season, and damp off in the following 

 spring, the roots not being tough 

 enough to deal with the adjacent 

 groiind. This remark will furnish a 

 hint to amateurs to make the soil 

 somewhat light and free for young 

 plants during their first season, till 

 they hsve become well established. 



Th( name of "Paul" is synony- 

 mous with successful rose-growing, 

 and my next trip in search of novelties 

 was to Waltbam Cross and Cheshunt. 

 Of these two celebrated nurseries it 

 may be said that the rose is to be 

 found at both in all its native glory, 

 and that a treat is to be enjoyed by 

 rose lovers, from the time the forcing 

 house develops the exotic beauty of 

 its tenants, till the open quarters are 

 denuded by the exigencies of business, 

 or by the autumn winds and frosts. ■ 

 Erom the period of my visit I must 

 have seen some of the blooms and 

 plants which played so conspicuous a 

 part at the Koyal Botanic show on 

 Saturday last, at which I see both the 

 firms gained prizes. 



I took Mr. Wm. Paul's new nur- 

 sery at Waltham Cross the first, and 

 inspected several houses filled with 

 plants of every size, sort, and grade 

 in novelty and merit. In one house 

 I counted some three hundred plants, 

 chiefly standards, and many of them 

 in bloom. My business, however, is 

 not with these, but with the untried 

 neophytes for a place in pubhc fa- 

 vour. Of these Mr. Wm. Paul has 

 a very long list ; and I saw in flower 

 H.P.'s Princess Alice, Grandiflora, 

 Alfred de Eougemont, Due d'Anjou, 

 Jean Goujon, Madame C. Boy, La 



