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THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



of the buds seemed as if they had been 

 cut off quite level with a sharp knife, 

 and of course when the flower ex- 

 panded every petal was ragged, the 

 foliage also was curled and browned, 

 and yet the season was very early, 

 for I had Gloire de Dijons in fine 

 bloom on a sheltered corner on the 

 20th of May, and almost every variety 

 out early in June. By late pruning 

 you also escape a great deal of the 

 ravages of the grub, that helps to 

 spoil your early blooms ; and by 

 keeping the plants back until they 

 can have a chance of growing away 

 unchecked, they thrive with such 

 luxuriance that they defy the attacks 

 of aphis and other pests more readily. 

 I have, however, found less blight of 

 all kinds among the roses than one 

 would have expected for so dry a 

 season. The autumn blooms have 

 been, with some exceptions, tolerably 

 good ; but had it not been for the 

 welcome showers early in September, 

 there would have been a very meagre 

 display. 



A word or two to amateurs on 

 plucking roses for bouquets, etc., for 

 I have found many of my friends have 

 a practice of breaking off the flower 

 stems, which, if it does not prick their 

 fingers, often damages the plant con- 

 siderably, sometimes pulling off a 

 shoot entirely, or else tearing the 

 bark in a snag right down to its base. 

 Blooms should always be cut close to 

 a bud pointing outwards, or in a 

 favourable direction to improve the 

 shape of the tree when it pushes; and 

 do not be afraid of cutting long stalks 

 — it saves pruning back for autumn 

 growth. 1 also generally pick out 

 with the finger nail the next two or 

 three buds below the one left at the 

 top, which then grows with more 

 vigour ; but if you leave the buds, 

 they present a lot of side spray 

 that generally come blind, *. e„ 

 throw no flower-buds. This treat- 

 ment will be found to increase your 

 autumn blooms both in size and quan- 

 tity, and the plants should thus be 

 regularly gone over after their first 

 bloom is over. I have grown a very 

 large number of sorts ; but out of 

 some hundreds, those that can be 

 recommended as combining finely- 



shaped flowers, with vigorous and 

 constant blooming habit, can really 

 be reduced to a very moderate num- 

 ber. It is most irksome to ama- 

 teurs, also, who speculate in no- 

 velties, to find how many there are 

 of the new roses annually introduced 

 that turn out almost worthless ; the 

 French raisers surely ought to be 

 able to judge if a new seedling is 

 really good and distinct, and an im- 

 provement upon an older variety, and 

 forbear from foisting infamous pre- 

 tenders with grand names and high- 

 flown descriptions upon the too con- 

 fiding English nurserymen, who, in 

 their turn, ought also to set their 

 faces against buying anything but 

 those they can form a good opinioa 

 of, as it tends to make amateurs very 

 chary of new sorts. I am pleased 

 to see that this matter is being taken 

 up in many influential quarters. 

 And now, as there are many of our 

 favourites that appear to behave very 

 differently with me, to what you 

 report of them nearer town, I pur- 

 pose giving a few cursory notes 

 regarding them, that may at least be 

 useful for comparison, and perhaps 

 also assist some who are about making 

 a selection for present plautrng, and 

 will therefore follow the catalogues, 

 and take them alphabetically, and 

 shall touch only upon those kinds 

 that have done well with me; and as 

 all the varieties are now so vividly 

 described as to shape and colour in 

 nearly all the lists, it will be unneces- 

 sary for me to burden you in that 

 particular, but shall particularly re- 

 mark sorts that are free in autumn. 



Hardy Perennials. — Alphonse Da- 

 maizin, when perfect, very fine, but 

 the blooms frequently come ragged 

 at the edges ; superb colour, free in 

 autumn. Anna Alexieff, beautiful in 

 summer and free, in some of your 

 articles said to be a most con- 

 stant bloomer, and yet with me it has 

 never given a secoud crop of flowers, 

 although well shortened back : my 

 brother also, who has a splendid rose 

 soil and pure air, makes the same 

 complaint. Anna de Diesbach, not 

 much use in autumn. Auguste Mie, 

 fine in dry weather, and good also in 

 autumn. Baronne Hallez, good in 



