THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



269 



no roses at all ; and if they will sim- 

 ply say what sort of roots the new 

 roses have, purchasers will know also 

 what they are ordering, without 

 being put to unfair risks. It is the 

 rule, however, in catalogues and ad- 

 vertisements, for all the skill of de- 

 scription to be devoted to the blooms, 

 of which, perhaps, very few have ever 

 been seen. Will the traders enlarge 

 their literary field, and let the people 

 know what the roses are made of? 

 We prefer, in matters of this sort, 

 not to mention names ; but we can- 

 not forbear to do justice to one nur- 

 seryman — Mr. Cant, Colchester — 

 with whom, by the way, we have 

 never had any transactions — for his 

 near approach to plain dealing in ad- 



vertising new roses as being nearly 

 all on their own roots. We are not 

 contending that new roses should be 

 sent out on their own roots exclu- 

 sively, though we would prefer it if 

 they were ; but we are contending for 

 full description : let the name of the 

 stock be given, and, if possible, let us 

 have guarantees that the plants have 

 been propagated with some regard to 

 the habits of the rose, as a plant that 

 will not bear with impunity any long 

 confinement in a damp stove. The 

 rose-groovers expect to pay a higher 

 price for novelties than for sorts of 

 old renown, but to the risk that at- 

 tends the purchase of novelties of all 

 kinds, they do not wish to have added 

 the risk of buying " a pig in a poke." 



NEW ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



The introduction of new ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, whether by seed- 

 raising or by importation, is one of 

 the most interesting of horticultural 

 pursuits. We are therefore glad of 

 the opportunity to notice certain 

 plants of this class adapted for garden 

 decoration, to be found in some of 

 the French nurseries, our information 

 being mainly derived from an account 

 of them by M. Pepin in the Revue 

 Horticole. Most of the plants re- 

 ferred to were growing in the esta- 

 blishment of M. Dauvesse, of Orleans. 

 One of the most remarkable of the 

 novelties referred to was a fine hardy 

 variety of Ceanothus, called C. azureus 

 latifolius; this had been selected from 

 a bed of seedlings which had been 

 raised from C. americanus, fertilized 

 by C. azureus. The plant is described 

 as being now abundant enough for 

 distribution, and as having erect 

 growing stems and branches ; oval 

 leaves, hoary beneath and toothed at 

 the margin; and long compact thyr- 

 soid panicles of flowers, which open 

 pale blue, but become deeper coloured 

 as they get older. These flowers are 

 produced from June till October or 

 November ; and it is recommended 

 that the plants should be cut down 



annually, this treatment causing them 

 to throw up young shoots, which bear 

 very fine panicles of flowers. From 

 the scarcity of blue flowers at-certain 

 seasons, and the profuse and continu- 

 ous blooming of this new Ceanothus, 

 M. Pepin concludes that it will be 

 found useful for making contrasts, 

 both in the shrubbery and the flower 

 borders, and that it will take a pro- 

 minent place amongst decorative 

 plants. It is said to increase readily 

 by cuttings and layers, and also by 

 seeding, but the seedling plants are 

 not to be relied on to reproduce cither 

 the early and continuous blooming 

 qualities of the parent or the lively 

 and decided colour of its flowers. 



Another interesting plant of the 

 same establishment i? a white-flowered 

 variety ofSpircea Fortuni — that species 

 which has been introduced to com- 

 merce under the name of S. callosa. 

 This variety is remarkably handsome, 

 its white flowers being as numerous 

 as those of the type, and disposed 

 in a sort of corymb. Planted al- 

 ternately with S. Fortuni itself, 

 which is rose-coloured, the contrast 

 is said to be very fine. Both the 

 bark and leaves are paler-coloured 

 than the type. 



