THE ROSE. 



333 



them until spring. I propose to prepare my 

 ground with extra care, and not to sow them 

 too soon, and try what effect this course 

 will have. I have also found Avhere the 

 plants stood thinly, that they were less lia- 

 ble to take the blight. My experience, al- 

 so, goes to coroborate your opinion, that the 

 soil must be deep, and inclined to damp- 

 ness, to insure success, under the most fa- 

 vorable culture. 



Yours, respectfully, 



Jas. Wilson. 



Albany, December 3, 1847. 



We trust Mr. Wilson, who is a thorough 

 practical cultivator, will try Mr. Nelson's 



mode, and give us a report. We have ex- 

 amined the leaf-blight of which he writes, 

 and which is in many places fatal to seed- 

 ling pears the first year. Mr. W. does not 

 undervalue the importance of maintaining 

 the healthy functions of the leaf in grow- 

 ing these seedlings, and we suggest to him 

 and other nurserymen, in order to remedy 

 this evil, to water the seedlings, as soon as 

 the first symptoms of a decline in the fo- 

 liage is visible, with the solution of sul- 

 phate of iron {copperas) recommended by 

 M. Gris, (vol. 1 : p. 471.) This substance 

 certainly has the most decided and bene- 

 ficial action on the health of foliage, and it 

 seems not improbable that it may complete- 

 ly prevent the disease in question. Ed. 



REVIEW. 



The Rose : its History, Poetry, Culture and Clas- 

 sification. By S. B. Parsons. 1 vol. 8vo. 280 

 pages. New-York, Wiley & Putnam. 

 Among the many stories of Roses in the 

 East, is that of the philosopher Zeb, related 

 by Madame de Latour. " There was at 

 Amadan, in Persia, an academy with the 

 following rules : Its members must think 

 much, write a little, and be as silent as 

 possible. The learned Zeb, celebrated 

 titroughout all the East, hearing that there 

 was a vacancy in the academy, endeavored 

 to obtain it, but arrived, unfortunately, too 

 late. The academy was annoyed, because 

 it had given to power what belonged to 

 merit ; and the president, not knowing how 

 to express a refusal without mortifying the 

 assembly, caused a cup to be brought, which 

 he filled so full of water, that a single drop 

 more would have made it run over. The 

 wise philosopher understood, by that em- 

 blem, that no place remained for him, and 

 was retiring sadly, when he perceived a 



rose petal at his feet. At that sight he took 

 courage, seized the petal, and placed it so 

 delicately on the water, that not a single 

 drop escaped. At this ingenious allusion to 

 the rules of the academy, the whole as- 

 sembly clapped their hands, and the philo- 

 sopher was admitted as a member." 



Mr. Parsons has been more ingenious 

 and successful than the Persian philosopher. 

 If there is any single subject in Horticulture, 

 which, more than any other, had apparently 

 been written and re-written about till there 

 was not room left for a syllable more to be 

 said, it is that of the Rose. English, French, 

 German, and other continental writers, had 

 written and engraved, sung and painted the 

 Rose, until it appeared that the topic was 

 quite exhausted. There are also two Ame- 

 rican treatises, specially devoted to this 

 favorite flower. We therefore took up Mr. 

 Parsons's volume, with the feeling that he 

 must be a bold man, to go over this well 



