A CHAPTER ON ROSES. 



61 



Siad butterfly fancies,- — coquetting first with 

 one family and then with another. But 

 we trust these horticultural flirts are rare 

 among the more experienced of our garden- 

 ing readers,— persons of sense, who have 

 laid aside such follies, as only becoming 

 to youthful and inexperienced amateurs. 



We have long ago invited our correspond- 

 ents to send us their '* confessions," which, if 

 not as mysterious and fascinating as those of 

 RoussEAtr, would be found far more inno- 

 cent and wholesome to our readers. Mr. 

 BuisT, (whose new nursery grounds, near 

 Philadelphia, have, we learn, been a para- 

 dise of roses this season,) has already sent 

 us his list of favorites, which v^e made 

 public in our last volume, (p. 434,) to the 

 great satisfaction of many about to form 

 little rose gardens. Dr. Valk, also, has 

 indicated his preferences. And to encou- 

 rage other devotees — more experienced 

 than ourselves — we give our own list of 

 favorites, as follows : 



First of all roses, then, in our estimation, 

 stand the Botjrbons, (the only branch of 

 the family, not repudiated by republicans.) 

 The most perpetual of all perpetuals, the 

 most lovely in form, of all colours, and 

 many of them of the richest fragrance ; 

 and, for us northerners, most of all, ha7-dy 

 and easily cultivated, we cannot but give 

 them the first rank. Let us, then, say- — 



HALF A DOZEN BOURBON KOSES. 



Souvenir de Malmaison, pale flesh colour. 



Paul Joseph, purplish crimson, 



Hermosa, deep rose. 



Queen, delicate fawn colour. 



Dupetit Thouars, changeable carmine. 



Acidalie, white. 



Souvenir de Malmaison (see frontispiece) 

 is, take it all together, — its constant bloom- 

 ing habit, its large size, hardiness, beauti- 

 ful form, exquisite colour, and charming 

 fragrance, our favorite rose; the rose which, 



if we should be condemned to that hard 

 penance of cultivating but one variety, our 

 choice would immediately settle upon. Its 

 beauty suggests a blending of the finest 

 sculpture and the loveliest feminine com- 

 plexion. 



Second to the Bourbons, we rank the 

 Remontantes, as the French term them ; 

 a better name than the English one — Per- 

 petuals ; for they are by no means per- 

 petual in their blooming habit, when com- 

 pared with the Bourbons, China, or Tea 

 roses. They are, in fact, June roses, 

 that bloom two or three times in the sea- 

 son, whenever strong new shoots spring 

 up ; hence, no name so appropriate as Re- 

 montante, — ■ sending up new flower shoots. 

 We think this class of roses has been a 

 little overrated by rose growers. Its great 

 merit is the true, old-fashioned rose charac- 

 ter of the blossoms, — large and fragrant as 

 a damask or provence rose. But in this 

 climate, Remontaiites cannot be depended 

 on for a constant supply of flowers, like 

 Bourbon roses. Here are our favorite : 



HALF A DOZEN REMONTANTES. 



La Reine, deep rose, very large. 



Duchess of Sutherland, pale rose. 



Crimson Perpetual, light crimson. 



Aubernon, brilliant crimson. 



Lady Alice Peel, fine deep pink, 



Madame Dameme, dark crimson. 



Next to these come the China Roses, 

 less fragrant, but everlastingly in bloom, 

 and with very bright and rich colours. 



half a dozen china ROSES. 



Mrs.Bosanquet, exquisite pale flesh colour. 

 Madame Breon, rose. 

 Eugene Beauharnais, bright crimson. 

 Clara Sylvain, pure tohite. 

 Cramoisie Superieure, brilliant crimson. 

 Virginale, blush. 



The Tea Roses, most refined of all roses, 

 unluckily, require considerable shelter and 



