December 12, 1865. J JOURNAL OP IIOUTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GiVRDENKH. 



491 



thought best to vary the character of tlie plants used, and the 

 moro tliis can be Jono the liotter. Of course, when plants are 

 wanted in |)airs, li4 tlioni roscmblo I'lii-h otlu'V as nuicli as 

 possible, but on the noxt occasion let the pair bo of something 

 else. Plants with rounded tops are generally preferred to tliose 

 with hishpointed tops, but a set of these sometimes stand in 

 good stead after the others have hail their turn. JIade-np 

 bouiiuets to answer the juirposo of plants have ahx'ftdy been 

 alluiled to, and in this chiss of decoration tliu last resort is to 

 enlist iirtiliciiil llowers, but it ouj^'lit to be tlie last ; and such 

 dried llowerj of (Inaphalium and llulichrysuiu should be tried 

 with spikes of I'ampas Grass, .tc. Tliis subject, however, 

 almost deserves a separate chapter. Perhaps some one else 

 will write upon it. — J. Ronsox. 



MARTYRDOM OF I'LANT COLLECTORS. 



To the cases of Douglas, the Fraser.s, Cunningham, and many 

 otliers, is now added that of Mr. Weir, and we solicit the 

 attention of every Fellow of the lloyal Horticultural Society to 

 the following letter from its Assistant Secretary : — " I am de- 

 sired by the Ocuuicilof the Royal Horticultural Society to bring 

 before you the case of Mr. Weir, late Foreign Collector of the 

 jSociety. 



" Mr. W'eir was on his return journey from Bogota to Santa 

 Martha, in October, 18(i4, when ho was attached by fever. .Mr. 

 •Stacey. H.B.M. Consul at the latter place, writes ou the 1st 

 November, 181)4 ; 



" ' I am very sorry indeed to have to acquaint you of the 

 serious illness of Mr. Weir. The following is an e.'ctract from 

 a letter I have just received from Mr. John May, C.E., dated 

 Honda, the 2()th of October: — " Mi'. John Weir desires me to 

 write to you and inform you that on coming up the river he 

 was attacked by fever, which after a few d.ays went off, leaving 

 him )iaralysed in all hi.s limbs from the neck downwards. He 

 lias, however, some slight power of movement — the left leg and 

 right arm are most affected ; he is utterly helpless, and has to 

 be moved and turned about with the assistance of two men who 

 constantly attend upon him. He is certainly better than when 

 I first saw him on the l-jth instant. To-morrow or next day 

 he will lie removed to the house of Mr. Jennej'. Mr. Weir 

 desires you to settle his accounts ; he thinks, poor man, that 

 his coUccting-daj'S are over, and requests that you will be kind 

 enough to write to the Royal Horticultural Society, apprising 

 them of the deplorable condition to which he is reduced.' " 



" After remaining for many weeks with Mr. Jenney he re- 

 turned home, still suffering from almost total paralysis. 



" He has now been some time in this country, and the 

 Council, before informing the Fellows of his condition, have 

 waited to see what effect native air and time might have in 

 aiding his recovery. They regret to say, however, that his 

 lU'Ogress has not been encouraging, and that Dr. Seymour 

 iladen reports most unfavourably of his case. 



" The Council feel that they cannot apply the funds of the 

 Society for any length of time for the supjjort of ilr. Weir, but 

 they have no doubt that the Fellows of the Society who have 

 benefited so much by the beautiful plants sent home by their late 

 Collector will not be unwilling to subscribe to provide for one 

 who has lost his health in their service. — J. Cockkkell, 

 Ansistant Secrctunj." 



SUDSCRIPTIONS. £ s. (1. 



Mr. .James Batemen, F.R.H.S 3 



„ Joli-.i Kelk. M.P 5 



„ George F. W.lson, F.R.S 5 



„ Ajiiliow Mlinav. F.L.S 1 



Liout-Cdl. Scott, K.E 1 



Bev. .ToshuaDix 1 (l 



Captaia Jolin CockercU 1 o 



Editors of Journal of Horticultui-e 2 



Subscriptions will be received by Capt. Cockerell, Royal 

 Horticultural Society's Offices, South Kensington, W. 



NEW ROSES. 



I FiT.LT intended to have finished my anatomy of the French 

 Rose lists last week ; but having through some carelessness 

 mislaid the lists I was unable to do so, and now complete my 

 task. As I suppose the said lists liave all been sent out, we 

 may in one sense congratulate ourselves that we are not flooded 

 by the usual amoimt of Roses this year. Instead of the eighty 

 or ninety of last season, we have about forty Hybrid Per- 

 petuals, four Bourbons, and one Tea. But looking at the lists 

 in another point of view even this bright spot is dimmed, 



while what I may call inferior raisers — raisers who have never 

 really given us anything first-rate, are still " to the fore," as 

 our Irish friends would say. I miss the well-known names of 

 .Alargottin, Charles Verdier, Leveque, Marest, and Portemer — 

 men who have given us such Roses as Jules Margottin, Comte 

 Cavour, Duchesso de Caylus, Due do Rohan, Cdcile do Chabril- 

 lant, and Lord Macaulay. Their very absence is, however, a 

 fresh proof of the confidence we may fairly repose in them. 

 Had they had Roses which they pronounced good wo should 

 have heard of them, and 1 venture to say they had many as 

 good as a large number of tliose in the lists. Indeed, I shall 

 be very much mistaken if this season do not prove a compara- 

 tively barren one, giving us but few good Roses. The few 

 remaining llowers are as follows : — 



OAUTUKAU. 



34. Camille IJrrnnrdhi. — Very vigorous. Seedling of General 

 Jacqueminot. (We have too many of this gentleman's babies 

 already.) Flowers large, well formed, full, beautiful new shade 

 of red, very fi-agrant. Has received a silver-gilt medal. 



.T. VEIlSCnAFFKI.T. 



35. Empercur de il/Hioc— .Another of the (ienOral's progeny, 

 and, as it is said to be only nearly full, I fear partaking not of 

 the virtues but of the vices of his papa ; nor do I see a word 

 in the description that might not apply to the General quite as 

 well. 



FONT.MSE rf;RE. 



30. Fawn/ I'l-tznhl. — Plant very vigorous. Flowers large, 

 full, imbricated, opening well, beautiful clear rose, satined (!) 

 with white. 



37. Ciistave Persin. — Plant very vigorous. Flowers very 

 large, full, well formed, very rich colour — purplish red shaded 

 witti scarlet. This variety is said to produce as great an effect 

 as Monte Christo — well, Monte Christo does not hold a very 

 high place in our affections over here. 



38. Miul.'moiscth- Marie lindy. — Plant vei-y vigorous, flower- 

 ing well in autumn. Flower very large, full, and of perfect 

 form, imbricated, and opening well, beautiful lively red bor- 

 dered and satined with white. Very beautiful. 



These aU sound very nicely, but this, we know from sad ex- 

 perience, is no criterion of worth ; nor do M. Fontaine's pre- 

 vious successes inspire us with a great deal of confidence. 



SOUPF.UT ET HOTTING. 



30. Frmupis Goexchke. — This has the merit .at least of a 

 queer name. Plant very vigorous. Flowers large, well formed, 

 beautiful lively red passing to cerise red ; bordereil, or, as I 

 should suppose we would say, back of the petals, lilac. 



GONOI). 



40. Madame FiUion. — Plant very vigorous. Seeilling of 

 JIadame Domage. Flowers very large, full, well formed ; petals 

 beautifully rounded, lovely salmon rose, superb. 



41. Madame Hostc. — Plant vigorous, very free-floweiirg. 

 Flowers large, full, perfectly imbricated, in clusters, flesh 

 colour, spotted with lively rose. Admirable. 



liOUKBON r.OSES. 



42. Jules Ce^ar (E. Verdier). — Plant very vigorous. Flowers 

 large, in clusters of from five to eight, very full, well fonned, 

 fine shaded cerise rose. 



43. Madame Charles Pallet (E. Verdier). — Plant very vigor- 

 ous. Seedling of Louise Odier. Flowers large, in clusters of 

 five to eight, very lull, perfectly imbricated, beautiful fresh 

 tender rose. 



44. Le Florifere (Soupert et Netting). — Plant vigorous. 

 Flowers medium-sized, nearly full, lovely crimson red passing 

 into satiny rose. An excellent variety for grouping, owing to 

 its free-flowering character. 



45. MademoUelle Jemvj Gay (Guillot fils). — Plant vigorous. 

 Seedling of Louise Odier. Flowers metlium size, very full, 

 very well formed, flesh white, with tender rose ou the reverse 

 of the petals. A charming plant. 



TE.i HOSES. 



46. Madame Petoniaz (Guillot pere). — Plant vigorous, very 

 free-flowering. Flowers large, full, buff; centre copper colour. 



I quite agree with Mr. Radclyffe that wo have too many 

 seedlings of Louise Odier, all very much alike, and all of them, 

 with some few exceptions, ditfeient in size. They are very 

 pretty, but do not come up to the standard of our requirements. 



And now what shall we say to all these candidates for public 

 favour ? I believe that the favourites are to be found amongst 

 Mdlle. Marguerite Dombrain, Alfred Colomb, Eugene Beau- 

 haruais ; and that next in rank are President Mas, Prudence 



