STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 217 



of red and white as the badge of two hoaorable and royal 

 houses. The common wild rose is produced without the aid or 

 interferance of man. Blooming in the sterile waste, this lovely 

 flower is seen unfolding its fair leaves where there is no beauty to 

 reflect its own, and thus calling back the heart of the weary 

 traveller to thoughts of peace and joy, reminding him that the 

 wilderness of human life, though rugged and barren to the discon- 

 tented beholder, has also its sweet flowers not the less welcome for 

 being unlooked for, nor the less lovely for being cherished by a 

 hand unseen." 



Friends, the rose still maintains her supremacy in every part of 

 the world. She has long been recognized as queen of all the floral 

 kingdom, and, while we concede to all the flower producing plants 

 the full measure of praise for their numberless beauties, peculiari- 

 ties and attractions, we should accord to the rose the tribute of 

 our highest admiration and cheerfully welcome her to our homes 

 and surroundings. Give her the care and protection which is so 

 essential for her success in this, our Northern clime, and she will 

 bountifully repay us with a brilliant display of her unrivaled glories 

 in the coming joyous summer days. 



" From the weather-worn house on the brow of the hill, 



We are dwelling afar, in our manhood to-day; 



But we see the old roses and hollyhocks still, 



As they looked when we left them to wander away. 



Farewell to the friends of our bright boyhood days, 



To the beautiful vales where the roses did bloom; 



To the fathers, the mothers, now gone from our gaze, 



From the weather worn house to their Heave;Qly home, 



Where they wait, where they watch, and will welcome us still 



As they waited and watched in the house on the hill." 



Following Mr. Barter's paper, the following was read: 



NOTES ON ROSES, BY THE SEGBETARY. 



A choice list of roses was given in Dr. Mead's paper, page 310 

 in our report for 1883. In my visit to Washington, in September 

 last, I saw the Bancroft Rose Garden, and spent some hours in it 

 with Dr. Mead, under the guidance of Peter Carroll, the gardener, 

 and John Brady, the rosarian mentioned by Dr. Mead. Some ex- 

 tracts from my note-book may be of interest in this connection: 



The La France, at Mr. Bancroft's garden, develops a climbing 

 habit when grown under glass, where it does better than out of 

 doors. 



