2 INTEODUCTION. 



Had I my way, the book would contain plates 

 showing good representative varieties of every type 

 of rose ; plates demonstrating various seasonable opera- 

 tions in the Rose garden and Rose house, the Nursery 

 and Show tent ; the section devoted to garden plans 

 and planting schemes would be exhaustive of all 

 varieties worth growing, and would include alterna- 

 tives of every description ; whilst that portion of the 

 book — the encyclopaedia proper — would list every rose 

 known in the gast and present and the fullest details 

 would be given. A glorious dream, to be realised only 

 by the mt)re favoured brother who can afford the 

 time and money to carry through such an arduous and 

 expensive undertaking. 



The book however, as it is, represents no mean 

 effort. AlII that is necessary will be found dealt with 

 in the chapters devoted to rose culture, whilst the 

 Garden plans and planting schemes will lend ideas 

 that will assist the grower. The dictionary of 

 varieties, although by no means complete, g-ives the 

 names and particulars of nearly all roses listed in 

 our British Rose Growers' catalogues and existing in 

 our gardens throughout the British Isles to-day. As 

 a book of reference it would hardly be of interest to 

 include a list of roses that were out of commerce and 

 did not exist even in the gardens of England to-day, 

 it would only confuse the amateur and lead to mis- 

 takes. Again it is very hard to know where to stop, 

 for foreign growers are ever pushing new roses upon 

 the market, and they are by no means as careful as 

 our own growers in matters of selection. Indeed, 

 many a worthless variety has been sold under a new 

 name. There is no great difficulty in the raising^ of 

 new varieties, but there is difficulty in the securing 

 of varieties that are an improvement upon existing 

 kinds or, at the least, of equal quality. 



Doubtless I could fill volumes with names and 

 particulars, but it would be of no practical benefit. 

 I trust, then, that the book will commend itself and 

 the lines upon which it is compiled will be approved 

 by all. As regards the trader, let it at once be 



