SOME OLD-FASHIONED CLIMBING ROSES 117 



favourite, and has reddish, buff-coloured flowers. It is 

 a vigorous grower, retaining its foliage during the greater 

 part of the winter. Isabella Gray is reputedly the parent 

 of Marechal Niel. It has large, full, globular blooms of 

 deep colouring. La Biche is a very dainty white Noisette 

 Rose ; and before William Allen Richardson was known, 

 Ophirie was in great demand. It may still be seen on 

 the walls of many old houses. Solfaterre, with sulphur- 

 yellow flowers, is well worth planting on a warm wall 

 or in a greenhouse. Many old exhibitors remember 

 Triomphe de Rennes, a rose of delightful form that 

 has, alas ! proved too difficult to grow, as was the 

 case with Cloth of Gold, yet both many sometimes 

 be seen growing luxuriantly on cottage walls, quite 

 uncared for. 



The Boursault Roses were widely grown years ago. 

 They are very distinct, being almost free from thorns, 

 and having very flexible shoots, usually of a red- 

 dish tinge. In fact, the stems of the old varieties, 

 Amadis and Inermis Morletti, are as finely coloured in 

 autumn as the red dogwood. The blush Boursault 

 is often seen upon old cottages to-day; so, too, is 

 Gracilis. 



The Hybrid Chinese Roses were frequently used 

 as climbers for walls and arches. One of the very best 

 of these is Blairii No. 2, with large pink blooms. 



The Banksian Roses, lovely as they are, require 

 warm walls to grow them to perfection. This, no doubt, 

 is the reason of their being so seldom seen to-day. Yet 

 a good specimen is worth a long journey to see. 



