PERMANENT COLORS. 163 
a matter of considerable importance, enabling 
us to place in favored situations those sorts 
easily affected by these several conditions, 
and, if necessary, giving positions exposed 
to the direct rays of the sun to those varieties 
which have proved best able to endure them. 
The most severe ordeal which tries the color 
of arose is an excess of moisture followed 
by ahot sun. Exposed to these conditions 
many of our choicest sorts, of which Charles 
Lefebvre and Countess of Oxford are notable 
examples, lose their pristine brilliancy or 
purity, and become lamentably faded and 
sullied. Others, like Louis Van Houtte and 
Marie Baumann, are under such circum- 
stances much less injured, and though losing 
some of their original freshness still remain 
exceedingly attractive. Dark roses are, as 
a rule, the first to fade; their glory passes 
away very much sooner than is the case with 
the rose-colored varieties and those of light 
shades. Among the crimson sorts we have 
observed none which retains its color so well 
as Louis Van Houtte; this quality, combined 
with fine form, fragrance, and freedom of 
bloom, places it at the head of all crimson- 
maroonroses. Varieties of somewhat lighter 
shade that rank high for permanency of 
color are, General Jacqueminot, Charles 
