90 THE ROSE GARDEN. 



ascertain this, we might then work by rule. It is the opinion of some Vegetable 

 Physiologists that the offspring assumes the foliage and habit of the male, while 

 the flowers are influenced more by the female parent.* These may be the rules, 

 but there are exceptions to them ; and it would appear that there is nothing yet 

 made known that can be taken as a correct guide in the matter. But if, in 

 hybridizing, the operator follow the dictates of his own reason, and closely watch 

 the results of his labour, he will, in all probability, not absolutely fail, and be 

 at length enabled to found a theory of his own. Until he has done this, he must 

 be content to work by the light of others, or grope his way in darkness. 



That certain cultivators have acquired by practice sufficient knowledge to enable 

 them to attain almost to a given object, is my firm belief; and this is founded 

 on the frequent appearance of the kind of plant, or an approach to it, that has 

 been pronounced a desideratum, A case occurs to me which will serve to illus- 

 trate this remark. Until lately we had no very dark or very light Bourbon 

 Roses ; nearly all were of a rose or lilac hue ; but there was a cry raised for dark 

 ones. Proserpine first arose, and by her beauty captivated every beholder. 

 Next came Paul Joseph, darker still, and still more beautiful. Then it was 

 noised abroad, and proved true, that one raiser was in possession of several very 

 dark varieties, and some pale-coloured ones also appeared about the same time. 

 Now what inference can we draw from these facts, when we consider that similar 

 varieties proceeded from different quarters, unless it be that the skill of the culti- 

 vator was directed, and that successfully, towards originating them. 



The dark Bourbon Roses, of which we have just spoken, are those introduced 

 to England in 1843, under the names of Souchet, Charles Souchet, Dumont du 

 Courset, Gloire de Paris, Princesse Clementine, Souvenir du Dumont d'Urville, 

 and Comte de Rambuteau. These were all raised from seed by one individual. I 

 remember visiting the establishment of M. Souchet at Paris, where, alone, these 

 Roses were to be seen, in the summer of 1842 ; and although a violent thunder- 

 storm had just passed over the city, producing the usual consequences to the 

 denizens of the garden, I could see from the wreck they were a splendid lot of 

 Roses. There were at that time twelve varieties, the one a light-coloured one 

 (Madame Souchet), but nine only were introduced to England. What became 

 of the other three I could never learn. Probably they proved of little merit, 

 and were therefore not offered to the public. 



Now, with such an example as this before us, need we sigh over the improbabi- 

 lities of improving or extending the range of colour in any other class of Roses ? 

 Surely not. Will not the same skill which produced dark and light Bourbon 

 Roses prove adequate to any future reasonable demand ? 



But the plants are in flower, and there is no further time for talking : we are 



* See Theory of Horticulture, p. 330. 



