248 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



culture on the briar and is not free-flowering or good as 

 an autumnal, but it is a fine well-built bloom when you 

 get it good, with stout petals, high centre, fine globular 

 outline, full size and dark, sometimes rather dull, colour. 

 The flowers being heavy and the wood weak, flowering 

 shoots of dwarfs should be staked when the bud is 

 formed. The lasting powers of the blooms are par- 

 ticularly good, and it is worthy of notice, as an example 

 of the odd manners and customs of Roses, that some of 

 the weakest growers have the most lasting flowers, and 

 vice versa. For instance. Marquise de Mortemart and 

 Madame Ducher, two H.P.s that have practically 

 dropped out of cultivation from their extreme poorness 

 of growth, are especially noted for the lasting character 

 of their blooms, while such strong growers as Heinrich 

 Schultheis and Thomas Mills show the opposite side of 

 the picture. Louis van Houtte will not do with me : 

 a respectable bloom even on strong shoots is a rarity : 

 but many others grow it well and esteem it highly. For 

 anything but exhibition pui^i^oses, however, it should be 

 generally avoided. 



Mahei Morrison (Broughton, 1878).— A pure white 

 sport from Baroness Rothschild, but smaller and very 

 weak in the centre : only worthy of notice as a seed 

 parent of Her Majesty. 



Madame Charles Wood (E. Verdier, 1861).— Formerly 

 of considerable reputation as a show Rose, but a bad 

 grower, of weak constitution. The blooms often come 

 divided and rain will spoil them. Sometimes a strong 

 fine Rose, with large petals, rather flat in shape, and 

 tightly incurved in the centre. A good lasting flower, 

 of full size, but a " bad doer " and not to be recom- 

 mended. 



Madame Oler/unce Joigneaux (Liabaud, 1861).— A very 



