246 BOURBON ROSES. 



Gloire de Rosomene, as it has the same serrated foliage and habit. Glory of 

 Algiers is equally brilliant and beautiful, but seems to possess a remarkable 

 peculiarity: its flowers have never yet opened when produced upon a budded 

 plant ; but as a dwarf on its'own roots it has bloomed in fine perfection. Crimson 

 Madame Desprez and the Crimson Globe seem to be all that can be wished for ; 

 they are both of the most robust habits ; they bloom constantly, and their flowers 

 open freely: these are of a rich purplish crimson; the latter is the deepest in colour. 

 It will probably form a fine pillar rose, and, as a standard, it will equal in 

 luxuriance of growth the most robust of our Bourbon Roses. Madame Nerard, 

 as a pale rose-coloured variety, is most perfect in the shape of its flowers ; and 

 Desgaches, a vivid rose, nearly carmine, is equally beautiful, and quite first rate. 

 Pucelle Genoise, also, is a fine large and double ruse, apparently a hybrid of the 

 China Rose, as its foliage approaches it in resemblance. Bouquet de Flore, 

 Kmile Courtier, and Due d' Aumale, are true Bourbons, and most perfect and 

 beautiful varieties, with large and double flowers of a deep rose colour. 



In the preceding notices of sorts, I have purposely mentioned the habits of 

 those that deviate a little from the characters of the generality; in forming a 

 clump, it will, therefore, be seen which to place in the front, and which in the 

 centre. Several varieties in the catalogue, not noticed here, are equal in beauty 

 to those that are ; but as their habits have nothing particularly distinctive, I 

 have, to avoid being tedious, not described them. 



Bourbon Roses most certainly show themselves to greater advantage on 

 stems from one to three feet in height, than in any other mode of culture ; if 

 on their own roots, they are too near the ground, and the autumnal rains spoil 

 their delicate blossoms, by dashing the dirt upon them. They seem to grow 

 well in all soils ; but I should recommend, "in spite of the above objection, those 

 who have only a dry and poor sandy soil to have plants on their own roots, as 

 the Dog Rose will not flourish in such soils, though cultivated roses in soils of 

 the same description will grow most luxuriantly. Nature often seems to delight 

 to puzzle us gardeners with anomalies that cannot be fathomed, clever as we 

 are in our generation. 



These roses require but little pruning ; towards the end of March or begin- 

 ning of April their shoots may be thinned, those that are killed by the winter 

 removed, and long shoots shortened to within four or five buds. 



I hope in a few years to see Bourbon Roses in every garden, for the " queen 

 of flowers'' boasts no members of her court more beautiful ; their fragrance.'also, 

 is delicious, more particularly in the autumn. They ought to occupy a distin- 

 guished place in the autumnal rose-garden, in clumps or beds, as standards and 

 as pillars ; in any and in all situations they must and will please. To ensure a 

 very late autumnal bloom, a collection of dwarf standards, i.e., stems one to two 

 feet in height, should be potted in large pots, and, during summer, watered with 

 manured water, and some manure kept on the surface ; towards the end of Sep- 

 tember or the middle of October, if the weather is wet, they may be placed under 

 glass : they will bloom in fine perfection even as late as November. I consider 

 the culture of these roses only in its infancy; we shall ultimately have the 

 richest hues combined with perfection of form, and the complete plenitude of 

 their flowers. 



It is difficult to point out roses of this family that bear seed freely, except 

 the Common Bourbon ; but Acidalie, planted against a south wall, would pro- 

 bably give some seed. If any pollen can be found, it might be fertilised with 

 the flowers of Julie de Loynes. A pure white and true Bourbon rose ought to 

 be the object ; therefore it should not be hybridised with any other species. 

 Gloire de Rosomene may be planted against a south wall, with the Common 

 Bourbon, with which it should be carefully fertilised. Some interesting varieties 

 may be expected from seed thus produced. Queen of the Bourbons, planted 

 with the Yellow China Rose, might possibly give some seeds ; but those would 

 not produce true Bourbon roses, as the former is a hybrid, partaking of the quali- 

 ties of the Tea-scented roses. Dubourg, planted with La Tendresse, would give 

 seed from which some very delicate Blush roses might be raised; and Phoenix, 

 fertilized with the Common Bourbon, would also probably produce seed worth 

 attention. 



