M Jf?^ ^ard^Q ar)d l^aijor). ^ 



NOTES ON THE ROSE. 



" I dream of a red rose tree ; 

 And which of its roses three, 

 Is the dearest rose to me ? " 



N every age of the world since man first beheld the beauties 

 of earth, the rose has held a prominent place in his admi- 

 ration and affections. In every age of the world have 

 the poets written of its beauty and its fragrance. And 

 in every age, till the end of time and all things perish- 

 able, will they continue to do so ; and not then will the 

 theme have been exhausted. 

 The season just past has not been a satisfactory one to the rose-lover, in- 

 asmuch as it has been too brief. The early opening of spring advanced the 

 bushes too rapidly to bear without injury the heavy frosts of the latter end of 

 May. And then came several weeks of cold rains followed by an intense heat and 

 continued drouth. A season of extremes and sudden changes is the very reverse 

 of a favorable one for roses. But though .the blooming season was short, and 

 the bloom not so heavy as the year before, there has been a splendid growth of 

 bush ; and if other conditions are favorable, an extra season may be looked for 

 next year. 



The Horticulturist for July gave an extract on the rose, from *' Garden- 

 ing," in which a long list of varieties suitable for outdoor cultivation, was named. 

 That list contained many very choice sorts, well suited for the localities further 

 south than this, but very unsuited to Central Ontario. Lest some of your 

 readers might be misled into trying some of the varieties named, I would, as 

 one having had some sorrowful experiences, warn them to select with caution. 



In advising in the matter of a selection for an amateur, to begin with, I 

 would observe the same principle urged by our Society in the selection of an 

 apple orchard — avoid too many varieties. I would, with Mrs. Lambert (See 

 Horticulturist for August), begin my selections with the General Jacqueminot. 

 Of that variety I always plant two roots together, or rather within a few inches 

 of each other, in order to get a large bush and a heavy mass of bloom. With 

 the exception, perhaps, of the Fontinelle and Prince Camille, I would let all 

 other dark varieties alone and repeat Jacqueminot. My next favorite is Magna 

 Charta, though its short blooming season is a sore defect in so beautiful a rose. 

 John Hopper, Mrs. John Laing, Anna de Diesbach, all choice sorts, I would 

 pass by and repeat Magna Charta, though from the former you may get a more 

 continuous bloom throughout the season. For a still lighter color take Gabriel 

 Luizet ; and for a pure and pretty white, Mad. Plantier. The Luizet will bloom 



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