156 A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. 



Blairii 2, a perplexing title (transposed to "Bleary Eye" by a 

 cottager of my acquaintance), until we receive the explanation 

 that the Rose was one of two seedlings raised by Mr. Blair 

 of Stamford Hill, near London. No. i, though once eulogized 

 (see Syfeei's British FIower-Garden, \o\. iv. p. 405) as "this 

 splendid Rose," is worthless; but No. 2, with its large globular 

 flowers, the petals deepening from a most delicate flesh-color 

 without to a deep rosy blush within, is a gem of purest ray serene. 

 A bloom of it, cut from the tree before it was fully expanded, in 

 the intermediate state between a bud and a Rose, and tastefully 

 placed with a frond of Adiantum (Cuneatum, Sanctce Catherinse, 

 Farleyense, or Tenerum) in her back hair — I beg pardon, her 

 back snakes — would make even a Fury good-looking. It be- 

 longs to the Hybrid China family, as does 



Bre7injis, far more happy as a Climbing Rose than when, scaling 

 with his Gauls the Tarpeian rock, he woke up the geese who 

 woke up the Romans to repel him headlong, and to save their 

 capital. It is a most free-growing, free-blooming variety, with 

 large deep carmine flowers. 



Charles Lawson, a hybrid from the Isle de Bourbon Rose, makes 

 a noble specimen, producing magnificent blooms of a bright 

 glowing pink abundantly in all seasons. This glorious Rose 

 well deserves all those adjectives expressive of beauty which, I 

 begin to fear, my readers will regard as wearisome and vain 

 repetitions. I can only plead that the epithets are true, and cry 

 "Excuse tautology!" as I once heard a parrot scream for the 

 best part of a summer's day. 



Chenedole, Hybrid China, is a very attractive garden Rose. Not 

 "an article which will bear the closest inspection" of anatomi- 

 cal eyes, but adding greatly to the general effect of the Rosarium 

 with its vivid crimson flowers. 



Coupe d'' Hebe, Hybrid Bourbon, is perhaps a size smaller than we 

 should have expected Hebe's cup to be, considering the require- 

 ments of such inflammatory personages as Jupiter, Mars, and 

 Bacchus. Probably, when the gods set up a butler, as they did 



