EOSE CULTURE. 77 



Wolsele}', -wbich made eight shoots, averaging twelve feet in length, 

 and expects that next ^-ear it will be a splendid specimen. It is 

 probabh* on the Prince's stock, which he prefers to the Manetti. 

 In England they grow too coarsely out of doors on this stock. Mr. 

 Prince grows the best roses in England ; his stock is only a selected 

 Dog rose. Instead of collecting old Dog roses from the hedges he 

 sows the seed and grafts the seedlings when they are one year old. 

 The grafts groAv more vigorously than on other stocks, and health}' 

 stocks do not send up suckers. The speaker would never plant 

 H3'brid Perpetual roses on their own roots, either for forcing or for 

 out-door culture. He planted a bed of roses for Mr. Merriam, of 

 Lexington, in common garden soil, spaded about twelve inches 

 deep, which produced some of the finest roses he had ever seen. 

 These were on the Prince's stock. Mr. Comley said that he would 

 prefer perfect medium sized roses to those almost as large as cab- 

 bages. In applying manure he would keep it near the surface, so 

 as to attract the roots where they would have the benefit of the sun 

 and air. lie thought we have among our wild roses as good a stock 

 as Prince's ; it makes many fibrous roots. He had saved half a 

 bushel of the seed. For forcing he thought a plant on the Prince's 

 stock better worth a dollar, than one on the Manetti is worth 

 twent3'-five cents. There is great risk in forcing new roses ; he has 

 four kinds out of thirtj'-six which have not a single flower. Their 

 hardiness is also uncertain. He would not care if it took half a 

 da}' to cover up a fine rose. We lose a great man}' beautiful 

 things because they will not take care of themselves. Mr. Comley 

 gave the following list of roses, which he considered the best new 

 varieties : Abel Carriere, Duchesse Amelie, Duchesse de Vallom- 

 brosa, Jean Liabaud, Jean Soupert, John Eraser, John Stuart 

 Mill, Madame Auguste Eevilliod, Mademoiselle Emilie Verdier, 

 Rev. J. B. M. Camm, Royal Standard, Souvenir d' Arthur de Sansal, 

 Souvenir de Louis Van Houtte. 



M. H. Merriam corroborated what Mr. Comley had said about 

 his roses. He had never seen the equal, for abundance, of the best 

 crops of flowers, and it has been well maintained. They have 

 received the approving awards of the Society. He was never 

 troubled with suckers until the last season, and perhaps their 

 appearance then was owing to not giving sufficient care to the 

 grafts. The sine qua iwn in forcing roses is an abundance of well 

 ripened wood. Mr. Merriam said that he had corresponded with 



