THE ROSE GARDEN 129 



upon the race, in the golden and sulphur 

 base which adds such richness of tone to their 

 countless shades of white, pink, crimson and 

 copper. My own experience has been that for 

 the Autumn garden, Tea Roses are absolutely 

 essential ; for of ail the beloved family none 

 flower better till " Winter's rains and ruins " stop 

 all blossoms. On a November day last Autumn, 

 despite the torrents that had been falling for 

 forty-eight hours, a little bed of General 

 Schablikine was bright with half-open buds; 

 the invaluable G. Nabonnand had good flowers 

 upon it ; Tillier looked as if its sturdy flowers 

 would go on till Christmas ; and Marie van 

 Houtte was simply smothered in healthy buds 

 that only waited for a dry and sunny day to 

 come into full beauty. I would almost place 

 this delightful Rose first on my list for its 

 amazingly prolific qualities, being constantly in 

 bloom. One year a three-year-old bush here 

 displayed sixty-two well-shaped blossoms in the 

 middle of October. But though one classes 

 Marie van Houtte among the yellow and white 

 Roses, it is a mistake to plant her among them 



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