882 APPENDIX. 



In addition to our native Oaks, there are some foreign species 

 and varieties worthy of a place in the ornamental plantation or ar- 

 boretum, as the English, Turkey, Variegated leaf, Weeping, &c. 



ROSA. 



New varieties of Roses are continually produced by florists in 

 Europe and America, and it is impossible to keep the run of all 

 that are introduced. In many cases they are not improvements, 

 and I should recommend that the old varieties be retained until 

 the flowers of the new sorts have been seen ; for, although there 

 is something in a name, it does not prove that high-sounding 

 names will, in all cases, represent improved flowers. Every one 

 that buys a dozen new roses must expect to be disappointed in 

 eleven of them. 



Since writing the above, I have read an article on the New 

 Roses of 1855, by Thomas Rivers, of England, who, it appears, 

 has come to about the same conclusion as myself in regard to the 

 merits of some of the new Roses. He says, " In common with 

 most of our flowers and fruits, there are, every year, new Roses 

 in abundance : but, owing to the present high standard of excel- 

 lence in roses, but very few of the new varieties can be honestly 

 recommended. It is true their names and their descriptions are 

 enticing, owing to the false judgment of those who raise them from 

 seed, who, with that peculiar leaning which every florist feels for 

 a flower of his own creation, see in them qualities far above 

 their deserts ; they describe them with glowing language, because 

 they love them as a parent loves his children, and are surprised 

 when a cool, distinguished looker-on, points out defects which 

 their affection-blinded eyes never detected. Of the sixty to eighty 

 new varieties of Roses ' introduced to commerce,' as the French 



/ 



phrase is, during the autumn of 1854 and spring of 1855, many 

 of them are pretty enough for what Rose is not pretty ? but 

 those of really fine qualities, excelling, or even equalling, the fine 

 standard sorts already known, are lamentably few ; so much so, 



