1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



29 



'PRINCE'S MANUAL OF ROSES— Comprising the mosi 

 complete history of the Rose, including all the most ad- 

 mirable varieties that have appeared in Europe and Amer- 

 ica; together with ample information on their culture and 

 propagatiin By Willi \^m Robert Prince. 

 Here we have a book of some 50 pages, treat- 

 ing exclusively of the Rose. It cannot but be 

 interesting. It is well, that among the multi- 

 tude of useful and even pernicious books that 

 are rolled forth from the press daily, the claims 

 of the floral world are not forgotton. It is joy 

 for the heart of the lover of nature to see the pen 

 of science, of taste, and of genius, employed in 

 scattering light on the culture of earth's beauti- 

 ful flowers, and in directing the attention of men 

 to a pursuit so well calculated to soothe and ren- 

 ovate the mind, when pressed by the perplexing 

 and harrassing duties of life, as well as to soften 

 and refine the hearts and feeling of the world. 



The Rose is, to this day, honored with the 

 proud title of the " Queen of Flowers." — 

 Never, perhaps, at any time, has so much atten- 

 tion been given to its culture, as at the pre- 

 sent. All the lights of science and of art are 

 called to its improvement. Whole broad acres 

 are devoted to its growth and culture. Green 

 houses, conservatories, and parlor windows are 

 filled with Roses. They are grown in every 

 shape, some as dwarfs, not over 6 inches in stat- 

 ure, some as trees with tall stems and spreading 

 bushy heads, some are trained on fantastic 

 frames and pillars of various form ; others are 

 grouped, mingling their brilliant colors, rivalling 

 the tints of the rainbow. 



The amount of money expended annually for 

 Roses, by amateurs, in England and on the con- 

 tinent of Europe, to say nothing of America, 

 would, to many, be perfectly incredible. Tico, 

 ■three, five, and even ten dollars, are ordinary 

 prices for such plants of neiv roses, and thou- 

 sands are annually sold at these prices. 



In this country, in 1844-5, a vast number of 

 the fine Hybrid Perpetual La Reine were sold 

 •at #5 each, and so it was with Chromatella or 

 Cloth of Gold, Solfatare, S{c. Who, then will 

 :say, what's the value of a Rose ? 



We think we hear some sober money ma- 

 king friends exclaim, " what fools, to pay such 

 prices for a Rose!" A great portion of the 

 world know but little of the feelings of the real 

 enthusiastic lover of flowers — money to them has 

 value only so far as it afFoi-ds them the means of 

 life and the gratification of their taste. A beau- 

 tiful flower, to them, is what money is to the mi- 

 ser, but has a contrary effect, on their nature — 

 instead of debasing, it exalts and purifies it. 



The title of the little volume before us ex- 

 plains fully the character of its contents, and 

 leaves us on that point little to say. It is in the 

 main, a compilation from the excellent work of 

 Mr. Rivers, an English nurseryman, who has the 

 best Rose plantation, and is said to be one of the 

 afnost successful Rose gix)wers in the world. 



Mr. Prince has added to it such facts as he 

 had gathered in his practise, and on the whole it 

 presents a great fund of useful and interesting in- 

 formation, both for the amateur and general rea- 

 der. It has, we perceive, been pretty severely 

 criticised, on account of its lack of originality. 

 For our own part, we care nothing about this, — 

 Still, we think it bad taste for any one claiming 

 to be an author, to quote page after page of an- 

 other's book, in such a way that the reader who 

 was not fortunate enough to possess both, could 

 not know which was original and which was 

 borrowed. It is all fair and right to quote, but 

 in justice to readers and all, due credit should ac- 

 company each quotation. 



Mr. Prince is well known to the Horticultural 

 world, and entitled to some regard from it, for 

 what he has done himself, as well as from being 

 the representative of a pioneer family in Ameri- 

 can Horticulture. His grandfather and father 

 were ardent and enterprising men in the pursuit, 

 and in their day, were great public benefactors 

 in their eflbrts to introduce fruits and flowers. — 

 The late William Prince was a kind, aniable, 

 high minded man as ever lived, and a sound 

 scientific and practical nurseryman, besides an 

 honor to the science and his country. We love 

 his memory. His son, the author, is one of the 

 most indomitable, energetic, unconquerable men 

 living, with a temperament and mode of getting 

 along peculiarly and emphatically his own. 



We find he has dedicated his Manual "to the 

 Memory of his Father," in the most exalted and 

 reverential language. 



By way of conveying an idea of his nationali- 

 ty, as well as style and mode of illustration, we 

 copy the following description of a new variety 

 •f that beautiful American class, called Prame 

 Roses. 



Mrs. H-'iiry Clay is an admirable creamy wliite flow- 

 er, extra beautiful, and produced in immense clusters. It 

 is worthy in itself, as well as for its connection with this 

 noble family of native roses, of being dedicated to the emi- 

 nently worthy lady of that man, who stands apart, marked 

 out in the minds of all candid Americans, and by the world 

 at large, as the exalted combination of natural genius, of 

 concentrated political knowledge, of energy of character, 

 and of generous devotion to his country's prosperity ; thus 

 presenting the concentrated amplitude of development, 

 the veriest impersonification of Americanism. 



Horticultural Society of the Valley of the Genesee. 



At the Annual Meeting of this Society, held on the eve- 

 ning of Dec. 28, 1846, the following gentlemen were elect- 

 ed officers for the ensuing year ; 



President— Isaac Hills, of Rochester. 



1st V. President— J. Gould, Rochester. 



2d " " J. S. Wadsworth, Geneseo. 



3d '• " H. U. Soper, Batavia. 



4th " " L. B. Langworthy, Greece. 



5th " " J. R. Thompson, Rochester. 



Corresponding Secretary — James W. Sibley. 



Recording Secretary — J. A. Eastman. 



Treasurer— J. VV. Bissell. 

 On motion of Mr. Bissell, the following gentlemen were 

 elected honorary members : 



A. J. Downing, Newburgh ; C. M. Hovey, Boston ; M. 

 B. Bateham, Columbus, Ohio; H. W. Beecher, Indianapo- 

 lis, la; L. F. Allen, Buffalo; David Thomas, Aurora. 



