186 



GENESEE FARMER. 



July. 



THE ROSE:- Its History, Poetry, Culture and Classi- James' novels. Here the rose is traced from 

 fication. By S. B. Parsons. ^^g ^jays of Solomon, and a thousand inreresting 



This delightful time of Roses, when the gar- anecdotes and beautiful fancies related of it 

 dens are painted with their beauty, and the air among the various nations and people of the 

 laden with their perfume, reminds us of a duty ' earth, highly illustrative of their respective man- 

 we have too long deferred, that of present- ners, customs and tastes. 



ing this beautiful book to the attention of our ; For the ladies, who are said to love the 

 readers. As the author truly says : ]"■ poetry of Jlowers, and jlowers of poetry,''^ as 



The beauty of the Rose has preserved it and its reputa- I well as for the more imaginative of our OWn seX, 

 lion for many ages. The most populous nations, the largest [ Mr. PaRSONS has CUlled ifrom various fields into 

 cities, the most wealthy and powerful Kingdoms, have dis- i , ^ ,, , , . ., . i , 



appeared from the earth, or have been involved in the rev- ! » boquet, the sweetest poetry that has been wnt- 

 oiutions and subversions of empire ;, while a simple flower ! ten Or translated into our language, on the Rose, 

 has escaped them all and sidlamuns to tell its story. It j These gems of poesy cover some 60 pases of 

 has seen a hundred generations succeed each other, and ' . , p j i i , ^ ° , 



pass away ; it has traveled through ages without changing | the book, and as the author says, " those whose 



its destiny or losing its character: the homage rendered ears are nOt open tO pleasant SOunds will endure 



and the love borne it has been always the same : now, as 

 in the earliest periods of the world's history, it is decreed 

 the lirst place in the floral kingdom. In these days, as in 

 those of antiquity, it is par excellence, the Queen of flowers, 

 because it is always the most beautiful, and because no 

 other flower can furnish half its charms, To elegance and 

 beauty of form it unites the freshness and brilliance of the 

 most agreeable colors, and, as if nature had showered upon 

 it all her most precious gifts, it adds to its other qualities a 

 delightful perfumery, which alone would suffice to entitle 

 it to a distinguished place among the beautiful and plea- 

 sant things of the vegetable kingdom. 



Throughout all ages the Rose has been the ac- 

 knowledged "Queen of Flowers," and at this 



this, for the sake of the more practical matters 

 elsewhere." The whole work contains 280 

 pages, of which about one half is included in 

 the history and poetry, and the other half what 

 may be termed practical. 



We are inclined to think that the chapter on 

 Climbing Roses is rather meagre. This is a 

 most useful and popular division of the rose 

 family, and is every year attracting more and 

 more attention : and therefore we think the 

 value of the book would have been enhanced if 



day, after the entire globe has been searched for | ^hi^ chapter had been more extended and minute, 



floral novelties and beauties, it stands pre-emi 

 nently so. In France and England it is at the 

 head of all ornamental plants. And the appear- 

 ance of such a work as this before us, and the 

 satisfaction with which it has been generally re- 

 ceived by horticulturists and patrons of horticul- 

 ture in this country, indicate that it will soon, 

 if it does not already, occupy the same position 

 here. Several other works have, within a few 

 years past, been published on the Rose in this 



embracing the " training of Climbing Roses," 

 found at another place, and illustrating by cuts 

 the most tasteful, best and cheapest modes of 

 training. We find the index, also, defective. 

 The index should direct us at once to every 

 class and every variety in the book, but it does 



neither. For instance, we wish to refer to 

 "Chromatella Rose ;" the only guide in the index 

 is "Garden Classification," page 237. We turn 

 . to 237 and then we turn page after page till we 



country ; but this one of Mr. Parsons is every ! j^ave turned 20, when we come to Chromatella. 

 way so decicedly superior as to be beyond com- ! rp^ ^_,g .^^^^^ others like us, who are not too largely 

 parison. The others have mamly been designed blessed with leisure, this is annoying. Nothing 

 for the cultivator, and have consequently been I jg ^^^.^ (j^sirable in a book of this kind, usually 



confined to the practical classification, culture 

 and description of varieties— but this embraces 

 the whole subject. History, Uses, Poetry, Cul- 



wanted, not to be read and laid on the shelf, but 

 to be referred to frequently, than a full and com- 

 plete table of contents, so that any subject can 



ture. Propagation, Diseases, and practical and j ^e instantly referred to. This is a great fea 

 scientific Classification, with descriptions of alll^^^^g -^^ ^^j, ^^ Loudon's works. In his immense 



Encyclopedias, his Arboretrum, comprising 8 



large volumes, any subject can be as easily and 



The typographical part of the work is in j as readily found as any particular letter in the 



the best varieties introduced at home or abroad 

 up to the present time, or at least up to 1847 



Wiley & Putnam's best style ; paper smooth 

 and white, type large enough, with ample mar- 

 gins, and embellished with very fine colored 

 plates of the two best roses, La Reine and 

 Chromatella, by Parisian artists — so that the 

 work possesses many and varied attractions that 

 commend it not only to the mere gardener, nur- 

 seryman, or amateur cultivator, but to every 

 person of taste in town or country who can 

 afford to pay $1,50 for a very useful, interest- 

 ing and beautiful book. The reader for amuse- 

 ment o 



alphabet. These things may be corrected in a 

 future edition of Mr. Parsons' work. 



The Norllierii Spy Apple. 



In acknowledging the receipt of some specie 

 mens of this fruit in the last number of the 

 Farmer, we incidentally alluded to Prof. Cop- 

 pock's Horticultural Festival, where the Esopus 

 Spitzenhurg Apple was adopted as the standard 

 of excellence, by which to estimate the qualities 

 pastime will find the historical part of others. It has been supposed from our re- 

 more interesting than the best of Bulwer'e or | marks, that we were somewhat mistaken in re- 



