THE AUTUMNAL ROSE GARDEN. 143 



same description will grow most luxuriantly. 

 Nature often seems to delight to puzzle us gar- 

 deners with anomalies that cannot be fathomed, 

 clever as we are in our generation. 



These roses require but little pruning ; towards 

 the end of March or beginning of April their 

 shoots may be thinned, those that are killed by 

 the winter removed, and long shoots shortened to 

 within four or five buds. 



I hope, in a few years, to see Bourbon Roses 

 in every garden, for the " queen of flowers " 

 boasts no members of her court more beautiful; 

 their fragrance also is delicate and pleasing, more 

 particularly in the autumn ; they ought to occupy 

 a distinguished place in the autumnal rose garden, 

 in clumps or beds, as standards, and as pillars, in 

 any, and in all situations, they must and will 

 please. To ensure a very late autumnal bloom, a 

 collection of dwarf standards, i. e. stems one to 

 two feet in height, should be potted in large pots, 

 and during summer watered with manured water, 

 and some manure kept on the surface; towards 

 the end of September or the middle of October, 

 if the weather is wet, they may be placed under 

 glass : they will bloom in fine perfection even as 

 late as November. I consider the culture of 

 these roses only in its infancy ; we shall ulti- 

 mately have the richest hues combined with per- 

 fection of form, and the complete plenitude of 

 their flowers. 



