PERMANENT COLORS. 163 



a matter of considerable importance, enabling 

 us to place in favored situations those sorts 

 easily affected by these several conditions, 

 and, if necessary, giving positions exposed 

 to the direct rays of the sun to those varieties 

 which have proved best able to endure them. 

 The most severe ordeal which tries the color 

 of a rose is an excess of moisture followed 

 by a hot sun. Exposed to these conditions 

 many of our choicest sorts, of which Charles 

 Lefebvre and Countess of Oxford are notable 

 examples, lose their pristine brilliancy or 

 purity, and become lamentably faded and 

 sullied. Others, like Louis Van Houtte and 

 Marie Baumann, are under such circum- 

 stances much less injured, and though losing 

 some of their original freshness still remain 

 exceedingly attractive. Dark roses are, as 

 a rule, the first to fade; their glory passes 

 away very much sooner than is the case with 

 the rose-colored varieties and those of light 

 shades. Among the crimson sorts we have 

 observed none which retains its color so well 

 as Louis Van Houtte ; this quality, combined 

 with fine form, fragrance, and freedom of 

 bloom, places it at the head of all crimson- 

 maroon roses. Varieties of somewhat lighter 

 shade that rank high for permanency of 

 color are, General Jacqueminot, Charles 



