206 THE ROSE. 



such as Madame Laffay, Mrs. Elliott, and, a 

 few years after, La Reine. The two former 

 have nearly disappeared from cultivation; 

 but La Reine is still much grown, and, like 

 the General Jacqueminot, Victor Verdier, 

 and Jules Margottin, has been the progenitor 

 of most of the hardy roses cultivated at this 

 day. 



It would astonish the uninitiated to learn 

 the number, not only of those who propagate 

 plants for sale, but those who are engaged in 

 the production of new varieties from seed. 

 Strange to say, the raising of new roses 

 has been done successfully only in France 

 and England. Italy and Germany have ac- 

 complished almost nothing in this line, al- 

 though the climate of those countries is as 

 favorable for the purpose as that of the other 

 two ; but in this they only follow the general 

 line of horticultural progress, for Italy and 

 Germany have produced few varieties of 

 European fruits that are valuable. America 

 has originated more fruits of high quality 

 than any other country, but her contributions 

 to the list of good roses, though larger than 

 those of Italy and Germany, fall far short of 

 what they should be. With an extent of 

 territory that gives greater variation of 

 climate and soil than is to be found in any 



