ROSES— CHOICE OF VARIETIES, AND WINTER 



CARE. 



T must be very gratifying to the 

 amateur gardener to see the 

 amount of interest which has 

 developed during the last few 

 years in the cultivation of the Rose, 

 more especially as there seemed io be 

 a prevailing idea that roses could not 

 be grown successfully in this northern 

 climate I have been trying for the 

 past three or four years to awaken a 

 more lively interest in the propagation 

 and growth of this the Queen of flow- 

 ers, and think I may add, with some 

 success. 



It is from the standpoint of ar ama- 

 teur pure and simple (what I mean by 

 amateur is one whose hothouse is the 

 open garden, and old Sol furnishes the 

 heat) that I beg to offer a few sugges- 

 tions : — i st, as to choice of varieties ; 

 2nd, their care through the winter. 



Hybrid Perpetuals (so-called) are roses 

 that will stand this northern climate 

 with slight protection, even the hardiest 

 is better with a little covering. 



I have given considerable attention 

 to the gilt-edge list of Hardy • Roses 

 which Mr. Race kindly furnished in 

 last month's Horticulturist, and to 

 say the least, I was somewhat disap- 

 pointed. 



With your kind permission, I will 

 name the following, which I know from 

 experience are worth cultivating : 



Dark Hybrids. 



" Duke of Edinburgh," " Fisher 

 Holmes," " Louis Van Houtten," 

 " Prince Camille De Rohan," " Charles 

 Lefebre," " Earl of Dufferin," " Gen- 

 Jacqueminot." 



Lighter Reds. 



Marie Bauman," " Capt. Heywood," 



M. P. Wilder," "John Hopper," "Sir 

 G. Wolseley," "Lady Helen Stewart." 



Pink. 

 "Mrs. J. Laing," "La France," 

 " Magna Charta," " Madame Gabriel 



Luizet." 



White. 



" Margaret Dickson," " Mabel Mor- 

 rison," " Merveille de Lyons," " Mar- 

 chioness of Londonderry," " Perle des 

 Blanches." 



The above list, taking all things into 

 consideration, I believe to be as near 

 gilt-edge as you can get. 



I do not claim all this list will stand 

 a temperature from io° to 30 below 

 zero ; but I do claim, that if a few hand- 

 fulls of long straw are placed lengthwise 

 and bound to the bush, and the roots 

 banked up with leaves or long manure, 

 no fatal results will follow. 



I would like to say a word in defence 

 of that grand old rose, " La France." 

 Some time ago I remember reading an 

 article in the Horticulturist, which 

 I think did not do justice to this lovely 

 flower. I would like to ask, what are 

 its faults ? As a pink rose, I doubt 

 very much if it has an equal ; as a con 

 stant bloomer, it is as near perfection 

 as you come. There has not been a 

 week during this summer I could not 

 cut the grandest blooms from it. And 

 for fragrance, it certainly is not lacking. 

 To those who have not got this variety 

 in their collection, I would strongly 

 advise to procure soon as possible. 

 Let me add, all my roses are " dormant 

 budded." I would like to give my plan 

 of protecting " Tea " roses, and may 

 possibly do so next month. 



J. G. Jackson. 

 Port Hope. 



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