Handbook on Rose Culture. 



EXPLANATION OF A ROSE 

 CATALOGUE. 



The public generally select their varieties of 

 roses from a rose catalogue procured from 

 either a Government Garden or a private con- 

 cern. This catalogue is mainly a descriptive 

 list with the object of guiding the purchaser 

 in what he buys ; but unfortunately, in very 

 many instances, the purchaser is a bit dis- 

 appointed at what he gets, owing to a rather 

 misleading and difficult to understand des- 

 cription. 



When looking through a rose catalogue 

 perhaps the first column that strikes the eye 

 is that of class. Botanically speaking there 

 are a great number of species of roses, but of 

 the classes that are mostly cultivated in an 

 ordinary garden are the Hybrid Perpetual, 

 the Hybrid Tea, the Bourbon, the Tea, and the 

 Noissete. In all classes now cultivated there 

 is considerable confusion and it is difficult to 

 distinguish between them. The Hybrid 

 Perpetual was originally obtained from a 

 hybrid between a Chinese and a French rose. 

 It was called Hybrid Perpetual as compared 

 with the species of roses, for it flowered both 

 in summer and in autumn. But its distinctive 

 name lost its significance when it was again 

 crossed and recrossed with other sections. 



D. H. HILL LIBRARY 

 North Carolina State College 



