PERMANENT COLORS, ETC. 161 



them. The flower is naturally the first to claim 

 onr attention ; observe first the color, second 

 the form, degree of fulness, and size, third the 

 fragrance. Next, examine the vigor and habit 

 of growth, whether the shoots are upright or 

 spreading; the joints between leaf -stalks, whether 

 close together (short joints), or widely separated 

 (long joints) ; the thorns, whether they be many 

 or few in number, their thickness, length, color, 

 whether straight or hooked ; the leaf -stalks and 

 foliage, whether the leaflets be five, seven, nine, 

 or eleven in number ; the color of the fohage 

 and bark, sometimes dark green, sometimes pale, 

 occasionally brown or red ; further, whether the 

 leaves be small or large, round or long, indented 

 or regular, glaucous and smooth, or curled and 

 rough. Then also we have to consider the pro- 

 ductiveness and continuity of bloom, and the 

 hardiness of the plant. A year ago I made the 

 discovery of a fact which has an important bear- 

 ing in this matter. The majority of Hybrid 

 Eemontant Eoses have five leaflets, though quite 

 a number of kinds in the class are freely fur- 

 nished with seven. My discovery was this : All 

 Hybrid Remontant Roses that have seven leaflets 



