The History of the Rose. 17 



decided. I shall always continue the cultivation of my seedlings ; I shall never 

 renounce them ; I shall rather increase them, and shall propagate but few others." 



M. Laffay wrote to me in the autumn of 1847 : " It is my intention to cease 

 cultivating the Rose, in a commercial sense. My project was to do so this autumn, 

 and to instal myself in the south of France, in the land of orange and palm trees ; but 

 my father, who is very aged, wished that we should not quit Paris this winter, which 

 deranges a little our plans of emigration, although they are only retarded. But it is 

 very possible that I may yet offer you some good Roses, especially of the Hybrid 

 Moss, for I intend to make a sowing of several thousands of seeds of these varieties. 

 Thus I presume that my seed-plot will be worth visiting for some years to come. I 

 am persuaded that in future we shall see many beautiful Roses, which will efface all 

 those that we admire now. The Mosses will soon play a grand part in Horticulture." 



It is somewhat remarkable that while M. Vibert's operations produced chiefly 

 French and Provence, and a few varieties of Moss and Hybrid Perpetual Roses, the 

 results of M. Laffay's labours were chiefly visible among the Hybrid Chinese and 

 Hybrid Perpetuals. We can only account for this by supposing each cultivator to 

 have had his favourite group, which he strove to improve. I should think one-half 

 of the Hybrid Perpetual Roses known up to the year 1850 originated with M. Laffay ; 

 he may indeed be said to have originated this group, one of the earliest of which was 

 the Princesse Helene. 



The trade of cultivating Roses in France is in the hands of many individuals ; 

 and to visit that country with the view of improving a collection is (I speak from 

 experience) a laborious undertaking. As far as my powers of observation serve me, 

 I should think the establishments where they are grown for sale, in the neighbourhood 

 of Paris, Suisnes, and Lyons, vary in extent from one to five acres, and there are 

 others, situate in various parts of France, nearly all of like extent. It is thus that 

 English amateurs who may chance to visit any of them are usually disappointed, 

 owing to the contrast of their Rose Gardens with those of England, which are so 

 much more extensive. Formerly the most splendid collection of Roses in France 

 was that in the Jardin du Luxembourg at Paris, when under the superintendence of 

 Monsieur Hardy. Most of the plants there were of some age, and flowered profusely 

 in the season. They were seen from the public promenades. It is true they looked 

 rather drawn, but when we consider their proximity to the heart of the city, it is 

 surprising that they flourished so well.* 



* Everyone who has visited Paris will not fail to have remarked the clean appearance of the buildings compared 

 with those of London, which is due to the burning of wood instead of coal. It is the extensive use of the latter 

 which exerts so injurious an influence on vegetation in or near London. I recollect upon one occasion seeing a 

 Honeysuckle and a Rose growing up a house in a street in Paris, the name of which I do not remember, but it 

 was not far from the Hotel de la Monnaie. Both looked flourishing, and the Rose, which was of the Semper- 

 virens kind, was in bloom. Independent of its appearing to thrive and bloom there, a second cause for surprise 

 was the fact of its remaining untouched, which it apparently had done for a length of time, and did to my 

 knowledge, for five or six days, although within reach of every passer-by. 



