On New Roses. 191 



CHAPTER XVI. 



On New Roses. 



IN the winter of 1856-57 I found myself unexpectedly involved in a controversy 

 in the pages of the Gardeners Chronicle on the respective merits of new and old 

 Roses. My opponents fought valiantly and well all honour to the brave ! Some 

 were smart, others jocular, and, as is usually the case in such controversies, a great 

 deal was said which had nothing to do with the question at issue. 



I then asserted that every year brings forth some novelties well worth adding to 

 our collections, though it may be difficult to pick out the few real gems from 

 amongst the shoals of mere paste imitations with which they are so skilfully 

 commingled. 



It was the opinion of those who were best versed in Rose-culture that my 

 position was not only tenable but strong, although it was difficult nay, impossible 

 to demonstrate this otherwise than by the test of time. That time has now 

 passed, and established the general truth of my argument. General Jacqueminot 

 and Gloire de Dijon were then unproved ; and since then we have added Anna de 

 Diesbach, Beauty of Waltham, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Due de Cazes, Empereur 

 de Maroc, Gloire de Santenay, Lord Raglan, Louis XIV., Madame C. Crapelet, 

 Mdlle. Bonnaire, Senateur Vaisse, Victor Verdier, and shall I go on, or content 

 myself with saying, a host of others scarcely less noteworthy? Without entering 

 further on this subject, I would refer those of my readers who may take an interest in 

 it to the Gardeners' Chronicle of 1856-57. 



Let me first bring under notice the novelties of 1861-62, of which we have now 

 a perfect knowledge ; and I state fearlessly, at the outset, that this was the richest 

 freight of new Roses that ever reached our shores in a single year. I find on 

 reference to my note-book that I bought sixty-two new kinds that year, fifty-six of 

 which bloomed with me, and twenty-four of these I marked as decided acquisitions. 

 Among them were Charles Lefebvre, Due de Rohan, Louise Darzens, Madame 

 Charles Wood, Madame Clemence Joigneaux, Marechal Vaillant, Maurice Bernardin, 

 Prince Camille de Rohan, Triomphe de Caen, and Beauty of Waltham. The last 

 named, a seedling of my own raising, more than equals the description originally 



