November Autumn Work for Summer 



slightly, say, by about one-third. Some of the varieties 

 of Rosa alba (Maiden's Blush Roses they are generally 

 called) are well worthy of inclusion in a collection of 

 Roses of other days. They grow strongly and bloom 

 freely in their summer season. Maiden's Blush, Celeste, 

 and Felicite Parmentier, all pink, are the best. The 

 Hybrid China Roses are now represented chiefly by that 

 fine climbing variety, Blairii No. 2, which bears pale pink 

 blossoms freely and is still often to be seen in gardens. 

 Old, weakly stems need to be cut out when the flowering 

 season is over. The Thornless Rose, Zephirine Drouhin, 

 belonging to the Bourbon class, is still one of the most 

 valued of garden Roses ; it grows well and bears fragrant 

 rose-coloured blooms throughout summer and autumn. 

 Souvenir de la Malmaison is another Bourbon Rose 

 met with in gardens, but I could never get it to flower 

 satisfactorily ; it seems to need an unusually warm 

 position. Still another valuable variety is called Her- 

 mosa or Armosa ; this is very much like a China Rose, 

 and soon develops into a small bush that blossoms freely 

 all the summer and autumn. The pruning of the 

 Bourbon Roses takes the form chiefly of thinning out 

 weakly stems in autumn and slightly shortening the 

 remaining ones in spring. 



There are several valuable climbing varieties among 

 the old-world Roses. Aimee Vibert has bold leafage that 

 is practically evergreen, and big, loose bunches of white 

 flowers that are in^full beauty in August. It has the 

 advantage of thriving satisfactorily in the shade. I have 

 a plant on a fence facing north that, in company with 

 Conrad F. Meyer (a splendid Japanese Briar, bearing big 

 pink, fragrant flowers in May and June), gives quite 

 an air of cheerfulness not common to a sunless fence. 

 Bennett's Seedling, one of the Ayrshire Roses, blooms 

 with remarkable freedom, the leaves being hidden by 

 a multitude of small 4 white flowers. Felicit6 Perpetue, 

 or Seven Sisters Rose, which belongs to the Evergreen 



57 



