48 THE ROSE GARDENS OF HERTFORDSHIRE. 



others less familiar. To speak of the plan of the Rosetum 

 should perhaps be our first effort, and then we will note 

 the names of a few varieties which most forcibly arrested 

 our attention. 



First, then, of the soil. This is an alluvial loam, stiff, 

 and of considerable depth, and has been enriched by 

 repeated applications of decayed stable manure. The 

 Rosetum covers about an acre of ground, and is fenced in 

 on the one side by a wall, and on the other by a belt 

 of evergreens formed of Laurels, Portugal Laurels, and 

 Laurustinus very tastefully disposed. It is laid out in 

 plain beds, chiefly parallelograms, the tallest plants being 

 arranged in rows along the centre, the dwarfer ones 

 fronting them on either side sloping towards the walks, 

 which, except the outer one, are straight. The latter winds 

 gracefully, with Roses planted on either side, standards and 

 dwarfs alternately. The edgings of the beds are formed of 

 flints and pebbles, among which the Golden Moss (Sedum 

 acre), the Alpine Speedwell (Veronica alpina), and various 

 plants of lowly growth are made to creep. Among the 

 Summer Roses hardy kinds of Fuchsias are freely inter- 

 spersed with the view of enlivening the garden when the 

 Roses are out of flower. The Autumnals are separated 

 from the Summer kinds by a wire trellis covered with 

 Climbing Roses, the most conspicuous of whfch were 

 Rose de Rosomane : Gloire des Rosomanes. Noisettes: 

 Lamarque, Fellenberg, Du Luxembourg, Solfaterre, Cloth 

 of Gold. Tea-Scented: Nina and Madame Roussel. Occa- 

 sional Pillar Roses are introduced with good taste, and the 

 intersections of the walks are nearly all arched. For the 

 pillars and arches Bourbon: Madame Desprez. Hybrid 

 CJdnese : Celine ; and Ayrshire : Splendens are most freely 

 used. At the back of the beds which bound the Rosetum 

 a row of Standard Climbing Roses is planted, the plants 

 being alternately three feet and five feet in the stem. The 

 heads rise, then droop, the spare branches being trained 

 along small chains hanging in graceful festoons. Of 



