ON NEW ROSES. 81 



Things are small or large only by comparison ; thus, 

 Madame Laffay is small in comparison with 12 "of the 

 best" if of full size in comparison with Roses in general, 

 and so on with the rest. Does he not also see that 

 La Reine may be at once " magnificent " and " uncertain," 

 Louis Buonaparte "glowing," large, and full, but "of 

 indifferent shape ? :> His inference that "either the dealers' 

 catalogues are intended to take in the uninitiated by their 

 splendid descriptions, or else the Roses are what he says 

 they are," is puerile in the extreme. I apprehend the 

 uninitiated do not generally make sweeping statements in 

 matters with which they are imperfectly acquainted, and 

 then read the different catalogues for fragments in support 

 of their assertions. If they read without prejudice they 

 will not select the 12 recommended by "A. R." as the best 

 at least the catalogues I have seen (I have not seen 

 Rivers') do not make them appear so. To show how little 

 practical knowledge " A. R." possesses of the case he has 

 in hand, he insinuates that the dealers make the New 

 Roses appear better than they are from interested motives. 

 This is quite the reverse of my experience. For years 

 past we have found the New Roses sell faster than we 

 could propagate them, if backed by our own recommenda- 

 tion, whereas the stock of old favourites is all but illimit- 

 able. I do not wish to become the apologist for the Rose- 

 growers' catalogues ; they need nothing of the sort at 

 my hands. The catalogues may not be correct in every 

 minute particular, but to argue thence that they are 

 " intended to take in the uninitiated " is ungenerous and 

 unjust. To show, however, that the many attach more 

 value to them than " A. R." does, I may mention one or 

 two facts in connection with our own : more than 20 

 editions have been published, amounting to nearly 50,000 

 copies, and the circulation is increasing every year. It 

 would have been more generous if " A. R." had ceased to 

 write anonymously before casting aspersions on a numerous 

 and respectable body of men who labour hard for the 



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