86 ON NEW ROSES. 



[From "The Gardeners' Chronicle? Feb. 14*%, 1857,^. 100.] 



IN this my second article I will briefly consider the 

 question of large and small collections of vegetables, 

 fruits, and flowers, but more especially of Roses. I agree 

 with Mr Rivers that it is desirable to cut down the varieties 

 of vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers to a " sensible stan- 

 dard," and this would tend as much or more to the advan- 

 tage of the grower than to that of the purchaser. But I 

 apprehend this theory may be pushed too far, and is easier 

 to accomplish with vegetables and fruits than with trees 

 and flowers, because the palate is less variable than the eye 

 of taste, I would say to all who have not already done so, 

 cut down your lists so far as to render it impossible for a 

 purchaser to select anything 1 bad or indifferent, but beyond 

 this, as a large grower, I am not prepared to go. To 

 confine my remarks to Roses, Mr Rivers must from long 

 experience be well aware that persons possessed of an 

 equally correct taste will not always select the same 

 varieties of flowers. What one will reject another will 

 highly approve, and in this dilemma, who is to fix the 

 standard ? Does he think the amateur will waive his claim 

 to select such varieties as may please his own taste in 

 favour of any grower's standard, however " sensible ?" I 

 opine not, and in support of this opinion I make the 

 following extract from the January number of the " Scot- 

 tish Gardener" where the Rose question is cleverly reviewed 

 by a writer apparently seeking truth without prejudice. 

 " Some nurserymen cultivate only the Roses which have a 

 secondary period of flowering in autumn, and even Mr 

 Rivers is swaying towards that result. 



" Prefixed to his catalogue of Summer Roses he has the 

 following paragraph 'The numerous varieties of this 

 class, once nominally more than 2000, have now become 

 of secondary interest, except for showing as single blooms 

 for prizes, owing to the introduction of so many beautiful 

 Autumnal Roses, more particularly the varieties of Hybrid 



