72 GENERAL HINTS. 



quite as unlikely that the bloom of the Rose is in character when the 

 plant is too vigorous, as when it is meagre or too much starved 



Hybridising has done much good for roses, but it has also done its 

 mischief; for, if it has introduced some splendid varieties, it has teased 

 us with hundreds not worth growing ; some, which are close hard 

 lumps of rolled-up petals, turn over their thin edges like a dog- 

 eared book ; the backs of the petals a dull color, scarcely any scent to 

 them, and altogether bad openers, and bad if they can be made to 

 open. There is no reason why the Rose should not be as perfect as 

 the Camellia japonica. There are some of the Bourbons with petals 

 as smooth and as thick, and almost as regular ; and these are the 

 kinds to buy and grow. They hold their form longer and better than 

 those with thin petals ; they open more freely, and are better when 

 they do open. The habits of these full-flowered plants are better ; 

 the flowers, instead of lolloping their heads down, show themselves 

 well. All the full free opening roses of old age are of this descrip- 

 tion ; witness the Cabbage Rose, the Maiden's Blush, the Provence, 

 and some others, which are as familiar as the name of the Rose itself. 

 It is true that the bud of a Rose is pretty, and that a bunch of roses 

 is pretty, but while we have good roses that will open, and of almost 

 every color, it is unnecessary to grow bad ones; and if the character 

 of roses is established by showing single blooms, which shall be 

 required to be open, there will be but little difficulty in doing all the 

 rest. 



Nevertheless, on receiving roses from nurseries, whether American 

 or foreign, pay attention to these directions in the planting, and be 

 not in a hurry to condemn. Let them fail the first season, and be 

 even middling only the second, but^give them the benefit of the doubt, 

 and try them a third season. Convince yourself that the variety is 

 incapable of becoming better, and that you have seen their natural 

 habit, before you throw them away. If a petal is thin and curly, 

 rough-edged and flimsy, it can never be good ; if the petals are good, 

 but there are too few of them, there is great hope that culture will 

 improve it from a semi-double to a perfect double, which is all that ij 

 wanted. 



