510 Rivers' 's Catalogue of Roses. 



hardy, and, as standards, seem to show their varied characters with better 

 effect than as dwarfs. Those kinds are indicated which, from the length and 

 flexibility of their shoots, are adapted for rose pillars." 



Climbing Roses, 42 sorts. " A decided and rational objection has been 

 made to tall standard roses ; but, with the aid of this graceful division, they 

 can be formed into objects of high artificial beauty. We will suppose a tall 

 tree rose, with a fine head of Crimson perpetual, or George the Fourth roses, 

 in full bloom, its stem covered with the pure white blossoms of Rosa semper- 

 virens pleno, or some of its beautiful varieties, such as Princess Louise, Fe- 

 licite perpetuelle, &c. &c: to the lover of roses, this hint will convey the 

 beau ideal of all that is beautiful in their culture." 



Tea-scented Roses, 37 sorts. " The greater part of these are new to the 

 English cultivator : all have that peculiar fragrance which the French have 

 taught us to call tea-scented. Unless on very warm and favourable soils, 

 these, as dwarfs, require careful cultivation, and must have a raised border 

 against a south, south-east, or west wall. This border should be a compost 

 of rotten manure or leaves, light loam, and sand, equal parts, and raised about 

 18 in. above the surface. When grown as low standards, they are surpass- 

 ingly beautiful : but they should be taken up in November, and their roots 

 laid in mould, in a shed, as our sharp winters would injure them, so as to 

 prevent their blooming in perfection, if left exposed." 



China Roses, 49 sorts. " From six to eight months in the year, the roses 

 in this division form bright ornaments to our gardens. Many of the robust 

 varieties make beautiful standards. They are all perfectly hardy. The sorts 

 first in the list are quite new and very beautiful." 



Ulsle de Bourbon Roses, 11 sorts. " This is a most beautiful family, 

 scarcely known in this country. They seem to form a distinct division of 

 China roses; like them, they are perpetual ; but they have a luxuriance and 

 gracefulness quite their own : the perfect and elegant form of their flowers, 

 the extremely delicate tints in some, and vivid rose colour, so peculiar to 

 these varieties, in others, will soon establish them in the favour of the rose 

 amateur. As standards, they grow most luxuriantly, are quite hardy, and 

 bloom in greater perfection late in autumn than any other Perpetual rose." 



Musk Roses, 7 sorts. " These are interesting from their powerful fragrance 

 and autumnal flowering. The Old white is one of the oldest inhabitants of 

 the English gardens." 



Scotch Roses, 22 sorts. " These are all emanations from the Rosa spino- 

 sissima, or Wild rose of Scotland ; and the above selection gives a represent- 

 ative of each shade of colour. Out of a collection of 200 nominal varieties 

 from Scotland and elsewhere, twenty-two are all that can be recommended as 

 tolerably distinct. These form so gay an assemblage among May flowers, 

 that a clump or border ought to be devoted to them in every flower-garden. 

 The shape of the flower in these is peculiar and similar, being nearly globular." 



Miscellaneous Roses, 72 sorts, which are not described. 



General Remarks on the Culture of Roses. — Referring to the directions for rose 

 culture given in their Catalogue for last year, and quoted in IX. 458., Messrs. 

 Rivers observe, that they " still think that, in unfavourable soils, roses require 

 being removed, and their roots trimmed, every third or fourth year. In cold 

 clayey soils, the best compost for them is rotten dung and pit sand ; in warm 

 dry soils, cool loam and rotten dung. Annual pruning, which is quite essen- 

 tial, should always be done in October or in March ; but October pruning 

 will be found greatly advantageous, as the rose will then prepare itself during 

 the remainder of the autumn for vigorous growth in spring. The families of 

 roses are now so well defined, that each ought to have its department : a 

 clump of hybrids for their gorgeous colours in June and July; of perpetuals, 

 for their fragrance in the cool autumnal months ; of Noisettes, for their 

 elegance and abundance of flowers ; and of Scotch roses, for their precocity 

 and humble growth. In short, all the thirteen families above enumerated 



