October 19, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



347 



adjective) election. Why, Gloire de Dijon rarely if ever gives 

 a bloom which is perfect in form, while Marie Van Houtte and 

 Souvenir d'EIise are always grand. There is not a greater im- 

 postor out than Gloire de Dijon, and yet it is the first in the 

 list of Tea Hjses. 



Next we have a most charming climbing Tea, Belle Lyon- 

 naise, bracketed with that hulking coarse abomination Paul 

 Neron. Belle Lyonnaise, a seedling of Gloire de Dijon, and as 

 much superior as Catherine Mermet is to a common China 

 Rose, and yet the lovely and youthful daughter is placed 51th 

 on the list, and the mother — passe and blase ; fat, fair, and 

 forty— 23rd. 



Call this an election ? Why, it is no more the voice of 

 the Rose world than the decision of a dozen clodhoppers in a 

 village alehouse can be oalled the voice of the nation. Then 

 among the Hybrid Perpetuals we have Dupuy Jamain placed 

 29th, and Due de Rohan 71st ; the former being a Rose which 

 is as thin in substance and about a3 many petals as a Horse 

 Daisy, the latter being a grand double Rose of splendid con- 

 stitution, and which in the autumn is invaluable. 



Thank goodness there are some redeeming points. We have 

 (not so far at least) Madame Chirard named, or that other pet 

 of the " ninety-and-nine " gentleman Baron Chaurand. But 

 no doubt when the lists are published they will come to the 

 front once more. 



It is also news to me, for one, that Mr. Bennett introduced 

 that gem of the purest water Madame Marie Cointet. 0, 

 Hercules, Hercules ! what would I not give to see your face 

 when you see that the Duke of Wellington is placed 39th, and 

 Madame Charles Wood 40th; your two pets, nwn cms, the latter, 

 always the one you try to put at the corner of your back row, 

 39th in merit. Oh! hide your diminished head in your Heavy- 

 tree, and next you set up a box of blooms take the result of 

 the poll as a guide. Well, too well, did yon foresee the result 

 when you refused to send a list. 



Then we have Celine Forestier placed 85th, and Marechal 

 Valliant 83rd, while Souvenir de la Malmaison — that Rose which 

 is rarely if ever seen in anything but a 72 stand — placed 43rd. 

 Beauty of Waltham again, that charming Rose whioh covers 

 the very name-of Paul With glory, which has not a fault, which 

 will die before it shows an eye. This is — Where, gentlemen, 

 do you think ? Not 12th or even 24th, but 56th ; not even in 

 the 48. Barn your plants Messrs. Paul, strike out its name 

 from your catalogues, no more quote her as the gift, the sweetest 

 of gifts you have conferred on a thankless world, for your 

 beauty is considered unworthy of a stand of 48. — Wyld Savage. 



[In earlier elections we have talked over the possibility of a 

 compatitive examination for voters. Perhaps " Wyld Savage " 

 would kindly give us a plan by which we might eliminate the 

 voters that know nothing about the matter and that have 

 managed to make such a hash of the present election. Had 

 he (for such a letter cannot emanate from one of the tender 

 sex) signed his name we might have discovered if he were an 

 elector, and might have taken counsel and a lesson for the 

 future in paying attention to his list. 



" Wild Savage " starts in error. Nothing whatever has been 

 said about best "exhibition" Roses, hut merely best Roses. 

 It is true that a great many of our best Roses are also our best 

 exhibition Roses; but not a few of us may think highly, for 

 instanoe, of that "impostor" Gloire de Dijon (glorious old 

 Rose ! fancy anybody calling you an " impostor !"), even though 

 it does not often give us an exhibition bloom ; yet that it doe3 

 this sometimes the previous pages of this Journal would prove, 

 for I recollect well a remark in the report of one of the large 

 shows, that the best bloom in the exhibition was one of Gloire 

 de Dijon ! Marie Van Houtte may be " always grand " with 

 " Wyld Savage," it is never so with me. It is lovely, beautiful, 

 exquisite, cliarmante, I grant, but grand — a grand exhibition 

 Rose never, at least with me. This makes me think that our 

 friend "Wyld Savage " can know nothing of our Bweet Wilt- 

 shire spring breezes, but must enjoy the balmy south. I can 

 understand Dupuy Jamain's position as compared with Due de 

 Rohan, at least in thiB part of the country. His description 

 of the former does not agree with ours. It might have a few 

 more petals, but even Charles Lefebvre would be improved by 

 a few more, but Dupuy Jamain is hardy and has a colour speci- 

 ally its own. Duo de Rohan I allow is grand, but is here very 

 delicate. 



If the giants have not sent lists — if Hercules and others 

 decline to assist, that is a matter which we all regret, none 

 more so than the returning officer ; but with all due deference 

 to " Wyld Savage," that cannot make the result deserve such 



a sweeping censure as "a more misleading list than that 

 published as the result of the poll it has never been my lot to 

 read." If there are no good Roses, even judged by " Wyld 

 Savage" as " exhibition " Roses in the first fifty, I for one do 

 not know where to look for good Roses. Are the best Roses 

 to be found outside the fifty if the list is so misleading ? I 

 trow not. Certainly there are many, very many, good Roses 

 still outside the fifty, but the best are inside the charmed oirele ; 

 and when such good rosarians as Messrs. Cant, Cranston, 

 Camm, Curtis, Peach, Prince, G. Paul, and Turner in their 

 lists name something about two-thirds of the fifty, the result 

 cannot be so very " misleading " as " Wyld Savage " would 

 make it out. I can only in charity Buppose that " Wyld 

 Savage " did not read the explanatory heading of the table, 

 or, however keenly he might have felt the insult to some of 

 his pets, he could not have so thoroughly acted out the 

 character of his nom de plume as to write sneeringly of any 

 effort, however humble, to attach the raisers' names to the 

 Roses. This suggestion of Mr. Peach's was, I think, a very 

 interesting addition ; to him is due the credit, and to him, Mr. 

 Radelyffe, and all who have assisted this portion I feel deeply 

 grateful ; but in the heading to the table I acknowledged the 

 imperfections of this portion, and how grateful I should feel 

 to anyone for help. Surely the kind and courteous way would 

 have been to have communicated with me on the subject of 

 Mario Cointet for instance. I am now able to correct that 

 error by giving the credit of raising that beautiful Rose to 

 Guillot, fils. 



No one ever supposed that the result of the election would 

 be perfect ; not even the savage writer oould have had an idea 

 so wild. It is simply approximative. That it is of some value, 

 and looked forward to with interest, and a fair guide, public 

 and private acknowledgments attest, and I am content to 

 leave it to general judgment. — Joseph Hinton, Warminster. 



B..S.— Lest the vials of wrath should be poured out on my- 

 self, I may state that though my list is headed Gloire de Dij on 

 it is not a list in order of merit, and the position is accidental. 

 I am not ashamed of still placing that old Rose in the first 

 twenty. I confess that in that division he is low down, but of 

 his plaoe now I am not ashamed, neither have I any need to be, 

 supported as I am by the following gentlemen, whose know- 

 ledge of and intimate acquaintance with Roses is greater pro- 

 bably than that of " Wyld Savage " — viz., the Revs. Dombrain 

 and Peach, and Messrs. Turner, Davison, Walters, Rumsey, 

 and George Paul, in whose oompany I am well content to be. 

 Were I forced to begin in order of merit — not a bad plan — I 

 might shook " Wyld Savage," and be very exceptional by 

 placing Pierre Notting at the head, that Rose having given me 

 grander blooms, I fancy, than any other. — J. H.] 



HINTS ON HOME ADOKNMENT. 



I note that you have had inquiries concerning the drying of 

 autumn leaves. As this subject is referred to under the above 

 heading in an April number of the New York Tribune, I send 

 what I extracted from that paper, thinking that it may be ac- 

 ceptable to your readers at this period of the year. 



" In preparing autumn leaves, I have found that when var- 

 nished or oiled they seem more liable to catch the floating 

 particles of dust ; ironing them in any quantity is laborious, 

 and I think gives them a less natural look ; while if laid in 

 books (books not wanted for every day's reading or reference), 

 and left in press undisturbed a few weeks, the result will be 

 entirely satisfactory. A special word as to Ferns. These 

 should be placed very carefully in press as soon as possible 

 after gathering, and allowed to remain there until wanted for 

 use. These always require delicate handling, as they are very 

 brittle and easily spoiled. Do not omit the little things you 

 find about home in your walks or rides ; gather bunches of 

 green Oats and Rye, the feathery Grasses, the late bronzed 

 leaves of the Blackberry and perpetual Rose, and even the 

 despised weeds, and to these add some green leaves of Ivy, 

 Maple, or any convenient sort by way of contrast, and you will 

 find yourself amply repaid for your trouble by the additional 

 airiness and grace given to your bouquets. When the dark and 

 stormy days of winter come get together your treasures, and 

 with a bottle of mucilage, pasteboard cut into various shapes 

 for backgrounds, a strong needle and thread, by the exercise 

 of your artistic taste in arranging and making-np of your 

 adornments, you will find a pleasant occupation, and be en- 

 abled to brighten up your rooms to the admiration and enjoy- 

 ment of all your household. 



