February 24,, 1863.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



147 



On critically examining the lists since 1859, by the test of 

 observation and experience, I find about six is the annual 

 average of fresh varieties really deserving to be considered as 

 acquisitions, and even many of these might be dispensed with, 

 being equalled, if not excelled, by kinds already in cultivation. 

 This has been particularly the ease among the introductions of 

 the last seven or eight years, during which, with the exception 

 of Comtesse de Chabrillant and the Senateur (perhaps Santhe- 

 nay, though it is shy), no Rose of paramount distinctness and 

 excellence has come out, though there have been several undeni- 

 ably good. 



What we want among the Ferpetuals is such Roses as 

 Brennus, Blairu No. 2, Coupe d'Hebe, Paul Ricaut, &c, among 

 the summer Roses ; or, let us take a bloom of the common Cab- 

 bage, and stain it with various shades, from the deepest crimson 

 to the palest blush, to represent the type desirable to be attained 

 in the autumnal bloomers. The foreign raisers appear to have 

 descended into a bad and defective strain. The full, firm, 

 globular, deep-petalled form, with plenty of "stuff" in it, has 

 given way to large, it may be, but loose, "flonperty" blooms. 

 In many cases, where b'izb lias been obtained it has been of a 

 prcony-like character, with irregular, jagged, and pointed petals, 

 subversive of symmetry and offensive to taste. Madame 

 Furtado, so much puffed-up two seasons ago, haB been, perhaps, 

 the nearest approach to the old and desirable style of flower ; 

 but it is a bad doer and grower, and the blooms of it shown at 

 exhibitions are no "criterion" of its worth as a garden de- 

 coration. 



Now that our own rosarians appear to have taken up in 

 earnest the task of raising seedlings, we shall, no doubt, obtain 

 some real advance in England's national emblem. They not 

 only know the character of flower required, but are not likely, 

 for the sake of their own reputation, to foist tinsel and paste on 

 the floral world for true gems. 



I shall just make a few remarks upon what, in my humble 

 opinion, are the most noteworthy varieties which have appeared 

 since 1859, and follow them with a list for comparison of older 

 favourites, none of them, I believe, of later date than seven or 

 eight years ago. 



Among the new kinds of 1859, I am disposed to believe the 

 following are the best — indeed, the only ones for that year 

 necessary to retain as additions to our stock, H. P.'s, Anna 

 Alexieff, a really good Rose, of the style of Baronne Prevost ; 

 Anna de Diesbach, large and showy, but loose-centered ; Belle 

 de Bourg-la-Reine, good ; Comtesse Ce'cile de Chabrillant, or, 

 in short, " Chabrillant," the light Rose of the past seven 

 years ; Eugene Appert, fine colour and habit, but of defective 

 form, one of the " Moutan-petalled " class; Armide, fair; 

 Empereur de Maroc, small but dark, and well-shaped. B., Dr. 

 Berthet, dark, good! Teas, Hom&re, Madame Damaizin, and 

 Madame J. Halphin, free-growing and good. Noisettes, Celine 

 Forestier and America. I am not sure whether Triomphe de 

 Rennes belongs to this year. 



From the list for 1860, 1 have taken the following : — H.P.'s, 

 Gloire de Santhenay ; Louis XVI. ; Madame Boll, not free in 

 autumn; Madame C. Crapelet ; Senateur Vaisse, the best high- 

 coloured Rose since General Jacqueminot, and superior to that 

 as a florists' flower, the Rose of 1860 ; Vainqueur de Solferino, 

 a free bloomer; Victor Verdier, another "Moutan-petalled" 

 flower, but bright and free, and late-blooming. Teas, Due de 

 Magenta, Madame Blachet, and President (Paul's). 



For 1861, I have noted Due de Cazes, very dark ; General 

 Washington, large ; Madame Furtado, over-rated ; Madame 

 Pierson, tolerably good ; Princesse Mathilde, very dark but 

 small, late bloomer, as is also Jean Bart, another small dark 

 flower ; Reine des Violettes, inferior, but peculiar ; Triomphe 

 d' Amiens, useful as a dashed or striped variety, of which there 

 are few. B., Catherine Guillot and Modele de Perfection, 

 both of which are improvements on Louise Odier. Tea, Boule 

 d'Or. 



I think that the past season, 1862, will afford us more good 

 Roses than any of those I have previously remarked upon. The 

 following have been shown well, and from personal acquaint- 

 ance with their behaviour in the ground, corroborated by what 

 I have observed and gleaned at the nurseries, I should say 

 several promise to be first-rate, and many more to be good. 

 M.P.'s, Alphonse Damaizin, Charles Lefebvre, Franeois La- 

 charme, Louise Darzins, white. How badly we want a really 

 good white Perpetual ! I doubt if this will Bupply it. Mareehal 

 Vaillant, Madame Boutin, Madame J. Daran, Madame C. Wood, 



Maurice Bernardin, Monte Christo (query, Leon des Combats 

 over again ?), Notre Dame do Fourvieres, Professor Koch, 

 Kobert Fortune (largo incurved), Souvenir de Comte Cavour, 

 Vieomte Vigier, Wm. Pfitzer. Mudame C. Wood, Professor 

 Koch, Marechal Vaillant, Vieomte Vigier, and Wm. Pfitzer, are 

 good late bloomers, and La Brillante is very free. The Teas I 

 cannot speak upon from actual knowledge. 



I shall now prooeed to give a list of the older favourites. 

 S.P.s', Alexandrine Bachmetetf, type of the flat double flowers; 

 Alphonse de Lamartine, nearly as regular as Chabrillant ; 

 Auguste Mid, a truly royal flower; Baronne Prevost; Baronne 

 Hallezj Caroline de Sansal ; Comte de Nanteuil, a "Coupe 

 d'Hebe"- formed flower; Comte de Paris; Cornet, a Perpetual 

 Cabbage; Duchesse d'Orleans, Duchess of Sutherland, gems of 

 size and symmetry ; Generals Brea and Bedeau ; Gloire de 

 Parthenay, and Gloire de Vitry, two splendid varieties, large, 

 full, and free- blooming; Lady Stuart; Louis Buonaparte; Jacques 

 Lafitte ; Jules Margottin, the Perpetual Brennus, and Btill 

 monarch of the carmine class ; La Ville de St. Denis, superior 

 to Madame Furtado, and a better grower ; La Reine, really a 

 queen of queens ; Leon des Combats, as good as Santhenay 

 when well done and in trim; Madame dc Cambaceres, for all 

 purposes the soundest Rose, perhaps, grown ; Madame Vidot 

 and Mrs. Rivers, exquisitely beautiful in form; Prince Leon 

 (what Rose surpasses this?) perfect in shape and colour, free in 

 bloom, though of only moderate growth ; Reine des Flours ; 

 Sydonie, a real globular flower ; Triomphe de Paris ; Wm. 

 Griffith ; and Wm. Jesse. Bourbons, Madame Angelina, Queen, 

 La Quintinie, Paul Jo.-eph, Pierre de St. Cyr, Reveil, Souvenir 

 de la Malmaison, the best light Rose still, show that there has 

 been less advance in this section than in any other. Teas, 

 Devoniensis, old but unsurpassed; Bougere; Goubault; Moiret; 

 Souvenir d'un Ami ; Gloire de Dijon, scarcely a Tea except in 

 scent, for its leathery camellia-like foliage and vigorous habit 

 assimilate it to the strong-growing Bourbons. Noisettes, La-- 

 marque, Solfaterre, and Narcisse (query, a Tea ? ) 



Now. whether the Rose has undergone that improvement so 

 frequently boasted of may well be doubted after comparing Buch 

 varieties as enumerated above with their more modern rivals. 

 Some advance may have been made, perhaps, in colour, especially 

 in the darker kinds ; but even that will disappear if the clouded, 

 shaded, and uncertain nondescripts now so prevalent are allowed 

 to become an established taste. Want of space prevents me 

 from making this paper so exhaustive of the subject as I could 

 wish ; nevertheless, it may serve to suggest matter for consider- 

 ation to fellow rosarians. Meanwhile, whether new or old, 

 Floreal Mosa ! — W. D. Peiob, Somerton. 



DIVISION OF VINE-BOEDEES. 



The utility of this may be questioned, and the idea may seem 

 novel, and, perhaps, interesting to some ; but improvement after 

 improvement comes looming in the distance, aud in the process 

 of time they become immediate realities. The plan I advance 

 is, that the roots of every individual Vine be separated from 

 those of its fellows by a four-inch brick wall running transversely 

 through the border, both outside and in. 



By the above means more command is gained over every plant. 

 First, in withholding or giving moisture according to the indi- 

 vidual necessities and constitutions of the plants, for, in general, 

 vineries are planted with different varieties : hence the ap- 

 plication. Second, it facilitates the lifting or transplanting of 

 any individual Vine, and completely obviates the necessity of 

 crippling the roots of that particular Vine, or those of its fellows. 

 Third, in renewing the' soil, a compost may be given suitable to 

 the appetite of any variety of Vine. Again, when a limited 

 number of Vines are grown, and a continuous supply demanded, 

 when the Vines wear out from constant hard forcing, the replant- 

 ing of the house would be easily effected by taking out every 

 alternate Vine, or every third Vine, bo that in three years the 

 house might be renewed, both in plants and soil, and never 

 miss a crop. These brick walls would also assist in airing and 

 keeping the border sweet. — P. M., Combe Abbey. 



[We think all your reasonB good ones, except the airing of 

 the border. We do not see that solid brick walls would help 

 that much. Many years ago Mr. Mearns planted his Vines in 

 separate pits or boxes, so to speak ; and at one of our best, 

 places, we> recollect some fiften years ago seeing early Vines so 

 planted in Beparate brick boxes, and a flue below them, which 



