July 27, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



63 



Coleuses and the petals of the Roses all seemed more fervid 

 than ours eastward. I expressed that such was my impression, 

 and that I thought that the oxide of iron in the soil was the 

 cause of the increased colour. Mr. Curtis responded that he 

 had long entertained the same opinion. 



Burckhardt describes the gratification, somewhat saddened in 

 his case, upon reading the name of an old friend written on a 

 pyramid in Egypt. I, too, remember the joyful recognition on 

 an Indian cricket ground of one who in long-gone years had 

 been in England a brother elubbist ; and now it has been my 

 gratification to recognise in Mr. Curtis one whom as a lad I must 

 have met, and about whose related belongings I know much. 

 There is a Devon proverb, " Good cob, good shoes, and good 

 hearts last for ever." In the instance of Mr. Curtis and his 

 family I will be hostage that the last instance in the proverb is 

 truthful — I was welcomed as if an old tried friend had reached 

 them. There 's a free-gardenery as well as a freemasonry, and 

 we all might have smoothed our chins self-complacently when 

 Mrs. Curtis remarked, "There's always something good in 

 those who love gardening." 



The name of Curtis is interwoven with flowers and their 

 culture for a full century — William Curtis, with whose name 

 the "Botanical Magazine" is identified; Samuel Curtis, of 

 Glazenwood, his son-in-law, and continuer of that magazine; 

 and Henry Curtis, bis- son, author of "Beauties of the Rose," 

 formerly of the West of England Boseries, Bristol, and now 

 of the Devon Rosery, Torquay. William, the grandfather, 

 abandoned a large medical practice for the pursuit of natural 

 history, especially of its fairest member — ^botany, and it now 

 seems incredible that he selected ground in the Grange Road, 

 Bermondsey, for his botanic garden. You would not allow me 

 space for many notes about him, but I must tell how he was 

 the first to obtain superior engravings and colouring of flowers. 

 Previously to the appearance of his " Flora Londinensis," who- 

 ever has had occasion to consult the published portraits of 

 plants will agree with me in appreciating the progress he efiected. 

 He not only bad the difficult task of finding and instructing 

 artists, but he had the further difficulty of keeping them, for 

 when they attained to excellence there were many bidders for 

 their services. The calico printers tempted away his first 

 artist, Mr. Kilburn, and he so succeeded in their service, that 

 he lived long enough to die in some affluence at Beddington 

 Corner, near Croydon. He had not a competitor in such 

 designing, for the great cotton manufacturers. Peel & Yates, 

 had at that time only two patterns, " the great bird's-eye," and 

 " the little bird's-eye ! " To Kilburn succeeded Sydenham 

 Edwards, but he also departed from Mr. Curtis and established 

 an opponent periodical, " The Botanical Register." The fond- 

 ness for floral illustration proved hereditary, and well do I 

 remember the beautiful flower groups painted for Mr. Samuel 

 Curtis by Mrs. Pope. Mr. Henry Curtis has also been a 

 sketoher of flowers ; some specimens are before me, and others 

 are known to the public in the " Beauties of the Rose." 



But of the two now gone, each was, and the living is, a prac- 

 tical gardener, and William Curtis deserves especial remem- 

 brance as the introducer of Sea-kale into the kitchen garden. 

 He published a pamphlet on its culture, and gave with each a 

 box of the Eale's seed. Simuel Curtis cultivated a large 

 nursery and orchard at Glazenwood, near Coggeshall, in Essex. 

 Well do I remember seeing him dredging his Apple trees with 

 lime by the aid of an implement he had invented, and, as a 

 lad, still more did he secure my regard by tumblersful of his 

 sparkling Blact Currant wine. Henry Curtis has especially 

 devoted himself to Rose culture. And now I arrive at my notes 

 written down at the Devon Rosery. 



This nursery is about a mile from the town on the Paignton 

 Road, and is five acres devoted entirely to the propagation and 

 culture of Roses. Let no one proceed thither expecting to see 

 ornamental arrangements, or the slightest attempt to prefer 

 the ornamental before the useful — it is a thoroughly practical 

 establishment, where in their season all the operations of pro- 

 pagation and culture may be seen, and any of the approved 

 varieties, old or new, purchased in any number from one to a 

 thousand. Budding was the order of the day when I was there, 

 and it will surprise your amateur readers to know, that the 

 head budder could insert and tie one thousand buds in ten 

 hours. I never knew of but one more nimble, and he could 

 complete twelve hundred in the same space of time. 



I have seen the Roses in their prime at many of the nurseries 

 where they are a speciality, and I have seen their selected 

 specimens at the London exbibitions, but none of them sur- 

 passed in any quality, and none of them equalled in luxuriance, 



the Roses here. The foliage is unsurpassable in size and free- 

 dom from disease — verdure is the rule, brown spots the ex- 

 ception. 



Mr. Curtis, as already noted, is a practical rosarian, and he 

 is a man of science too, just the varitty of man from whom to 

 obtain literary cuttings, and the following are some : — 



"The Manetti is a hardy, strong-growirig, semi-double pink 

 Rose, introduced from Italy about thiily jtars ago by Mr. 

 Rivers, to whom all Rose and fruit-growers are so much in- 

 debted. The Celine Ruse (Hybrid Buurhon), of most robust 

 growth, with a bright rose-coloured double flower, was intro- 

 duced as a stock for budding by myself twenty-seven years ago, 

 and is still found the best stuck on which to hud some sorts 

 that will not grow well on the Manetti, such as Noisettes, Teas, 

 &c. The more robuet-growing varieties of Roses budded on 

 these stocks form splendid olijects trained as pyramids, or for 

 pillar Roses by the sides of lawns, &a. Munetti-woiked Roses 

 have the advantage of being easily grown in cold, windy, and 

 exposed situations ; even in the north of Scotland they are not 

 killed if grown below the snow line." 



Some may attribute Mr. Curtis's preference for the Celine 

 stock to the natural fondness of a first introducer, but he has 

 a reason for his fondness — " its fibrous roots are so numerous." 

 " Dwarf Roses, budded on the Manetti stock, will flourish 

 well in almost any soil, as well as in those soils of a light, dry, 

 sandy character, which are unfavourable to the Briar. Roses 

 on their own roots prefer a warm light soil, with leaf mould 

 and sand, and it is useless to attempt to grow them in a true 

 stiff Briar soil. Their roots are generally more delicate the 

 first year than those of Roses on the Manetti or Celine." 



I will conclude, for the prei-ent, with a list of old Roses — best 

 of the best — selected by Mr. Curtis and approved by Mrs. 

 Curtis. Mr. Peter Prejudiced will " Humph ! What had she to 

 do with them ? " Much, for however skilful a man may be in 

 cultivating a Rose, I put aside his opinion as to its colour and 

 form for that of a lady of taste — and such is Mrs. Curtis — and 

 one evidence is on the table before me in a bouquet of wild 

 flowers and native Ferns only. The Ruses are grouped accord- 

 ing to their colours. 



WHITE AND CREAir. 



Acidalie, B. "White. 



Bonle de Neige, H.P. "White. This fragrant Rose has petals so 

 stout aird Camellia-like, that it is especially suitable for wearing in a 

 lady's hair-. 



Devoniensis, T. Cream. "Powerfully scented, and largest of its 

 family. It was raised by the late G. Foster, Esq., of Oatland, near 

 Devonport, and is believed to be a progeny of the "bellow China, 

 fertilised by yellow Noisette Smithii growing by its side." 



Homer, T. Cream, frequently tinted. 



Madame Bravy, T. Cream, model of form. 



Madame Noman, H.P. "White. 



Mademoiselle Bonnaire, H.P. "White. 



Sombrenil, T. "White. Half Bourbon. Highly scented. 



Virginal, H.P. "White. 



"White Bath Moss, S. "White. 



ULUSH AND FLESH COLOUB. 



Alba mntabilis, H.P. Blush. 



Clemence Eaoux, H.P. Flesh. 



Madame Rivers, H.P. Flesh. 



Madame EothEchUd, H.P. Flesh. One of the finest of this 

 section. 



Madame Vidot, H.P. Blush. 



Madame "Willermoz, T. Pale salmon. Large, and foliage fine. 



Marguerite Bonnet, B. Flesh. 



Marquise de Mortemart. H.P. Flesh. Dwarf. 



Mrs. Bosanquet, C. Flesh. 



Rubens, T. Pale flesh. 



Sophie Coquerelle, H.P. Blush. Good as a standard. 



Souvenir d'un Ami, T. Pink flesh. Large, fine form. Raised by 

 M. Bellot, a florist at Fougeres, near MouUnes. Introduced in 1846. 



PINE AND EOSE COLOUR. 



Abel Grand, H.P. Pink. Large, highly scented, good as a standard. 



Baronne Prevost, H.P. "Bright rose, the prince of Perpetnals. 

 Raised by M. Deprez, of Yebles, near Paris, ard sent out in 1844." 



Blairii No. 2, S. Hybrid China. Pink. Good for a pillar. 



Comtesse de Chahrillant, H.P. Rose. Fragrant. 



Edouard Morren, H.P. Rose. 



Laslia (also called Louise Peyronny), H.P. Bright rose, very 

 hardy, very fragrant. 



Madame Clert, H.P. Pale rose. 



Madame Jacquier, H.P. Rose. 



Madame Knorr, H.P. Bright rose, " more fragrant than the old 

 Cabbage Rose." 



Marguerite de St. Amand, HP. Pink. Good as a standard. 



Monsieur Noman, H.P. Pink. 



