12 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE ohap. 



chance cross-fertilisation, as had hitherto been done, 

 is now being pursued by several raisers in the British 

 Isles. More new varieties from our own country, 

 and less from France, now pass their examinations 

 and enter the ranks every year, but a considerable 

 proportion of our best Eoses still bear, and will for 

 many years, French names. 



The worst of it is that some of these names must 

 be said in full if there is to be no confusion. For 

 instance, there are two Madame Eugene Verdiers, 

 H.P. and Tea, and Souvenir de Madame Eugene 

 Verdier, H.T., as well as Mademoiselle Eugenie 

 Verdier, and Madame Victor Verdier and Victor 

 Verdier, H.P.s. There are also two Madame 

 Hippolyte Jamains, H.P. and Tea, besides Hippo- 

 lyte Jamain, H.P. In addition to the well-known 

 La France, there is also a Eose called La France 

 de '89, a name which really shows some poverty of 

 invention on the part of the raiser. 



A remonstrance might not be well received ; for 

 the late Eev. H. H. D'Ombrain used to tell 

 an amusing story of the French raiser of Duke of 

 Wellington H.P. complaining that English growers 

 would not call his Eose correctly, for it should 

 be Due de Wellington, and some think he was 

 right ! 



Still, as I have said, though so many of our best 

 Eoses owe their parentage to France, they are no- 

 where better cultivated than in the British Isles, there 

 being a considerable export trade to America, the 

 Colonies, Spain, and in fact all parts of the world ; 

 and nowhere are there such famous growers, both 

 professional and amateur, who have made the Eose 

 their special, and in some cases their sole, study. In 



