XII MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 307 



because they are lovely in themselves, do not lose 

 their colour, and go well with everything, but also 

 because they are considered the most appropriate on 

 the three great occasions of birth, marriage, and 

 death. It so happens that Niphetos, the purest of 

 all white Boses, has a long bud especially suitable for 

 bouquets and wreaths, and is also free-flowering and 

 bears forcing well. It is no wonder therefore that it 

 is, and has been, cultivated for market purposes to an 

 astonishing extent. It opens very easily and freely, 

 and for this reason will probably continue to hold 

 its own for winter forcing against the newer white 

 Eoses which are better for exhibition. For this 

 latter purpose it is no longer of use against their 

 increased competition, for, though capable of attain- 

 ing a very large size, with fine long outer petals, it 

 is almost always malformed or divided in the inner 

 centre if not throughout, the shape is very fleeting, 

 and when the outside petals do come down they fall 

 completely, giving the idea of a total collapse. It 

 is free-blooming throughout the season, but the 

 autumnal buds do not come large and require fine 

 weather. It does not do as a dwarf, for the blooms 

 come smaller, and, the wood being neither stiff nor 

 upright, the petals get much injured by wind and 

 rain unless the flowers are well held up above the 

 ground. A good Eose, if fully fed, for a low wall. 



Perle des Jardins (Levet, 1874). — Of good stout 

 stiff growth, with reddish wood and fine foliage, 

 doing well as a dwarf, but a Eose of shocking bad 

 manners. We want much a well-shaped Tea of 

 a good decided yellow to take the place of Marechal 

 Niel when it is off bloom ; and Perle des Jardins is 

 always promising to do this, and very, very seldom 



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