248 



THE BOOK OF THE ROSE 



CHAP. 



culture on the briar and is not free-flowering or good as 

 an autumnal, but it is a fine well-built bloom when you 

 get it good, with stout petals, high centre, fine globular 

 outline, full size and dark, sometimes rather dull, colour. 

 The flowers being heavy and the wood weak, flowering 

 shoots of dwarfs should be staked when the bud is 

 formed. The lasting powers of the blooms are par- 

 ticularly good, and it is worthy of notice, as an example 

 of the odd manners and customs of Roses, that some )f 

 the weakest growers have the most lasting flowers, aid 

 vice versa. For instance, Marquise de Mortemart aid 

 Madame Ducher, two H.P.s that have practical}^ 

 dropped out of cultivation from their extreme poorntss 

 of growth, are especially noted for the lasting character 

 of their blooms, while such strong growers as Heinrch 

 Schultheis and Thomas Mills show the opposite side of 

 the picture. Louis van Houtte will not do with me : 

 a respectable bloom even on strong shoots is a rariy : 

 but many others grow it well and esteem it highly. For 

 anything but exhibition purposes, however, it should be 

 generally avoided. 



Mabel Morrison (Broughton, 1878). — A pure wlite 

 sport from Baroness Rothschild, but smaller and very 

 weak in the centre : only worthy of notice as a sed 

 parent of Her Majesty. 



Madame Charles Wood (E. Verdier, 1861). — Formerly 

 of considerable reputation as a show Rose, but a lad 

 grower, of weak constitution. The blooms often cone 

 divided and rain will spoil them. Sometimes a stroig 

 fine Rose, with large petals, rather flat in shape, aid 

 tightly incurved in the centre. A good lasting flower, 

 of full size, but a "bad doer" and not to be recon- 

 mended. 



Madame Clemence Joigneaux (Liabaud, 1861). — A very 7 



