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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 



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enough for exhibition. It is wonderful as a free bloomer, 

 the plant being smothered with flowers from top to bot- 

 tom during the first crop, and a fair amount of blooms 

 continue into the autumn. It is quite hardy, makes a 

 good standard, and is to my mind one of the very best 

 of climbing Roses. Not so large as Gloire de Dijon, nor 

 quite so good as a continuous bloomer early and late, 

 but superior to it in manner of growth for covering a 

 wall. 



Rubens (Robert, 1859). — A good grower, producing 

 strong clean shoots with very fine foliage, and quite 

 capable as a short standard of covering the wall of a 

 one-storied building. It is not liable to mildew, and 

 the blooms, which are slightly pendent, can stand a little 

 rain. They can be generally relied on to come of good 

 shape, but the petals are thin and the form fleeting. 

 The fine half-open buds are well supported by grand 

 foliage, but the flowers are difficult to exhibit well as they 

 look weak and unsubstantial when shown with other 

 Teas. It is pretty hardy, best as a standard and in cool 

 weather : capital, early and late, against a dwarf wall : 

 very free blooming and a good autumnal, thriving well 

 on lightish soil. 



Safrano (Beauregard, 1839). — Of very strong growth 

 with fair foliage, quite hardy, sweet scented, not liable to 

 mildew, and hardly minding rain at all. This old Rose is 

 very free blooming, but small and thin and quite weak and 

 open in the centre. It is only useful for button-holes, and, 

 like all thin Teas, is especially valuable in the late autumn. 

 When not another Rose is to be found anywhere from 

 the cold and wet, a Safrano on a wall will come to 

 the rescue. Of good constitution and ready to thrive 

 anywhere, growing almost wild in the Riviera. It is of 

 the same colour as Reve d'Or and Sunset, but the buds 



