MULTIPLICATION BY SEED AKD HYDEIDIZING. 131 



that day. Among the earliest cultivators of roses from 

 the seed, were three Frenchmen : Dupont, Vilmorin, and 

 Descemet. The former was the gardener of the Empress 

 Josephine. When the allied armies entered Paris, in 

 1815, the garden of Descemet contained 10,000 seedling 

 roses, which Vibert, in his anxiety to secure from destruc- 

 tion, succeeded in carrying to his garden in the interior. 



In England, very little attention seems, at that time, to 

 have been paid to the production of new varieties from seed, 

 and the English relied very much upon the continent for 

 their choice roses. Now, however, they are abundantly 

 redeeming their reputation, and many fine varieties have 

 been produced by English rose-growers, at the head of 

 whom stands Rivers, whose efforts are seconded by 

 Wood, Paul, Lane, and others. They are still, however, 

 compelled to yield to the French cultivators ; for to these 

 we are indebted for our very finest roses — for Lamarque, 

 Solfaterre, La Reine, Chromatella, the new white Perpetu- 

 als. Souvenir de Malmaison, and others. 



The varieties of roses became increasingly great after 

 the introduction of the Bengals, Noisettes, Teas, and 

 Bourbons — all these classes j^i'oducing readily from seed, 

 'and in endless variety. There still remains a willingness 

 to cast aside the old for the new, and however much we 

 may regret this disposition, for the sake of some old and 

 truly deserving favorites, we cannot feel willing to de- 

 nounce it, for it exhibits a gratifying evidence of a desire 

 for improvement, and the existence of a spirit of progress, 

 which, dissatisfied with things as they are, is continually 

 striving after nearer approaches to perfection. If, in this 

 strife, some of our old favorites have been cast aside, we 

 are more than abundantly compensated for their loss by 

 the new claimants to our regard. 



Those who intend to raise new roses from seed should 

 select varieties differing as much as possible in color and 

 habit, and possessing broad, thick, and well-formed pet- 



