172 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



introduced in 1845, it is surprising that more attention has not been 

 paid to it commercially. A dozen or more of the principal varieties are 

 enumerated. — F. A. W. 



Rosa sericea (Garden, No. 1802, p. 294 ; coloured plate ; June 2, 

 1906). — Of the wild roses there are few that equal Bosa sericea in simple 

 grace and beauty ; yet it is one of the least common in gardens. It was 

 introduced from Gossam Than, a mountain in Northern Nepal, about 

 ninety years ago, and was first described by Lindley in his " Monograph 

 of Hoses," published in 1820. Its flowers are distinct from those of 

 other roses in having nearly always but four petals, which are arranged 

 in the form of a Maltese cross. They are of a creamy-white, and the 

 flower is about 2 inches across. One great charm of this rose is its 

 beautiful foliage ; the leaflets are small and rich green, giving to the 

 plant as a whole a soft, fern-like aspect. There is a fine bush at Kew 

 measuring 15 feet through and 9 feet high. It is almost the earliest 

 rose to flower in the open — usually during the last week of May — and its 

 wide-spreading, arching branches, laden with blossom, make a lovely 

 picture.— E. T. C. 



Rose * Maurice Fournet,' Sport from * Soleil dOr.' By 



H. Lebrun (Le Jardin, vol. xx. No. 465, p. 203 ; July 5, 1906).— A new 

 variety, pale pink with copper tinge. M. Lebrun writes an interesting 

 note on dichroism in roses, to which this hybrid is due. When two 

 species as distinct as B. lutca (from which ' Persian Yellow,' one parent 

 of ' Soleil d'Or ' is derived) and B. gallica (whence comes ' Antoine Duchet,' 

 the other parent) are blended, new sports are apt to arise by throwing 

 back to one of the two ancestors in some definite feature without 

 altering the general character of the rose. In this case ' Maurice Fournet ' 

 reverts to the hybrid perpetual parent in the colour of its flower only, 

 being otherwise an Austrian briar. — F, A. W. 



Roses, Christmas. By W. T. (Garden, No. 1831, p. 297; 

 December 22, 1906). — Towards the end of the year the winter hellebore 

 (II. niger) throws up its ever-welcome flowers, and is certainly one 

 of the finest hardy winter-flowering plants we have. A large clump 

 in good condition, with its broad, dark green foliage some 2 feet or 

 8 feet in diameter, overtopped by a quantity of big white blossoms, 

 is exceedingly attractive, especially in the dull winter months. Flowers 

 outside at this season are so scarce that it is worth a little trouble 

 to provide a suitable place for the Christmas roses. Most important of 

 all, they like a deep and somewhat rich soil, and, while they will do well 

 in a rather sunny place, their favourite situation is among other low- 

 growing plants like ferns, sheltered from the east by trees, and also 

 shaded during the greater part of the day from the sun. In getting a 

 border ready for these plants it should be trenched to a depth of over 

 2 feet. If the soil is poor or light, a layer of rotten cow manure should 

 be worked in with the lower spit of soil. With regard to the best time 

 for planting, there is no doubt that as soon as they have done flowering 

 is a most favourable period. This would be in February or March, and 



