6 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



January i, 1898 



Some Good White Roses. 



If I were asked to name what had proved the best dozen white 

 roses in our rose gardens, they would be as follows: Boule de 

 Neige, Merveille de Lyon Souvenir de S. A. Prince, The Bride, 

 Niphetos, Madame Plantier, Coquette des Blanches, Madame Francois 

 Pittet, Innocente Pirola, Edith Gifford, Madame Alfred de Rougemont, 

 and Blanche Moreau (Moss). The first six have proved most useful and 

 reliable. We also have several roses with a pale-blush tint of rather too 

 pronounced a character to justify their being included among whites, but 

 which may well be mentioned in connection with this article ; such as 

 Augustine Guinoisseau, Margaret Dickson, Souvenir de la Malmaison, 

 Vicountess Folkestone, Mrs. Paul, and White Lady. Then we have a 

 splendid acquisition in Bladud among pale flesh-coloured whites ; also 

 a grand pure white in Purity, both of which were introduced by Messrs. 

 Cooling and Sons, of Bath. 



Niphetos, sent out as long ago as 1844, is still the best pure white. 

 Under glass we have no rose to compare with it. Every bud is long and 

 of perfect form, while it opens into a really grand flower. There is no 

 freer or more constant bloomer than this, and, with Perle des Jardins, 

 it is probably the most generally grown rose for cut blooms. It is by no 

 means so tender as many imagine, and we often obtain really grand 

 blooms from the open. The northern show of the N.R.S. at Norwich, 

 last July, contained one of the grandest flowers we have ever seen, and 

 the silver medal was well deserved. In every way this was a typical 

 bloom, as was amply proved by its beating the whole of the teas and 

 noisettes among the nurserymen's classes. A warm season, a sheltered 

 position, and, if not upon a wall, grown as a short standard, suits this 

 grand old rose well. 



Souvenir de S. A. Prince is comparatively new, having been sent out 

 in 1889. This was a sport from another very old favourite, Souvenir d'un 

 Ami, a rose that has held its own for more than half a century, being sent 

 out in 1846, or two years after Niphetos. Souvenir de S. A. Prince is 

 synonymous with The Queen, a sport originating from the same variety. 

 It is a globular flower, opens well, is of the purest white when fully 

 expanded, a good grower, hardy, and a very free bloomer. All of the 

 grand characteristics of Souvenir d'un Ami are retained by this rose, the 

 sole difference being in colour. It is the sweetest scented of all the pure 

 whites. 



singles, Paul's Single White, Rosa multiflora or Polyantha simplex, and 

 Polyantha grandiflora. Then we have the pure white Japanese, or 

 Rugosa alba, and its semi-double form in Madame Georges Bruant ■ 

 Aimee Vibert, a grand climber ; Uucher, among the Chinas ; also White 

 Baroness, Mabel Morrison and Madame Lacharme. Turning to those 

 with a flush of pale flesh, I would strongly recommend — 



Viscountess Folkestone —We have no sweeter-scented rose than this 

 grand hybrid tea, nor a better grower and freer bloomer. 



Augustine Guinoisseau is a compact and free grower, sweetly scented 

 and from early till late is never out of bloom. 1 



Margaret Dickson gives us tremendous growth, which, if pegged 

 down, will flower throughout its entire length, and produces grand 

 flowers. 



Mrs. Paul, a grand departure in Bourbons, from Cheshunt, is also a 

 very strong grower that does best as a cutback when not too hardly 

 pruned. This is one of our most distinct roses, large, of imbricated 

 form, and much resembling a camellia in shape. 



Souvenir de la Malmaison is too well known to need any comment. 



Bladud 'is a new hybrid perpetual from Bath. This is a very large 

 and well-formed flower, a much better grower than Madlle. Bonnaire, 

 and with the same charming silvery white with a tinge of pale blush in 

 the centre. This is a grand rose so far as we have seen it at present. 



Purity is likely to be one of our very best pillar roses. The flowers 

 are produced very freely throughout the whole length of the plant, and 

 are of perfect globular form, with a prettily quilled centre, of rather more 

 than medium size when fully expanded, and certain to become a most 

 popular variety. When staged at the National Rose Society's Ports- 

 mouth exhibition in June 1897, by the introducers, Messrs. G. 

 Cooling and Son, Bath, it attracted much attention, and is evidently 

 destined to become a grand garden rose. 



Those we have found to be the best half-dozen for pot culture from the 

 above are, Niphetos, The Bride, Bladud, Edith Gifford, Souvenir de 

 S. A. Prince, and Augustine Guinoisseau. As a white climber under 

 glass, the climbing form of Niphetos is far ahead of all others. 



A. Piper. 



Chrysanthemums for i898. 



Boule de Neige has been in general culture for thirty years. This is With the article from the pen of Mr. W. H. Lees, on page 808 of last 



a hybrid noisette ; and is a good grower, very hardy, a most perpetual 

 bloomer, and one which lasts well both upon the plant and cut. When 



year's volume, very few will disagree ; still, in the list of varieties I think 

 there is some room for improvement. Mr. Lees gives a list of fifty 



young there is a slight tinge of pale carmine rose upon the outside petals, of the best Japanese selected from the older sorts, and from these, a 

 but the whole is pure white when fully expanded. It can scarcely be put further selection of the best twenty-four >vhich are distinguished by an * ; 



to the wrong use, and is sure to please. 



of course, the writer has placed the varieties in the position according to 



The Bride, like Souvenir de S. A. Prince, is a sport from one of our his own experience, which must be' somewhat extensive. At the same 



most beautiful and valuable pink teas, viz., Catherine Mermet ; a rose 

 which has given us many grand sports, among which are Muriel 

 Grahame, Waban, Bridesmaid, and the one now more particularly under 

 notice. All rosarians know of the good qualities of Catherine Mermet 

 and I need say no more than that The Bride is a counterpart of that old 

 favourite (1867) except in being a pale lemon-white when young, and 

 changing to pure white as it expands. 



Merveille de Lyon is another grand grower. Its habit is a 

 little more compact than Baroness Rothschild, while the foliage and 

 bold way in which the flowers are carried are much like our 

 old friend Baroness Rothschild, which has been our best pink for 

 thirty years, notwithstanding its entire lack of perfume, a fault which 

 must, unfortunately, be accorded to Merveille de Lyon as well. This is 

 a large and massive flower, one of the best to open, and not spoilt by 

 showery weather ; indeed, like the Baroness, it seems to enjoy showers 

 and dull weather. 



Madame Plantier is a very old rose, and is one of the few varieties 

 that were grown previous to the Queen's accession to the throne, and is 

 still a favourite. It is of the purest white, a rather small-flowered hybrid 

 noisette ; a goodi grower, exceedingly free blooming, and a grand rose 

 for standards, pillars, or massing. 



Coquette des Blanches may be used in the same connection as the 

 last named. It is hardier, and the flowers are rather larger, and of more 

 globular form, but by no means so prettilv shaped as Madame Plantier. 



Madame Francois Pittet is a short and compact grower, very free 

 small, double, and with the exception of a carmine tinge in the younger 

 stages during a hot summer, is pure white. This is a grand rose for 

 bedding. 



Innocente Pirola can hardly be called white. It is a creamy white 

 and, when young, has a faint tinge of pale salmon-yellow in the centre.' 

 As it ages, this is lost, and it approaches the whites nearer and nearer. 

 It is a good grower and bloomer, rather tender, and every bloom, smali 



° r ,iT c, j C ?^ eS 0f P erfect form WI th a high pointed centre. From a 

 small bud this rose develops into a large and massive flower. 



Hon. Edith Gitford, like the above, is a creamy white, and has a 

 distinct flush of pale flesh m the centre when young. A very hardy rose 

 this, one that may be depended upon in every wav, but, unfortunately, 

 rather more subject to mildew than others. Innocente Pirola also has 

 this fault 



Maiiame Alfred de Rougemont is not much grown now, but it is one 

 of our hardiest whites of medium size. A faint flush of pink is found 

 upon the edges. Like many others in this selected dozen, it is an old 

 favourite, being sent out in 1863. 



Blanche Moreau is the very best white moss-rose we have. The 

 flowers are large, beautifully mossed or crested, of the purest white, 

 produced very freely in clusters, while the growth is vigorous. Our 

 twelve would not be complete without this 



A few other whites are The Pet, Anne' Marie de Montravel and Ma 

 Faquerette from the miniature polyanthas ; also the following three 



time, to select the "best" twenty-four or fifty, is a task I, or few others, 



will attempt, for varieties good this year, may be almost failures next, a 



great deal depending on the season, and frequently the mode of 

 stimulating. 



Mr. Lees, in his selection of twenty-four, includes nine which may 

 fairly be claimed as whites, and whilst admitting this class is the most ex- 

 tensive, many will agree with me that the percentage is too great. Pride of 

 Madford, we are assured, has been consistently good, then why not include 

 it, as I think it should be, in the first twenty-four, taking the place of one 

 of the white varieties ? Out of the fifty, no less than twenty-six may be 

 termed whites or yellows ; that these should preponderate to this extent 

 many will question. 



One variety which Mr. Lees notices — Madame Ad. Moulin— is 

 certainly not required in the face of so many which are in every respect 

 superior. It has been in cultivation several years but makes no head- 

 way. To include this among the best fifty and exclude Louise, Mons. 

 Hoste, Mons. Andre, Pride of Exmouth, Mrs. C. Blick, Madame 

 Gustave Henry, V. R. de Chezelles, Milano, Madame Ad. Chatin and 

 some others, must be an oversight. 



Many, if not all, of these last-mentioned varieties are superior, with 

 most growers, to Mdlle. Therese Rey, Lady Saunders, and Sunflower. 

 Mr. Lees does not place Sunstone and Mrs. F. A. Bevan among the 

 first twenty-four. This, I think, is a mistake, as the first named has in 

 many collections been very fine this season ; a bloom in a non- 

 competitive trade collection at the November exhibition of the N.C.S., 

 was considered by some growers to be superior to the bloom of Mrs. 

 Mease, to which the special prize as premier bloom was awarded. It is 

 very distinct, both in colour and form, of great depth and substance. It 

 requires an early start, stopping in April, and the early crown bud to be 

 retained. Personally, I shall place it among the first six. Mrs. F. A. 

 Bevan will also take a very high place 4 when its culture is understood. 

 It is also very distinct both in form and colour ; on the early bud it is 

 useless, but stopped early in April retaining the crown bud about 

 August 20, is a method which seems to suit it. It requires good culture. 



Mr. Lees places among the older varieties yellow Madame Carnot 

 (whether this refers to G. J. Warren or Mrs. Mease it is not very plain), 

 Western King, John Neville, Mrs. F. A. Bevan, Mrs. S. C. Probin, Mrs. 

 G. W. Palmer, and Snowdon, all of which were sent out last spring, 

 whilst others sent out at the same time come under the heading of " new 

 ones," and in this latter class we find Madame Philip Rivoire, which was 

 shown in the autumn of '95, whilst C. E. Jeffcock was catalogued in the 

 spring of that season. Among the best of last season's novelties I would 

 place Ella Curtis— a magnificent variety— Lady Hanham, Julia Scara- 

 manga, Mrs. Maling Grant, Elthorne Beauty, Dr. Liebert, Geo. Seward, 

 and Joseph Brookes ; these, I have every reason to believe, will excel many 

 of those mentioned on page 808. Master H. Tucker should also be placed 

 among the best twelve of last season's introduction. Of the incurved 

 varieties I say but little, except that I certainly should include Topaze 

 Orientale among the best introductions of the season. 



Exmouth \V. J. Godfrey, 



