BOOK REVIEWS. 



301 



may perhaps pardon some expressions which are rather high-flown 

 and a tendency to become diffuse. He is best when he gives us his 

 own observation, as when he tells of the sport of the tits in the rose 

 pergola, and of the shades of difference in the perfume of the rose, 

 which may vary not only on plants of the same variety but even on 

 different flowers on the same plant. After a chapter on the history 

 of the rose and a glance at the different types and their classification, 

 the author gives us a curious and interesting review of ' ' Eoses and 

 Humanity," in which he includes a short account of the painters of the 

 rose, a feature we have not before met with in an English .work on the 

 rose. • : 



Following this we find several chapters dealing with the various 

 operations of rose-growing, the places in which roses may be grown; 

 rose gardens, soils, and manures, and the propagation, planting, and 

 pruning of the trees, and other matters of cultural routine. . 



The author has furnished us with a useful chapter on the Ifose as a 

 cut-flower, and w^e note with pleasure his appreciation of that wonder- 

 ful rose ' Eichmond ' for this purpose, and of the general utility of 

 ' Alberic Barbier ' with its charming leaf sprays for arranging with 

 other roses of delicate tints. He rightly lays stress on the importance 

 of careful preparation of the flowers intended for decoration by cutting 

 them young and plunging in water in a cool place over night before 

 they are arranged in their vases. 



A chapter of over twenty pages is devoted to the enemies of the rose, 

 then follow others on roses in town gardens, sweet roses, and roses for 

 various purposes, all containing copious lists of the varieties recom- 

 mended. 



An interesting chapter on the roses and the nations shows how the 

 peculiar genius of the French for the production of new roses formerly 

 held undisputed sway in this department, but latterly this claim to 

 distinction has been challenged by the rose-growers of Great Britain, 

 America, and Germany. 



Then there is a calendar for rose-growers in which the operations to 

 be followed month by month are set forth; and the book concludes 

 with a chapter on " Too much alike Eoses. " We turned to this chap- 

 ter with interest, and it was somewhat of a disappointment to find it 

 contained little but the rather obsolete list of synonyms of the National 

 Rose Society. Doubtless the author considers that the question is oiie 

 that should be dealt with rather by the National Eose Society than 

 by a private individual, but it is becoming urgent, and we share 

 Mr, Wright's hope that the Society will consider the matter in 

 the near future. Something has been done this year in bracketing 

 together varieties which are to be considered alike for purposes of 

 exhibition, but more remains to be done in this direction. Our 

 author has appended to his book a reference table of varieties 

 containing some 800 names, with their type and colour, and a general 

 index. 



VOL. XXXVIII. 



X 



