ROSES. 
tried three seasons before condemnation, and 
not be discarded under an idea that it is use- 
less, merely because it flowers badly, which is 
not always the case. A Rose will sometimes 
be for several years only middling, when if it 
liked the ground, it would be excellent. When 
you have a Rose, first you sbould cut away all 
bruised parts of the root, and see that all the 
broken ends of the shoots in the ground, or 
root shoots, are smooth ; then plant it the first 
year in good strong fresh loam, from a pasture. 
If rotten dung be at the bottom, so much the 
better, but do not let the dung touch the roots. 
Cut nothing back of the head or bud shoot, or 
if it be an established head, cut nothing back 
until you see the buds swelling, so as to enable 
you to calculate what portion is alive, and 
what has died back. As soon as this is indi- 
cated by the growing of the buds, cut away 
clean to the tree all the branches which may 
have perished. When these are removed, you 
see what head you have to depend on, and 
how much you may cut back without losing 
an opportunity of forming or improving a 
head for the next season. For instance, we 
have known all the branches but one die back, 
and be forced to be removed by the knife. 
Had the pruning at first been close, and each 
branch cut back to two eyes, there would be 
but two, of course, left on the only living one, 
and but two shoots could be had from them ; 
having, however, discovered that but one 
branch is left, this has to be preserved some- 
what longer, and therefore should be pruned 
to four or five, instead of two eyes. These 
may be managed to form branches all round the 
tree, or rather at such distance as prudence 
dictates, due regard being had to the strength 
of the plant. If the tree takes off vigorously, 
and the wood grows very strong, the bloom is 
pretty sure to be inferior, as indeed is the case 
when almost any plant runs to w r ood ; so that 
it is quite as unlikely that the bloom is in 
character when the plant is too vigorous, as 
when it is too much starved. Many Roses 
have, it is true, been introduced most impro- 
perly. Roses with rough, thin, flimsy petals, 
and not enough of them ; some with serx*ated 
edges, others with petals too thin to keep any- 
thing like shape in the flower ; and many of 
the worst of them with not even a strong 
odour. Mr. Bircham, of Headenham Rosary, 
near Bungay, has been several years growing 
all the Roses in cultivation, for the purpose of 
selecting the best only; and after discarding 
all the varieties he condemned for glaring 
faults of some kind or other, his catalogue is 
but small. We think, however, many more 
Roses still cultivated may be added to the 
discarded list, without any disparagement to 
the present collections ; indeed, choice as is 
our list of Roses in the introductory number, 
there are still some that could be withdrawn. 
The object here is not to entertain the ques- 
tion of general culture, but rather to offer a 
few useful hints on forming collections, and 
their first treatment; and to bring to mind 
that which may have struck many people 
before, but which has proved unerring with 
us, that they cannot be depended on the year 
they are transplanted, and especially the first 
removal after the working of them ; that is to 
say, the state in which they are introduced to 
England, or purchased at an English nursery. 
Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, Mr. Paul, of 
Cheshunt, and Mr. Lane, of Berkhampstead, 
all three extensive Rose growers, rarely let out 
a variety till they have tried and proved it • 
but still many are thought worth letting out 
that we do not value at all. We have looked 
through the collections at all seasons, and we 
should like to see five out of six thrown away ; 
for a Rose bloom ought to be as independent, 
and as capable of being shown by itself, as a 
Carnation or a Dahlia. We may, at some 
future period, mention a few of this kind ; for 
that Rose shall be the best, that will best bear 
examination as a single flower ; and twelve of 
these, which we placed on a stand a dozen 
times in the summer months, looked far more 
interesting than any other twelve flowers we 
ever saw. Hybridizing has done much good 
for Roses, but it has also done its mischief; for, 
if it has introduced some splendid varieties, it 
has teased us with hundreds not worth grow- 
ing ; some which are close hard lumps of 
rolled-up petals, turning over their thin edges 
like a dog's-eared book ; the backs of the 
petals a dull colour, scarcely any scent to 
them, and altogether bad openers, and bad if 
they can be made to open. There is no reason 
why the Rose should not be as perfect as the 
Camellia Japonica. There are some of the 
Bourbons, as they are called, with petals as 
smooth and as thick, and almost as regular ; 
and these are the kinds to buy and grow. 
They hold their form longer and better than 
those with thin petals; they open more freely, 
and are better when they do open. The 
habits of these full-flowered plants are better ; 
the flowers, instead of lolloping their heads 
down, show themselves well. All the full 
free opening Roses of old are of this descrip- 
tion ; witness the Cabbage Rose, the Maiden's 
Blush, the Provence, and some others, which 
are as familiar as the name of the Rose itself. 
It is true that the bud of a Rose is pretty, and 
that a bunch of Roses is pretty, but while we 
have good Roses that will open, and of almost 
every colour, it is unnecessary to grow bad 
ones ; and if the characters of Roses are esta- 
blished by showing single blooms, which shall 
be required to be open, there will be little 
difficulty in doing all the rest. Nevertheless, 
