mm. 
ON BLOOMING THE CLOTH OF GOLD OR CHEOMATELLA ROSE. 
309 
I 
ON BLOOMING THE CLOTH OF GOLD, OR CHROMATELLA ROSE. 
By Mr. J. SAUL, Durdham Down Nursery, Bristol. 
aN llie introduction of this beautiful Rose to this country a few years hack, Rose fanciers expected 
to find one of the finest, if not the very finest of yellow Roses ; nor have they heen disappointed) 
for when well and finely bloomed it stands unrivalled as a yellow Rose. It has been disseminated 
since its introduction very extensively ; yet few, comparatively few, have succeeded in blooming it well 
and freely. From what cause is this faihu-e ? I think, if we examine minutely the nature of the plant, 
the manner in which it is generally recommended to he grown, and which is as frequently acted up to, 
we shall, to a great extent, see the cause of failui'e, and approach more closely to a system by which 
the flowering of this splendid Rose shall take place with some degree of certainty. I think it was in 
the Gardeners' Clironicle (but I quote from memory) a correspondent lately inquired the best way of 
managing it, and was answered by directions to grow it in rather poor soil, as it is a strong grower. 
Now this I consider very questionable advice, yet I know it is what is generally given. It is classed 
in that group of Roses called Noisettes, a class which a recent writer called, with much propriety, a 
" jumble of hybrids ;" and certainly many varieties in the group are as distinct as if they were placed 
in separate classes, being crossed and raised from very dissimilar groups. Taking the Old Noisette, as 
the type of the class, a large section called Tea- seen ted Noisettes will be fomid to difl'er from it and its 
congeners very materially, fi-om their aflinity with the Tea-scented, being raised from the latter class ; 
to this section belongs the Cloth of Gold, Solfaterre, Clara Wendel, Lamarque, Triomphe de la Duchene, 
and many other very fine Roses. The second named, Solfaterre, is very little inferior to the Cloth of 
Gold, and was raised from the same parents. All this latter section requfre peculiar treatment, 
approaching-, iu some degree, to what we give the strong growing Tea-scented kinds ; whilst the former 
section of Noisettes will grow and flower with freedom, rambUng over walls or trellis- work, and in any 
soil tolerably rich. 
Let us examine the mode of growth of Tea-scented and also China Roses, and we shall see they 
differ very much from others. Nearly all the strong growing summer and climbing Roses, including 
one section of Noisettes, when they grow freely and produce strong luxuriant shoots, bloom indifferently ; 
indeed, these strong shoots we are speaking of, seldom or never produce flowers; not so with the Tea- 
scented and Chinas : the strong shoots bring forth invariably the finest blooms. Who has not noticed 
this with the common China on the cottage wall ? I have known gardeners, who have bedded out 
crimson and other China Roses, cut them down to the surface of the groand every spring, with the 
best result, as the plants grew freely, and bloomed finely afterwards. Again, all the Tea-scented and 
Chinas, which are budded during the summer and autumn, will, the foUowiug season after bemg headed- 
back, produce strong shoots terminated with beautiful heads of bloom. The finest blooms I have ever 
seen of Devoniensis, Adam, Bougere, and other fine Teas, have been grown in this way as well as the 
best Cloth of Gold, Solfaterre, and other Tea Noisettes. This all goes to show that the latter, together 
with Tea-scented, Chinas, &c., should be grown strong, free, and ^-igorous, in order to produce fine 
bloom. Indeed, under the starving system, many of these roses will scarcely bloom at all, and when 
they do, so poor and worthless are the fiowers, as, in many instances, not to be recognised as to what 
variety they belong to. Take, for instance, a Tea-scented or China Rose in spring, let it remain in the pot 
which it stood in dm-ing the previous winter, " not shifting," but giving a little pure water as it requu'es 
it, when summer and autumn come, what shall we have ? A plant ; true, but a wretched one, sickly in 
appearance, with a few miserable, pale, semi-double flowers ! How different from the bright rich 
colour, large size, fulness, and substance of petal which we find in the well grown plant. Let us now 
take the same plant in spring: if the head is large cut it freely, give it a liberal shift into good rich 
compost, and water ft-eely through summer with liquid manure, and what will he the result P Hand- 
some, vigorous plants, with lai'ge, rich, clear-coloured fiowers produced in profusion. 
We have been viewing the Tea-scented and Clunas growing under the star-s-ing system, and under 
better culture. Turn now to the Cloth of Gold, and its congeners, and we shall find the remarks I have 
been maldng as applicable in this case as in that. Under the starving system I have seen Cloth of 
Gold so semi-double, small, and worthless, that had I not been positive of its correctness, I should have 
questioned its identity ; it is also very shy in blooming under this system ; I have seen large plants 
which cover a considerable space of wall, stand year after year without producing a soHtary bloom. 
Why was this so ? The plants (like the Tea- scented and China Roses we have been speaking of) not 
growing strong and freely, having expended all their strength in covering the wall, grow slowly, pro- 
ducing no flowers, but the same sickly, stunted appearance which the Teas and Chinas do. I have 
^fej^i^: 
^it 
