896 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 2, 1893 
ground with a Picotee edging of mauve purple, and in every way an 
extra fine flower. 
Parsifid. —A German variety of a rich rose tinted chocolate colour 
with a lemon base in each petal, of large size and very fine quality ; a 
great acquisition and quite distinct. 
Queen Boadicea (Simonite).—Bright light yellow ground with wire 
edge of bri.eht scarlet, slightly barred ; a pretty flower. 
Itosalinde (Denary).—Beautiful deep yellow ground colour with a 
medium Picotee edging of rosy purple, a very attractive flower, and has 
been greatly admired. 
Undine (Denary).—White ground, barred half way down the petals 
with greyish rose ; a large and very distinct flower. 
Von Benningsen (Denary).—Although not quite new it is as yet very 
little known ; brilliant in colour, orange ground marked with brightest 
scarlet. 
William Breer. —Very bright rich salmon tinted ground colour with 
carmine markings. 
It will thus be seen by the list I have given that there is almost a 
plethora of new varieties, although several of the German varieties of 
1893 are passed over. I have seen all those described above, but there are 
still several other fine kinds being introduced. Mr. Dodwell has some, 
and Mr, Douglas, Mr. Turner, Mr. Chaundy and others have new kinds 
which I have not seen. It is quite evident that our English florists are 
well ahead in hybridising and raising, and that other very fine varieties 
are forthcoming. Some varieties, both old and new, will have to be 
thrown out of collections, for not one cultivator in a hundred could 
give time and room to so many new sorts as I have named, in addition 
to the best older favourite varieties. In Mr. Turner’s stand at Birming¬ 
ham there was a fine yellow-ground variety named Adeld, pale cream 
edged with scarlet; and Miss Proctor, creamy buff striped with bright 
scarlet, both fine. 
In seifs Rose Wynne has fine petal and form ; Rose Unique, bright 
light rose, fine broad smooth petal and of very fine form ; King of 
Scarlets is an extra fine bright scarlet; and Justinian, a lively light pink 
self, is pretty, but is not turning out to be an acquisition.—W. D. 
Hybrid Briar Roses. 
Is Mr. David K. Williamson as accurate as he usually is in his 
statement (page 384) that Lord Penzance’s hybrids are from “ the wild 
Roses of the woodlands ? ” I do not know whether the Sweet Briar comes 
under this poetical description, but I believe Lord Penzance’s hybridisa¬ 
tion experiments have been mostly, if not entirely, in connection with 
the scented variety of the Briar. I understand these hybrid Sweet Briars 
will not be distributed till the autumn of 1894, so it will be some time 
before rosarians will be in the possession and enjoyment of them. Their 
names will please the Scotsmen, as they comprise such celebrities 
as Amy Robsart, Anne of Gierstein, Lucy Ashton, and other well known 
heroines of the Wizard of the North.— Charles J. Grahame, 
Croydon. 
Autumnal Roses, 
Every Hybrid Perpetual Rose should bloom well in the autumn to be 
worthy of its name. Nevertheless it cannot be denied that there are 
many admirable varieties, supposed to be perpetual, which, during the 
months of September and October, produce an insignificant number of 
remarkably small-sized blooms. In the summer they are exceedingly 
prolific ; probably at that period, inspired by the strong sunlight, they 
attempt too much ; in the autumn they have the aspect of having been 
utterly exhausted by their previous exertions, Charles Lefebvre, for 
example, which produced in July a succession of truly magnificent Roses, 
bloomed during the autumn with manifest difficulty ; his Lilliputian 
productions could only be regarded as lamentable miscarriages by those 
who had witnessed his earlier achievements. The cool season, so 
eminently favourable to the preservation of his complexion, deprives 
him of half his normal strength. On the other hand, such varieties as 
the Pride of Waltham, Crown Prince, Ella Gordon, Magna Charta, 
which is, like its namesake, a “perpetual” possession; Prince Arthur, 
and his venerable parent G^nfiral Jacqueminot, Mr. Cranston’s Crimson 
Bedder, likewise La France, Victor Hugo, and Augustine Guinoisseau, 
have been of late in my own garden remarkably fine. 
The largest individual Rose I have seen this year I found blooming 
yesterday (October 20th) on Baroness Rothschild. Had it only been 
fragrant I would have attached more importance to its splendour of 
colouring and marvellous dimensions ; but the imperial Rose in question 
is scentless. The same applies to the White Baroness and the 
stately Merveille de Lyon. Magna Charta, described by the Dean of 
Rochester as almost a summer variety, is, nevertheless, according to my 
own experience, a splendid autumn Rose, and as much may be asserted 
of that veritable Queen of the Hybrid Perpetuals, Mrs. John Laing, 
But from this special point of view by far the most valuable Roses are 
XT j ps^rticularly such specimens as Ernest Metz, Comtesse de 
p 1 Gifford, Marie Van Houtte, Etoile de Lyon, 
Perle des Jardins, and Belle Lyonaisse. In power of productiveness 
even the most prolific of the Hybrid Perpetuals must suffer considerably 
when compared with these. How beautiful, beyond all artistic deline¬ 
ation,’ are their infinitely varied, yet marvellously harmonising hues ! 
In them the evanescent colours of the rainbow, of the sunrise and the 
sunset, are gloriously combined.— David R. Williamson. 
Rose Analysis, 1886—1893. 
Mr. Grahame says that he is a “ business man.” But surely it is 
a very unbusinesslike proceeding for one man to condemn the work of 
another in such a high-handed and reckless fashion as he has mine 
(page 384) without adducing a single particle of evidence in support of 
the theory he has advanced against it. Mr. Grahame asserts that the 
crude figures should rule the analysis throughout. But this only shows 
how little knowledge he has of even the elementary principles which 
should guide anyone dealing with facts such as those I had at my 
disposal for the purposes of my last Rose analysis. For instance, I take 
up the first work of reference that comes to hand, “ Chambers’ Encyclo¬ 
pedia,” and at the end of a short article on “ Statistics ” I find the 
following appropriate words of caution, “ The frequent connection of 
statistics with political theories renders it important to guard against 
premature statistical conclusions, of which two very fertile sources 
are calculations from an insufficient number of data, and neglect to 
make allowance for disturbing causes." 
Had Mr. Grahame been specially trained, as years of meteorological 
w'ork have trained me, for this particular kind of investigation, he 
would know that there is a very great difference indeed between 
making due and proper allowances for such disturbing causes, and 
altering facts to suit preconceived theories as Mr. Grahame clearly 
infers I have done. It is, I conclude, owing to his inability to appre¬ 
ciate the wide distinction between these two methods that he fails to 
understand the serious nature of the charge he has made against me. 
The fact is, what is wanted above everything else in all investigations 
of this character, is not so much the actual figures themselves as that 
the results given should be made as comparable as circumstances will 
allow. Now I have no theories whatever of my own which I wish to 
thrust upon the readers of the Jouryial of Ilortieulture in framing these 
analyses, my only object being to make the materials at my disposal 
tell their own tale. This they would fail to tell truly in many 
cases owing to the disturbing causes mentioned on page 358, 
but fair and impartial allowances having been .made for them, 
the averages when calculated are considered ready for insertion in the 
printed analysis. If I were to give in every case the crude results I 
should not be guiding, but on the contrary be often misleading your 
readers. 
Mr. Grahame considers that had I more data each year to go upon 
the results would come out differently. Possibly this might be the 
case to a certain extent, but so consistent are the records from year to 
year that 1 cannot think the relative positions of the different varieties 
in the tables would be in any way seriously affected. Moreover, there 
are several grave objections to adopting such a course now. In the first 
place the data would not be obtained entirely from the same unexcep¬ 
tional sources—only prize stand blooms being now admissible. Then, 
again, the records would not be strictly comparable with those 
secured under the system adopted during the past eight years. Besides 
which I am afraid I should have to give up the work altogether through 
want of adequate leisure to carry it on satisfactorily. Looking as 
impartially as it is possible for a compiler to do upon one of his own 
bantlings, I must say I cannot help feeling proud of this last Rose 
analysis of mine. 1, The sources from which the data are obtained are 
beyond question, being the unconscious contributions of all our leading 
rosarians throughout the country. 2, Now that I have comparable 
results for eight years before me I begin to see how the figures obtained 
each year support and confirm one another. This, indeed, is my 
greatest source of satisfaction, for had my method of analysis been 
unsound this could not possibly have been the case, considering the 
different dates at which our National Show is held, and the varying 
nature of Rose seasons.—E. M., Berlihamsted. 
[Mr. Mawley’s records, on which the results as representing the 
actual relative differences in value of the varieties enumerated, have 
been submitted to us, and we are able to say that the conclusions 
arrived at are not founded on individual fancy, but on actual figures, 
these figures representing accomplished facts ; the final issue, there¬ 
fore, though it may appear arbitrary, is mathematically correct as 
deduced from the compilations over a series of years. One of the 
leading statisticians in London has also examined the records, and he 
finds the deductions from them are true according to the elaborate 
and, we must add, laborious system adopted in their preparation. We 
have no hesitation in expressing our appreciation of the painstaking 
manner which Mr. Mawley adopts in the preparation of his valuable 
analyses as applied to Roses, Chrysanthemums, and Dahlias.] 
Roses and Oysters. 
It may seem a far cry from Roses to oysters—from the choicest 
gems of earth to the most valued treasures of the ocean. Certainly 
some Roses are said to have shell petals, and both Roses and oysters 
require a well regulated supply of water, although neither may care to 
drink the special beverage of the other one, otherwise they would appear 
to have no resemblance or tastes in common. However, when attend¬ 
ing the Mayor’s oyster feast which was held with all due pomp and 
ceremony in the Corn Exchange, Colchester, I had an opportunity of 
judging bow under certain favourable circumstances it was possible for 
