October 6, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
297 
T HE Crystal Palace Exhibition of the National Rose Society 
proved this year the most extensive the Society has yet held. 
On the other hand, the number of Roses tabulated for the purpose 
of this analysis is the smallest for six years. This apparent 
anomaly is, however, easily accounted for by the fact that at all 
previous Exhibitions four prizes in nearly all classes have been 
awarded, whereas this year there were but three prizes in each 
class. Consequently, as this analysis only concerns itself with 
those flowers which appear in prize stands the number at our 
disposal is considerably smaller than it otherwise would have 
been. 
The following statement gives the number of Roses noted 
down at each of the last seven Exhibitions, making a total of 
13,000 Rose blooms in all. 
1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 
Hybrid Perpetuals... 1038 1130 1247 1176 1396 1184 1121 
Teas and Noisettes... 509 642 854 778 631 662 554 
1547 1772 2101 1954 2027 1846 1675 
Owing to the early date (July 2nd) at which the Society’s 
Metropolitan Show was this year held, and the season being again 
a backward one, the late flowering varieties are once more placed 
at a certain disadvantage in the analysis. The influence of the 
seasons has not, I find, so serious an effect on the relative positions 
occupied by the different varieties as might be supposed. No doubt 
the reason of this is that unless the summer prove exceptionally 
backward there are sure to be certain districts where even the later 
flowering Roses are in bloom on the day of “ the National,” and it 
is of course from these favoured spots in the south of England that 
on such occasions a large number of the blooms in the prize stands 
invariably come. Nevertheless, in order to obtain strictly com¬ 
parable results it is very desirable that the early and late summers 
should be as equally balanced as possible. 
The established varieties among the Hybrid Perpetuals which 
were more frequently shown this year than at any of the six 
previous Exhibitions were La France, Charles Lefebvre, Etienne 
Levet, Duke of Wellington, Le Havre, and Yictor Hugo. Madame 
G. Luizet, A. K. Williams, Marquise de Castellane, Baroness 
Rothschild (one of the latest flowering of all the H.P.’s), Dupuy 
Jamain, Heinrich Schultheis, Fisher Holmes, and Comte Raimbaud 
were also considerably above the average. On the contrary, Marie 
Baumann, Franfois Michelon, Captain Christy, Alfred Colomb, 
Marie Yerdier, Comtesse d'Oxford, Xavier Olibo, Beauty of 
Waltham, Madame Y. Yerdier, and Marie Cointet were all very 
indifferently represented. Marie Baumann, usually regarded as 
the most certain exhibition flower of all the H.P.’s, was this year 
staged less frequently than at any of the six preceding Shows. 
Although there are about seventy varieties on the list of Hybrid 
Perpetuals only four of them are less than six years old—viz., 
Mrs. J. Laing, Earl of Dufferin, Jeannie Dickson, and Gustave 
Piganeau. Of these Mrs. John Laing, which was sent out in 1887, 
takes a very high position, already standing at No. 3 in the analysis. 
Last year it was also at No. 3, but its claim to that position only 
rested on its record for a single show, whereas now it has been 
made dependent, and I think more correctly, upon the average 
No. 641 .—Vol. XXV., Third Series. 
number of times it appeared in prize stands at the last three 
exhibitions. This year it was staged oftener than any other 
Rose whatever in the Show. It is light pink in colour, and if that 
light pink were only somewhat clearer in tint and its petals 
smoother at the edges than they generally come, it would be as 
nearly as possible a perfect H.P. ; indeed, there are few varieties, 
old or new, possessing as many good qualities. Earl of Dufferin is 
another 1887 Rose, and, like Mrs. J. Laing, was also raised in the 
British Isles. This deep crimson variety has but slightly improved 
on its last year’s position, rising only from No. 38 to No. 35. But 
then it must be remembered that it comes into flower rather late in 
the season, and consequently has been placed at a disadvantage the 
last two years. Gustave Piganeau, No. 46, introduced in 1889 and 
making its first appearance on the list this year, promises to be a 
high class exhibition Rose. On maiden plants it has proved itself 
very dependable, and should it turn out to be a sufficiently strong 
grower on cutbacks, which at present appears doubtful, it is likely 
at no distant date to rise to one of the leading positions in the 
analysis. Jeannie Dickson, No. 42, was first distributed in 1890, and, 
like Earl of Dufferin, was raised by Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons of 
Belfast. The flower is a very distinct shade of rose pink, and con¬ 
sidering the short time this variety has been out has been well 
shown. It may be mentioned in passing that the same firm this 
year received the gold medal of the National Rose Society at 
Chester for a charming Rose of a very similar colour, entitled 
Mrs. W. J. Grant, which, judging from the blooms then exhibited, 
may be best described as an improved Jeannie Dickson. It will be 
interesting to watch the progress of this promising new Rose in 
future issues of our analysis. It may, however, be a year or two 
before we see Mrs. W. J. Grant again, as the stock of it is stated 
to have been purchased by an American. 
The Teas, which at the last Exhibition distinguished themselves 
by appearing in more prize stands than at any other show of the 
series, were Souvenir d’Elise Yardon, Madame de Watteville, 
Madame Cusin, and Princess of Wales. Innocente Pirola, Marechal 
Niel, Hon. Edith Gifford, and Anna Ollivier were also exceptionally 
well shown. As regards Marechal Niel we have to go back to the 
1887 Exhibition in order to find so many blooms of this variety 
at a National Show ; in fact, this year there were only two other 
Teas or Noisettes as numerously shown. On the other hand, 
Souvenir d’un Ami and Madame Lambard were never before so 
poorly represented, while Marie Yan Houtte and Jean Ducher 
were also very scantily exhibited. 
Our list of Tea and Noisette Roses is gradually being extended, 
five fine varieties having been added to it during the last few 
years. First comes The Bride, a nearly white sport from Catherine 
Mermet, which we received from America in 1885, and which 
since last year has risen from No. 5 to No. 3 in the analysis, being 
bracketed with Comtesse de Nadaillac. This year it was staged 
more frequently than any other Tea Rose in the Show. It may 
here be mentioned that there is another sport from Catherine 
Mermet little grown at present, but which will no doubt before 
long also secure a good position on the list, and that is a deep pink 
one called Waban, also an importation from America. Madame 
Hoste (No. 26), distributed in 1887, is a lemon-yellow variety. 
For some reason it has scarcely improved on its last year’s form, 
but nevertheless is such a good Rose that it is pretty certain 
sooner or later to take a higher place. To the year 1888 we are 
indebted for a remarkably fine new Tea, I need scarcely say that 
I refer to Ernest Metz. It is salmon rose in colour, and appears 
in the analysis for the first time at No. 21. The long-budded pale 
pink Cleopatra, sent out in 1889, rises from No. 31 in last year’s 
list to No. 17 in the present one, and was surprisingly well 
shown at the last Exhibition. Souvenir de S. A. Prince, a white 
sport from Souvenir d’un Ami, like the variety from which it 
originated, was less frequently to be seen this year than at any 
previous show. Nevertheless it is a Rose which has wonderfully 
No. 2297— Vol. LXXXVII., Old Series. 
