54 
THE FLORIST. 
USEFUL GENERAL INFORMATION. 
I HAVE often thought that if horticulturists and florists would write 
their experience of plants, fruits, and vegetables, distinguishing experience 
from hearsay and reading, they would greatly advance the public 
interests; and I have further thought that it is the duty of those who 
take in publications that are good to recommend them to others. If 
each subscriber would enlist one more the publication would be doubled. 
I hope I have enlisted at least one for the Florist for the year 1861 ; 
and, if it is the duty of readers to do this, it is still more the duty of 
contributors to its pages to do so. 
A new Rose stock .—Some new standard Roses from Belgium have 
been sent to me by my friend Mr. John Milne, of Hull, which he 
purchased of the Belgian agent at Hull. The standards, rather over 
four feet, are six in number, and they are, for heads and roots, the best 
that I have ever planted. The Roses sent are two each of the following: 
Gloire de Dijon, Duchesse de Nemours, and Baronne Prevost. Mr. 
Milne in his letter says :—“ I beg to present you with some Roses on 
the new unknown stock. It is quite a mystery about here, and quite 
a curiosity. I saw the agent who brings it from Belgium: he will 
not tell what stock it is, consequently we shall be in the dark. I wish 
you may discern what the stock really is. I think it must be a rapid 
grower.” I cannot determine yet what it is for certainty. I am not 
quite clear that it is not Manetti; if it is, I shall be able to discover it 
by brood or branch. The roots are like a “wig,” and approach nearer 
to Manetti roots than to any I have seen. If it is Manetti, it will 
require “ special culture and special management; ” the bark must 
be kept open with a knife, the liead sealed, and the whole stock bandaged 
with something that will retain moisture during the droughty season 
of the year. For lack of this, Manetti standards have failed; the 
moisture is drawn from the skin, which is verv thick, and then it dries 
and cracks, but does not expand sufficiently for the expansion of the 
inner part of the stock* I hope, however, it may be some other stock. 
At present I cannot determine what it is; but this is certain, that, if 
it is Manetti, I shall be sure to know it when the time of growth sets 
in. The stock itself is not so smooth as the Briar, being rougher and 
more knotty; the skin of the stock is azure grey. The specimens 
presented have three good points, viz., good roots, good heads, and the 
Rose is budded into the main stock instead of the side branches. I 
have also here Mathurin Regnier, budded on the main stock of the 
Briar, and it succeeds admirably. With regard to this stock, I can 
now only wait for summer, saying “we shall see what we shall see.” 
I spoke of it in a preceding Florist, adding “ we shall all bite and be 
bit.” At present I am “not bit,” and hope my friend who has so 
kindly sent them to me may not find that he has suffered from Belgian 
teeth. Since writing to the above I have reviewed the stock again, 
and my present impression is that it is not Manetti. It is, I think. 
Cinnamon Rose much used by the Dutch. 
Roses of 1859.—Anna Alexieff and Eugene Appert for general 
cultivation and for most good qualities, as to plant, habit, and flower. 
