China about the year 1810, and since then, by carefully hybri¬ 
dizing, a large number of varieties have been obtained. Many 
of these, though much lauded in their day, have passed out of 
growth, having given way to better and more vigorous kinds, 
for, as it is well known, this is the most difficult of all the 
groups to grow; at least some of the varieties are. We must, 
however, except such Eoses as Gloire de Dijon , which is with¬ 
out doubt one of the hardiest Eoses grown, having stood the 
severe winter of 1860-61, when all other Eoses were utterly 
destroyed. They are not, of course, so difficult to manage in 
the south of England as further north, but even there they are 
better for being planted against a wall with a southerly aspect, 
in which situation they will grow and bloom to perfection. As 
pot Eoses, they are perhaps unequalled, certainly not surpassed; 
but where a house can be devoted to them, by planting some 
in the borders, and allowing the more vigorous ones to climb 
up the pillars, we know of nothing, notwithstanding the want 
of brilliancy in their tints, that can very well equal them. 
The more general method of growing them is in pots, and 
we have found during the summer that no place is better adapted 
to their growth than a tiffany-house: the shade is grateful to 
the tender shoots, which are apt to get scorched, and in boiste¬ 
rous situations (such as our own) to be bruised very much by 
the wind. In winter they will require the protection of glass. 
The past two years have not been so prolific in Tea-Eoses as 
former ones, La Boule d' Or, Triomphe de Guillotjils , and Gloire 
de Bordeaux being, with Comtesse Ouvaroff, ' the main acquisi¬ 
tions. The first, though beautiful in colour, is difficult (at least 
in this country, and also in some parts of France) to open; the 
second we have not seen; while the last, a seedling from Gloire 
de Dijon , promises to be as vigorous as its parent, the colour, 
peculiar, a sort of lilac-purple with the inside of the petals 
silvery-white, giving it a very curious appearance. 
Comtesse Ouvaroff, the subject of our present Plate, is a fine 
erect-flowering Eose, somewhat of the character of Souvenir 
Bun Ami , differing from it however in the manner of carrying 
its flowers; most of the Tea-scented Eoses, owing to the slender 
nature of their footstalks and the weight of their flowers, 
throwing the blooms down. In colour it is a beautiful soft- 
shaded rose; but no description can give so good an idea of it 
as Mr. Andrews’s faithful portrait. 
