March 25, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
469 
winter and early spring months, and the flesh is of 
great depth and of good flavour. The accompany¬ 
ing illustration, for which we are indebted to Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, will give an idea of the 
general aspect of the fruits and the size of an average 
bunch. 
THE ROSERY. 
Dark Velvety Roses. 
The dark velvety-red Roses, with a deep shading of 
maroon, are probably the most popular colours of all 
among these favourite flowers. As it is not yet too 
late too plant, provided they be lifted at once and 
not allowed to remain out of the ground for any 
length of time, I will give a list of a few of our best 
varieties. All of these are much darker and intense 
than such generally well-known kinds as General 
Jacqueminot, Duke of Edinburgh, etc. To take them 
as nearly as possible in alphabetical order, we must 
start with 
it is a grand Rose both for garden and exhibition, 
being large, splendidly shaped, and very full. 
Fisher Holmes is one of our freest. The shape is 
good, of fair size, and a very valuable Rose. It is 
much eclipsed, however, by 
Victor Hugo, a Rose, introduced in 1885, and which 
has been exhibited in splendid form during the last 
two or three years. It may be briefly described as 
an improvement on the foregoing, both in size, form, 
and intensity of colour. 
Gloire de Duclier has a most decided deep purple 
tint, is large, a good flower, but not very free 
flowering. 
Grand Mogul and Jean Soupert are very similar. 
They are good in every respect, and well worthy to 
be included here. 
Horace Vcrnet and Xavier Olibo are a couple of 
Roses that are of no use except from an exhibitor’s 
point of view, and I would not advise their purchase 
with any other object. They are so constantly 
majority of those I name. It is certainly one of the 
most reliable Roses grown. 
Charles Wood must not be confused with Mrs. C. 
Wood. The former is a grand grower, and produces 
a fine shaped deep purple crimson bloom. 
Louis van Houtte does not transplant well, but when 
established it is one of our finest dark Roses. It is 
globular in form, of immense size, and occasionally 
peculiarly streaked with alternate red and maroon. 
Marquise d'Hervey, has not found much favour, but 
it is a grand grower and possesses an amount of 
purple seldom found in Roses. 
Countess of Oxford is the best of the smooth 
wooded Victor Verdier class of dark flowers. It is 
an excellent grower, and of beautiful cupped shape. 
Pierre Notting is peculiar ; it will grow and bloom 
splendidly in some localities and is a complete 
failure in others. Where it will thrive, it is one of 
the very best. 
Souvenir de Charles Montault, one of the earliest 
Tomato Lady Bird. 
ftoses we have, is unfortunately but little known, not¬ 
withstanding it has been in commerce since 1862. 
It is very free, both in flower and growth, every 
flower comes perfect, and it makes a grand button¬ 
hole variety. 
Sultan of Zanzibar is much best when cultivated on 
the seedling Briar. It may be described in the same 
terms as 
Reynolds Hole (Paul), both are grand Roses of the 
smooth wooded class, and have globular blooms, 
deep velvety crimson in the centre, with dark 
maroon shadings. I will conclude this list with 
Prince Arthur, a Rose that although thin in petal 
and not of such upright and strong growth as many, 
is still one of the finest Roses in this collect. • The 
flower is large, perfect in shape ; having that quilled 
centre so much sought after by rosarians. It is a 
deep, rich crimson, with maroon shadings. 
All of the above are good for the amateur to’ 
plant, except Horace Vernet, Xavier Olibo and 
Pierre Notting These are not suitable unless the 
district is peculiarly favourable to them.— Experience. 
Heliotropes —Where Heliotropes are grown in 
pots for the sake of rheir sweet-scented flowers in the 
conservatory, a batch of autumn-struck cuttings may 
now be potted off for that purpose. 
Abel Carriere, a splendid grower, with large flowers, 
having a fiery amaranth centre with dark maroon 
shadings. 
Duke of Connaught has particularly handsome 
foliage, grows well, and produces a fine-shaped 
bloom of fair size. A beautiful dark Rose of this 
colour. 
Earl of Duffcrin is a newer variety that has made a 
grand mark during the past three seasons. . It is an 
extraordinary grower, and the blooms are of immense 
size and substance. Colour, dark velvety crimson 
and maroon, with deep scarlet upon the reflexed 
edges of petals, which reflex in a peculiar and 
regular manner, while the centre of the flower is well 
built up and very full. 
Empereur de Maroc is an old garden favourite, and 
has been in commerce from 1859. I consider it the 
darkest Rose we have. It is small, but of perfect 
shape while young. A good grower and a free 
bloomer. 
Eugene Furst is another grand garden variety of 
the colour running throughout the whole of this list. 
Ferdinand des Lesscps has three or four synonyms; 
shown in such grand form that I feel this warning is 
necessary. 
Jean Clierpiil is a small Rose of good shape, very 
early and free. It is little grown, and I have not 
seen it in any Rose list for the past fifteen years. 
La Rosiere and Prince C. de Rohan are synonymous. 
The name really belongs to the latter, as having 
been introduced first. It is the best all round Rose 
of the dark maroons, good shape and size, always 
well coloured and not very liable to burn in bright 
sunshine, as are so many of the almost black Roses. 
Lord Macaulay , has a splendid dark velvety shading, 
is thoroughly distinct, but small and not of such 
robust constitution as might be desired. 
Charles Lefebvre is one of the most perfect Roses of 
the cupped type, it is a grand flower in every way, 
and may be thoroughly relied upon. 
Sir Roland Hill is a sport from this, and is the most 
distinct Rose grown. Its colour is dark port, with 
deeper purplish maroon shadings. It is not a fixed 
sport, and frequently reverts to the normal type. 
Madame Victor Verdier can hardly be left out of this 
list, but it is not so dark in its shadings as the 
