Kbbbcaet 22,1913. 
133 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
Roses. 
THE ROYAL NURSERIES, WALTHAM 
CROSS. 
For fully half a century tlie extensive nur¬ 
series that were formed at Waltham Cross by 
the late Mr. William Paul have eujoyed a 
fame that is w’orld-wdde as a home of the 
rose in its diversity of form and colour. 
The traditions of Messrs. William Paul and 
Sou and the splendid work that is at the 
present time being* accomplished, under the 
direction of Mr. Arthur W. Paul, in tlie de¬ 
velopment of roses fully justify the high 
estimation in which the firm is held by all 
classes of rosarians. Here have been raised 
large numbers of varieties, high in quality 
and of surpassing beauty; and here are 
grown, in their hundreds of thousands, and 
with a high degree of success all roses of 
merit, without reference to the place or coun¬ 
try of thei.r origin. Necessarily, the varie¬ 
ties raised by the firm occupy large areas, 
lor their qualities obtain for them a high 
degree of popularity, and consequently a 
large demand, but all would appear to be 
regarded with a similar degree of favour 
**!?? numbers proportionate to 
tbeir merits. As one walks through the vast 
quarters devoted to roses, enjoying the 
distinctive charms of the many hundreds of 
'arieties growing therein, and taking note of 
rj»e splendid development of the plants, 
J lere is no difficulty in understanding why 
' e nurseries should have become famous at 
ome and abroad in connection with the 
‘■«lt of the rose. 
rhe roses unquestionably fully deserve 
v nr that has by common con- 
them in association with 
activities of the firm, but they do not by 
T features of the 
therTr' ii U or roses, and 
movll of“ft ^ A roit the re- 
b-inv in. dominant influence would 
'iruls ft? collections of trees and 
l»bit rheir charm of 
'"f bianjifln’are of special value 
aroasiderfw 5 aad deserving of 
"f oraamentll ‘’1 attention. The vllue 
W long been 
wmembers with Cross, and the writer 
'‘•'■m that w^^ P'.«as'*re the two lectures on 
Paul 1 *1^ late Mr. Wil- 
Oxfon’in ?<^n*^®3^?''l““ltoral Congress 
two years l^e*^ the other at Birraing- 
“*W»g thl fen.. t remembers also 
1"^ th! «t Waltham Cross- 
"1 'l>e mosflla®!-?^ t-®T‘^®’'“l>l« “amber 
Tears avo wer n ’*1 .^®ds that some thirty 
**'*«ral'bodv of P^^otically unknown to the 
T*'" ''evond^thi^h^^T’ -^^"^ '1*^®“ seldom 
•'shments whr~. * loading trade estah- 
f^rwries’ speckl these 
and sh^ubs^ Onrortl.*f 1" 
•J'cli intersects +t.,rn 11"® broad walks 
rdher side bv “ursenes is flanked on 
'‘'genumberJoT^*'^fi*®tl*?'? ®Prcimens of 
«am nat on „? «”<! ® 1®!' 
T®*!’ durinw til * H"®®®. note-book in 
**;>rd mne7pllL®„!7“®r season, would 
J'borescent anT^bv„^ I*"®®® mterested in 
'onsiderahle ^ueati* vegetation, and 
less ,»« A value, 
by fruif^tr^* ®*^®“® occu- 
freedom ts T" 
the^r ^^ral ki^ 
«iind leaves grown, and 
advantage 
These points have 
been mentioned because in this relatively 
brief reference to the activities at Waltham 
Cross, it will not be possible to do much 
beyond passing under review the more uote- 
In the examination of a list of the roses 
that have been raised and distributed by the 
firm during the past fifty years, one is im¬ 
pressed by the staying powers of a consider¬ 
able proportion of the varieties. This point 
is of interest as showing that from the first 
the firm fully appreciated the importance of 
roses having a good constitution and bloom¬ 
ing freely, as well as producing flowers of 
high quality. That it was regarded as essen¬ 
tial to differentiate between roses required 
for exhibition and for garden decoration is 
ROSE OPHELIA. 
A beautiful hybrid tea, raised and introduced by Messrs. William Paul and Son. 
flowers are of large size, and the colour salmon-flesh shaded rose. 
worthy of the roses that have been raised by 
the firm. Without some such intimation the 
impression may be unintentionally given that 
the nurseries are almost exclusively devoted 
to roses instead of containing, as is the 
case, collections on a large scale of the more 
important classes of fruit trees, ornamental 
trees and shrubs, and hardy plants. 
made sufficiently evident by the following 
extract from the catalogue of roses issued in 
1884: “It should be borne in mind that the 
exhibition roses, which are constantly before 
the public, in print, and at the flower shows 
are not always the best for garden ornamen¬ 
tation, or for the general purposes of house 
decoration, as such varieties often bloom 
