La France. H. Tea. (1867.) This is the first Hybrid Tea variety, which 
alone, should justify a place of honor in every rose garden. But La France needs no 
historical interest to merit that honor—the large, very double, silvery pink blooms, 
delightfully fragrant, are reason enough. We quote again from Mrs. Keays in “Old 
Roses” —"With pleasure we relate the ancestry of this lovely forerunner of a great 
class, a rose which ‘has staying powers which in horses and athletes win the race, 
says Dean Hole. From various sources we gather the story that Mme. Bravy, a 
Tea rose of 1848, cream white, large and full, symmetrical and fragrant, beautiful 
and much admired, was pollenized with Mme. Victor Verdier, a Hybrid Perpetual 
of 1863, carmine-crimson, large and full, fragrant and of globular shape, considered 
outstanding in that class of superb roses. The result was La France.” This fine 
old rose is especially beautiful in climbing form. 
From the ‘Heart of a Garden,” by Rosamund Marriott Watson, we quote— 
Brave in bright rose and silver, and scented like the gardens of Hesperides, that 
favored plot which contains my many bushes of LaFrance is a place whereby to 
linger and give thanks. There are moments when I stay, loitering in the late blue 
twilight, to wonder whether there is any one of the pink roses quite so well-worth 
growing.” — Both bush and climbers available—please specify. 1.75 
Lamarque. Noisette (1830.) Again, Rosamund Marriott Wat- 
son, writing from London in 1905, tells the story far better than could we—“This 
first summer month that brings the rose has brought an unaccustomed wealth of 
bloom to that little known and half-forgotten masterpiece, my Lamarque, of 
whose possession I am, perhaps, not unjustly vain. The merit, however, of setting 
it where it still glorifies the worn stone coping of the ancient red brick wall belongs 
not to me, but to some beneficent Unknown, who planted roses some seventy years 
since. I would I might leave behind as sweet a monument. The flowers are of the 
purest white—the dense white of the water-lily, and their great moon-pale cups lie 
open wide, like marble blossoms carved in low relief, exhaling an exquisite odor. 
Think of the mingled virtues of lily and rose in one, and you may forshadow some 
dim likeness of the Lamarque, should you not be so fortunate as to know it already.” 
After such word music as this, think I will buy one myself. 175 
La Rubanee. (Village Maid) Gallica (1845.) | Says famous authority, 
William Paul, writing from England, 1903—“T he flowers of Village Maid are white, 
striped with rose and purple, the stripes varying in breadth, sometimes the one and 
sometimes the other colour predominating. They are large and full, cupped and 
very pleasing.” 1.75 
Little Compton Creeper. Brownell (1938.) Garden Notes — “Cer- 
tainly a ground cover, shooting long canes in all directions. Foliage rather small, 
glossy, lettuce-green—tendency to turn autumnal on the older wood, with pleasing 
effect. Blooms mostly in singles, about 3 inches, 5 petals. Color rose with lighter 
centers and prominent stamens. Petals of good substance, maintaining nice form 
until shatters. Looks mighty good!” 1.75 
Lorraine Lee. H.Gigantea. (1924.) A very vigorous, free and recurrent 
blooming climber, producing well-formed double blooms in rich shades of rose, 
apricot and pink. Foliage especially glossy and handsome. We are glad to have this 
outstanding climber back on our list. 1.50 
—a 
Flowers have their moods of happiness and sorrow and their time 
of sleep. 
—YUAN CHUNGLANG, 16TH CENTURY 
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