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[Begin Page: Page 423]
June 17, 1899.]
THE GAEDEX.
423
Rose Garden.
THE WILD ROSES.
In dealing with Roses as a whole one is im-
pressed chiefly with the vastness uf the sub-
ject. In all the range of cultivated plantsthere is no genus more confusing in its spe-
cies, its varieties, and even its nomencla-
ture. Many of the species have been cul-
tivated for centuries by civilised nations and
have broken into endless variations ; even in a
wild state they hybridise freely. Mr. W. Paul,
best worth growing for their beauty, grace andfragrance.
In writing about most hardy trees and
shrubs one is continually wondering and ex-
pressing one's wonder how it is that such
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and such plants are "not more grown." I
really think that in no department of the
garden is so little advantage taken of the
splendid material at hand as among the hardy
trees and shrubs. The wild types of Rosa areno exception. I am afraid, indeed, they are
held rather in scorn by some. At any rate, they
have been to a great extent overlooked and ne-
Bosa repens {syn,, B. arvensis).
in the last edition of his " Rose Garden,"describes upwards of one thousand Hybrid Per-
petual and Tea Roses alone. An ordinary life-
time would not be too long to devote to the
thorough monographing of the genus Rosa. In
approaching the subject in a short paper, one
has either to confine one's self to some small
branch of it, or merely skim over the whole.The former appears tu be the more useful
course, and I propose now to devote a few notes
to drawing attention to what I consider the
best of the wild species and varieties looked
upon as purely garden plants in other words.
glected. This, no doubt, is partly because the
best sorts are not well known many of themdo not lend themselves to exhibition but more
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perhaps because the wonderful beauty of the
Tea Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals, and others ofthat stamp have eclipsed their more modest
attractions. Probably the commonest criticism
respecting them is that they ilower for a com-paratively short time and only once a year.
There is no gainsaying this, but if we are going
to exclude all plants from our gardens that
flower but once a year we shall not have many; left. What we have to do is to consider them
on their own merits and not in comparison with
other Roses, and I am certain there are few
hardy shrubs whose grace, beauty and fragrance
surpass those of the best species of Rose. To
the beauty of the flowers of many species thatof the fruits also has to be added.
It is probable that in no well-known genus
does the estimate of the number of species vary
so much as in this. By some authorities it is
placed as low as thirty ; one author, however,
estimated the number of species at 250. As
species are reckoned now-a-days, there areprobably not many more than seventy of them.
In a wild state they are confined to the northern
hemisphere. They are most abundant in cool
temperate latitudes or altitudes, but some occur
in warm temperate regions. The great majority
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of the species are hardy in Britain, and the
greater part of those that need greenhouse
treatment are not of great value, chiefly because
they do not flower well. It is with the hardy
ones only that I am going to concern myselfnow.
Clltivation. As a whole these plants are of
the simplest cultivation. A loamy soil such as
suits the garden types suits them, although, of
course, it need not be quite so rich. The Scotch
or Burnet Rose (Rosa spinosissima) is to someextent an exception in not requiring a soil of
more than moderate richness. Such pruning
as is necessary is of quite a difi'erent kind to
that practised on the Hybrid Perpetuals. It
is chiefly a matter of thinning. Little or no
shortening of the I growths should be done, but
the older, worn-out stems may be removedwith a view to letting light and air into the
bushes and giving them possibly a lighter and
more graceful aspect. These wild Roses are of
two types of growth the one rambling or
climbing, the other bushy and more or less
erect and sturdy. The climbing species, like
the Ayrshire and American Prairie Roses, can
be used for the same purposes to which mosthardy climbers are put. In the open ground
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(away, that is, from walls, pergolas, etc.) a
good plan is to train them up three stakes putup pyramid fashion. These stakes should be,
it possible, rough, crooked branches of Oak, up
which the shoots may be loosely tied at first,but afterwards allowed to grow as freely as
they like. The positions in which the more
free-growing of these Roses (either climbing or
bushy) are seen to best advantage are thosewhere the plants can be allowed pretty much
their own way. They appeal to us most when
we see them as they are in Nature, growing
without restraint, and rambling over banks or
mounds, or even other shrubs. The stronger-
growing ones, therefore, are good for the wilder
parts of the garden. They are not suitable forsmall, trimly-kept beds or restricted borders,
and may indeed be said very often to appear
to best advantage in those positions worst
adapted for the purely garden types. With
regard to
Propagation, layering is the surest method.
I do not remember that it has failed with anyspecies or variety on which I have tried it. For
such Roses as R. lutea (the Austrian Brier
group) it is the only way to readily get them
on their own roots, for this and some other of
the Roses mentioned below are not easy to
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raise from cuttings. Still, on the other hand,
a good number can be increased by cuttings.
The best time to put them in is during July or
early August, using the better ripened portions
of the current season's shoots. They like aveiy gentle bottom-heat. Seeds, of course, are
produced by many species and can be used, but
where several species are grown together they
are very liable to hybridise, and some of the
[Begin Page: Page 424]
424
THE GARDEN.
[June 17, 1899
best do not ripen seed here. There are some
species, as, for example, the Scotch Rose and
its varieties, R. lucida, R. Carolina, &c., which
can, by merely dividing the plants, be increasedquickly enough to meet the needs of most
gardens.
Of the sixty or so species of Rosa in cultiva-
tion, there are naturally a good many that have
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no particularly distinctive qualities. Half a
dozen American Roses could be mentioned
which are so much alike in their general aspect,
that for ordinary gardens one species might
well represent the lot. In the following notesI propose only to mention such species as
possess an individuality of their own, and which
collectively may be taken to represent the
genus in all its leading forms, so far, that is, as
we are concerned from a purely horticultural
standpoint. Some of these species have been
cultivated for so long a period, and have variedand cross-bred so much, that they may now be
considered as constituting each a group of the
genus rather than as a single species.
I. Bush Roses.
R. ALBA is a Rose that is not known to be truly
indigenous anywhere, but which, although nowgrowing wild in Central Europe, is considered to
have been originally an escape from gardens. It
is in all probability a hybrid between R. gallica
and R. canina. The typical R. alba is a robust
Rose of free growth with large white flowers-
one of the prettiest of single Roses.
R. ALPiNA. This, the type of the 'BoursaultRose, is chiefly remarkable for its smooth, shin-
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ing stems, very often entirely without spines
except when young. It grows 4 feet to5 feet high, and has rosy pink flowers followed
by orange-red, pendent, often curiously elon-
gated fruits. It is a native of the mountainousparts of Central Europe.
R. CAROLINA (Swamp Rose). For forming low,
dense thickets this is one of the best of wildRoses. It grows 4 feet to feet high, its
erect stems being armed with curved prickles.
The flowers are of a deep purplish rose and very
fragrant. It is a North American species, and
spreads rapidly in cultivated ground by its under-
ground rhizomes. The variety Nuttalliana is an
improvement on the type, the flowers beinglarger and produced later in the year up to
September.
R. LUCIDA is another American species of a
very similar type to the preceding. Like R.
Carolina, it forms a dense mass of erect stems,
but they diSer in being dwarfer and in being
armed with bristles rather than spines. Theleaves are also more glossy. There is a double-
flowered variety (flore-pleno) whose flowers arc
very pretty, especially in the bud state.
R. FERRUGINEA (or rubrifolia) is nearly allied
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to the common Dog Rose, but is distinguished by
its reddish purple stems and leaves. It is pretty
at this season of the year, and is useful for plant-
ing in a mass for colour effect.
R. iiisi'iDA. Closely allied to the Scotch Rose
is R. hispida. There is a mystery as to the
origin of this plant. It has been described as a
native of North America, but none of the later
North American " Floras " include it. It has
also been described as Siberian, whilst Mr.
Nicholson puts it down as of garden origin. Ithink the probability is that it is a wild plant,
because it has come true from seed, a rare thing
with hybrids. Its habit is that of a strong Scotch
Rose and its flowers are of a lovely soft yellow.
It gets to be .5 feet or feet high.
R. INDICA and its varieties are the source, orpartly the source, whence many of the best and
loveliest of garden Roses have been derived.
Most important of these are the Tea Roses, whose
delightful fragrance, delicate colours and habit, of
flowering late in the season are giving them a
greater popularity every year. Thev originate
from R. indica var. odorata. The China Roses
come from R. indica also. Crossed with R. mos-
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chata it has produced the Noisette Roses, and
crossed with R. damascena or R. gallica theBourbon Roses. As we get back to the pure R.
indica we find the plants rather tender, as, for
instance, many of the 'pure Teas, R. indica var.sanguinea, &c. But with a light covering most
of them are only cut back to the ground even in
bad winters. Some of the semi-double or single
varieties, such as sanguinea and diversifolia, areamong the deepest and richest coloured of all
Roses. Botanically interesting, although of no
decorative value, is the green-flowered Rose, a
variety of K. indica we call monstrosa.
R. LUTE A. The Austrian Briers, which are all
forms of Rosa lutea, make a very charminggroup, the colours of their flowers being some of
the very rarest among Roses. They are either of
a rich yellow or of a very distinct coppery
colour. Two varieties, the Persian Yellow
and Harrisoni, are double flowered. Unfor-
tunately, the Austrian Briers do not succeed to
perfection near London, more especially the
copper-coloured ones. The species is a native ofAsia Minor, Persia, &c., and has been known in
this country for more than 300 years. It is said
never to bear seed in a wild state, and I have
noticed that in trying to cross it with other Roses
it is very difficult to get pollen. Lord Penzance,
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however, succeeded in fertilising the Sweet Brier
with it, and thus obtained the most beautiful and
striking of the Penzance Briers.
R. MiCRopHYLLA is a Chinese species allied toR. rugosa. It is a sturdy bush, noteworthy for
its large yellowish, very prickly fruits. Its stems,
on the other hand, have very few prickles, and
they are also distinguished by the peeling, loose
bark. The flowers are delicate rose, not very
large, but extremely fragrant. When it is in
bloom, the bees and flies swarm more to this Rosethan any other. I have never raised this species
true from seed although I have tried several
times. It was rarely that even a seed germi-
nated, and those that did have all produced plants
that have proved to be crosses. It can be in-
creased by layers. There is a variety with double
flowers (flore pleno) in cultivation. There is atKew a singularly fine hybrid Rose sent by M. de
Vilmorin. It is this species crossed with R.
rugosa, and the flowers, which are of a lively
rose, are larger than those of any single Rose I
have seen, being about ."5 inches across.
R. roMiFERA (the Apple Rose). Among the
Roses which claim our notice for the beauty ofthe fruits, none surpasses this old but neglected
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species. It is worth growing for their sake alone.
Each fruit is 1 inch to IJ inches long, apple orsometimes pear-shaped, covered with bristles and
surmounted by a crown of large glandular sepals.
The colour is a bright red. This species isEuropean, but does not appear to be British, as
it was at one time thought to be. Nearly allied
to R. pomiferais
R. MOLLIS, which has somewhat similar and
very handsome fruits, but not so large.
R. RUBiGiNOSA is the Sweet Brier or Eglan-
tine, one of the most precious of English wild-
ings. Of the plant itself I need say nothing ;
many a hedgerow is now fragrant with its youngshoots. But in quite recent years a new group
of Roses has been put into commerce called Pen-
zance Briers. They were raised by Lord Penzance
by crossing the Sweet. Brier with other varieties
and species of Rose, using it as the seed-bearer.
Some of them are very pretty and distinct, more
especially those that have the various Austrian
Briers as pollen parent. Some, on the otherhand, are but little different from and no better
than the Sweet Brier itself. Still, a selection of
the best makes a very charming addition to the
Rose garden.
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R. RUGOSA is now getting to be a well-known
plant. It comes from the coolest parts of .lapan,
and is one of the hardiest and most robust of all
Roses. It is even being used for covert planting.
Typically, its flowers are rosy crimson, but thereis also a white flowered variety. The flowers are
among the most fragrant in the genus. It is
valuable also for the beauty of its fruits, which
are large and bright red. A good deal of notice
is being given to this species now because of its
great value as a subject for cross-fertilisation.In parts of Europe where the climate is too
severe in winter for Tea Roses or even Hybrid
Perpetuals, it is found that when these are
crossed with R. rugosa the hybrids obtained are
not only hardy enough to thrive, but also retain
much of the beauty of their more showy parents.
I suppose we have now about a score hybridsand varieties of R. rugosa, amongst them Mme.
Georges Bruant, Blanche Double de Coubert
(two beautiful white Roses), and Mrs. Anthony
Waterer, with very fragrant red flowers.
R. SERicEA. This is one of the early-flowering
species, and is frequently in bloom by "the end of
May. It is a very pretty Rose both as regardsflower and leaf. It can be distinguished when in
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bloom from all other Roses by the corolla con-
sisting very frequently of four petals, five being,of course, the normal number in this family. The
leaflets are small and numerous, not unlike those
of the Scotch Rose. In one variety at Kew theyoung stems are quite red. The species comes
from North India. The flowers are white. Among
the new plants discovered in Yunnan by the Abbe
Delavay is a remarkable variety of this Rose,which has been called pteracantha. It is dis-
tinguished by the winged spines, which are quite
thin, but are sometimes lA inches wide at the
base.
R. spiNosissiMA (R. pimpinellifolia). The main
features of this the Scotch Rose are its dwarfhabit, its very spiny, bristly stems, its small
leaves, and cup-shaped flowers. Typically, its
flowers are white and single, but cultivated varie-
ties range in colour from a delicate pink to red,
crimson, and yellow. Other varieties are double.
From a botanical point of view the variety altaica
(or grandiflora) is the most distinct. Whilst the
type is 1 foot to 2 feet high, this grows 6 feet oreven more in height. Its flowers are single and
of a beautiful creamy white. This species is one
of the first to flower generally in the first days
of June. It has been crossed with the Damask
Boseand a perpetual-flowering variety obtained
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which blossoms from May till autumn. It is
called Stanwell Perpetual. R. rubella is sup-
posed to be a cross between the Scotch Rose and
R. alpina. lb is a dwarf bush with very pretty
pink flowers.
R. XANTHiNA (R. Ecfe). Although too rare as
yet to obtain a wide circulation, this species may
be mentioned as a charming plant for the rock
garden. Its flowers are small (only about 1 inch
across), but of a beautiful golden yellow. The
stems are dwarf, slender, and very prickly. Itwas originally given the above name by Lindley
in his "Monograph of Roses," but was introduced
by Dr. Aitchison from Afghanistan about twenty
years ago and re-named R. Ecrt. It flowers
annually on the rockery at Kew.
Finally, among the bush Roses brief mentionmay be made of the beautiful group known as
the
R. OENTiFOLi.B. They are R. damascena, or the
Damask Rose : R. gallica, or the French Rose ;
R. centifolia, i.he Provence Rose : and centifolia
var. muscosa, the Moss Rose. Some of these
have been grown in this country for hundreds ofyears, and would, I suppose, include the only
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double Roses in early English g-ardens. More
than any do they represent the Roses of poetryand romance. It is from the Damask Rose that
the Hybrid Perpetnals the largest of the purely
garden groups have been mainly derived, butR. gallica, R. centifolia, and in some degree R.
indica also share in their origin. The books give
the date of the introduction of the Damask Rose
as 1573, yet, according to tradition, the York andLancaster Rose, which is a form of R. damascena,
was growing in the Temple Gardens when the
Wars of the Roses commenced 1'20 years before.
Mr. Baker thinks that this group consists pro-
bably of forms of one variable species. There is
at any rate a strong resemblance among them all,
and although certain botanical characters are
[Begin Page: Page 425]
June 17, 1899.]
THE GARDEN.
425
allotted to each of the three reputed species, it isoften not easy to tell to which of them some of
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the garden forms belong.
II. Climeixg or Ramblixg SrECIES.
R. MOSCHATA (the Musk Rose). There is a very
old specimen of this Ros^ growing in a shrub-
Rosa spinosissima.
bery near the Cactus house at Kew. Being about
1.") feet high, it is the finest specimen I know.
The musky scent, to which the name refers, is
not very perceptible, except after rain or when
the atmosphere is fresh and moist. But without
this the beauty of its great clusters of flowers,with white petals and striking clusters of yellow
stamens, gives it a place among the very finest of
wild Roses. According to my experience, it is a
plant that requires a sheltered position when
young ; the long succulent shoots it makes in
summer are very apt to be cut back during the
winter if exposed. In the case of old plants the
shoots are not so coarse and appear to ripen upbetter. It is an excellent Rose for a mixed
shrubbery given a position where it can scramble
over neighbours that can give it at once support
and shelter. It is a native of the countries
between South Europe and India.
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R. MrLTiFLOKA (R. polyantha). For certain
purposes this is one of the most useful of the wild
Roses. It is a wide-spreading bush of very
graceful and luxuriant growth, its stems archingout in every direction from the centre, and the
whole ultimately forming a great mass S feet or
so high and much more through. The flowers
are amongst the smallest of all Roses, but are
produced very numerously in abundant clusters.
When well in flower a plant becomes simply a
fountain of white blossom. It is a quick andluxuriant grower and is admirable for clothing
steep banks. If these are not very high the
plants may be placed at the top, whence the
shoots will hang down and soon hide the bank
with a charming curtain, which is especially
beautiful in June when this Rose is white with
flower. There are numerous varieties and hybridsthat belong to the multifiora group. They show
their relationship to the type in the dense
clusters of small flowers, but more particularly
in the more or less fringed stipules. One of the
most noteworthy of these varieties or hybrids is
Crimson Rambler. Everyone, I suppose, knows
this Rose now, no plant of recent introduction
having more quickly reached so prominent aplace. It was introduced from Japan (of which
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country, as well as China, the type also is a
native) and was at first known as " EngineerRose," but it was not until it came into the
hands of Mr. Turner, of Slough, and was given
the pleasanter name it now bears, that it obtainedmore than very local notice. The Dawson Rose
is a beautiful cross between R. multifiora and the
H.P. General Jacqueminot. Its flowers are a
soft rose colour and semi-double, so much like
those of Crimson Rambler in size and form as to
suggest that the latter may be a cross between
R. multiflora and some fine deep crimson H.P.
R. REi'ENS (or R. arvensis) is the type of the
Ayrshire Roses. It is a free growing plant, butrequires some support to get it oft' the ground at
first. We train it up stout Oak branches and get
it a few feet high, then
let it ramble at will.
There are several double
forms of it offered by
nurserymen which are an
improvement on the type,licingof sturdier habit and
lasting longer in flower.
i"or covering roots, banks,
mounds, pillars, &c., these
Ayrshire Roses are excel-
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lent, forming ultimately
huge tangled masses of
the greatest beauty and
elegance when in bloom.
The flowers are white orpale pink.
R. SETiGERA (the Prairie
Rose). There is no doubt,
I think, that of the spe-
cies native of North Ame-
rica this is the best andmost useful in English
gardens. It is a climbing
plant of vigorous growth,
the leaflets, of which there
are three to each leaf, being among the largest in
the genus. It blooms in July and August, and is
thus one of the latest of all the wild Roses toflower, a character which enhances its value. The
flowers are large and showy and of a deep rose, but
have little or no fragrance. This Rose is probably
seen to best advantage planted in a large mass,
and, given a few rough posts to climb over, it will
eventually form a large impenetrable thicket.
R. WionuuAiANA is a new species from Japan.Closely allied to R. multiflora, it is still one of the
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most distinct of Roses, being a perfectly prostrate
plant, sending out each year thick succulentshoots which branch freely the following season
so profusely as to resemble drifts of snow at a dis-tance. As a close, dwarf covering for sunny banks
j it promises to be useful.
I There are, of course, many other beautiful
species I have not yet mentioned. No Rose,
for instance, is more beautiful than the Chero-
kee Rose (R. hevigata or sinica) in the far
south-western counties, whence correspondents
occasionally send it. But it is not hardy enough
to thrive well even as far south as London.Then there are R. sulphurea, one of the love-
liest of yellow Roses, and R. simplicifolia (or
j berberidifolia), another yellow-flowered spe-
! cies ; but both are so difficult to cultivate and
so rare that they are practically non-existent in
gardens. It seems to be the rule throughoutthe genus that the yellow-flowered species are
the most difficult, indeed, the only difficult ones
to accommodate.
In conclusion, it may be useful to mention
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that, although few of the trade establishments
pay much attention to these wild species and
varieties of Rose, Mr. G. Paul, of the Cheshunt
Nurseries, takes a special interest in them.
Most, or all of those I have alluded to arecultivated in his nursery. W. J. Bean.
Arhoretum, Keiv.
SOME GOOD ROSES FOR MASSING
That garden Roses are gaining the ascendancy
over the strictly speaking show varieties cannotbe doubted, and the continuous-flowering kinds,
even if the blooms are in themselves transient,
become more numerous and more popular each
season. There may be such a thing as fashion in
flowers, but, after all, what is natural, graceful,
and refined has far more influence with the
patrons of gardening than mere fashion. Thereseems a danger that continental raisers will give
us varieties that meet the demand for artistic
tints, but with the loss of vigour that alone can
permanently retain any Rose in our collections.
M. Guillot achieved a great success when he
obtained Mme. Laurette Messimy and Mme.
Biosa luiea {the Audrian Brier),
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and make a dense carpet over the ground. Eugene Resal, two of the loveliest for massing,
It is one of the latest flowering of all the but some of his later introductions among Teas,species of Rosa and likes the sunniest possible although beautiful in colour, appear to lack the
position. The flowers are white and borne , vigour that one would like to see them possess-
in clusters, and the foliage is the glossiest at least, that is the impression I have obtained ofamong Roses, the surface shining as if varnished, i Mme. Rine Gerard and Souvenir de J. B. Guillot.
In the United States it is described as flowering ! It is true there has hardlv been time to suffi-
[Begin Page: Page 426]
426
THE GARDEK
[June 17, 1899.
ciently test them, and I hope I may be mistaken.
Of course much depends upon the treatmentaccorded. I have seen Mme. Eugfene Resal, when
planted in good prepared beds of fresh loam,
make most extraordinary growths some 3 feet in
height in one season. If Roses are expected to
grow well they must be provided with good soil.
It would be difficult for anyone to define the dis-
tinction between China Roses of the type of Mme.
E. Resal, Mme. L. Messimy, &c., and a Tea-scented variety. The point, however, is not so
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very important, excepting that one is liable to
look upon these recent introductions among ChinaRoses as being as free and hardy as the common
Blush, and this they are not ; indeed, I do not
think any of the China Roses, save Hermosa, areequal to the Old Blush in vigour and hardiness.
This latter variety is really the type of massing
Rose we want in a good variety of colours. M.
Nabonnand has been peculiarly fortunate in obtain-ing good free growers, and unquestionably some
of his introductions will remain great favourites
for many years to come. After a lapse of nearly
fifteen years, the Rose-growing public are only
now becoming alive to the merits of that free-grow-
ing and lovely Rose, Marie d'Orleans. Other good
garden Roses of M. Nabonnand's raising areGeneral Schablikime, of a beautiful coppery red
colour ; Comtesse Festetics Hamilton, a gem of
somewhat similar habit to the last named, but
with more carmine colour in its blossoms ; and of
course G. Nabonnand, a Rose that should be
found in every garden in the land. Another kind
that appears promising is Am^lie Polonnais ; it
has a beautiful bud of a soft salmon-ross colour.Mme. P. Perny is not nearly so much grown as
it deserves to be ; its saffron-yellow buds and
almost white, semi-double flowers are produced on
good vigorous growths and always furnish a
supply of useful Roses. Francisca Kruger, another
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variety from the same source, remains to this day
one of the hardiest of yellow Roses for our climate.
When one speaks of Roses for massing, those
kinds that produce a showy effect when planted
in a group are of course intended. The list ofsuch varieties is not a large one if we confine our-
selves only to those that are as beautiful in
autumn as they are in summer. The exquisite
refreshing softness of a large plantation of
Camoens is to me far more enjoyable than a
gorgeous display of Crimson Rambler. But this
of course is a matter of taste. Those individualswho prefer a showy mass of colour would find
Cramoisi Superieur and Fabvier among the
Chinas, Marquise de Salisbury and Gruss au
Teplitz among the Hybrid Teas, Prineesse de
Sagan from the Tea-scented, and Gloire de
Margottin and Victor Hugo from the Hybrid
Perpetuals to be the best for brilliancy. TheseRoses flower well no matter how hard they are
pruned. I think many growers spare the knife
too much with these garden Roses. There can
be no question that those shoots that spring
from the lower part of the plant produce the
showiest clusters. I have sesn Marquise de
Salisbury when sparsely pruned a most un-
attractive Rose, but what a difference when itsends up from the base its young, prickly hedge
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hog-like shoots. Then we obtain the true
character of this brilliant kind. Another pointto remember is that Roses like transplanting
now and then even if returned to the
same position. Take the work in hand earlyin October, and a marvellous change will be
effected if the ground be trenched and some bone-
meal mixed in at the same time, for Roses are
exceptionally fond of phosphates.
Of the lighter red shades. Captain Hayward,
Ulrich Brunner, General Jacqueminot, and Dr.
Andry are good, and Longworth Rambler and
Fellenberg, although inclined to ramble, afford
quite a brilliant display. Of the rich pink Roses
we have a beauty in Mrs. W. J. Grant, but itswonderful freshness in the early summer is not
maintained in autumn. Mme. Lambard, always
good, and one of the hardiest Teas ; Mme. Abel
Chatenay, one of the loveliest of modern Roses,
and as fragrant as beautiful ; Grace Darling,
Grand Due de Luxembourg, a splendid variety ;
Helen Keller, Caroline Testout, Mme. Eugl-neResal, already mentioned ; Gloire des Polyanthas,
the showiest very dwarf Rose we have, and
Camoens, one of the grandest decorative varieties
in existence, are worth growing if room can be
found for them. Supposing the space cannot be
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afforded for beds of a kind, I would suggest
clumps or groups of each, say five or six plants
jjlanted together. This, to my mind, is better
than planting large mixed beds of various Roses
of one shade of colour. The diversity of habit isso great that there is sure to be an incongruous
grouping. I remember when the late Mr. Ben-
nett's Roses first became known, a gentleman
procured five or six of each kind the fin-t season.
36 Darling and Lady iMary Fitzwilliam were
of the number, and he planted these in small
separate beds upon a lawn. Whether they weretreated extra carefully, being new ones, I know
not, but they were a wonderful sight, the huge
blossoms of Lady Mary Fitzwilliam being really
marvellous. Of the lighter pink colours good
for massing, Captain Christy, Viscountess
Folkestone, La France, Mrs. Sharman Crawford,
Sylph and Mme. L. Messimy are splendid. Wehave also some good white, or nearly white,
Roses that must not be overlooked. Perhaps
the best are Augustine Guinoisseau, Hon.
Edith Gifford, Mrs. Bosanquet, Souvenir de la
Malmaison, White Lady, Gloire Lyonnaise,
Baronne de Maynard, Zephyr, Souvenir de S. A.
Prince, White Pet, Anna Marie de Montravel,
and Mme. E. A. Nolte. There are many othergood kinds, but in endeavouring to distinguish
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between them I have kept in mind the salient
feature of a massing or bedding Rose and that iscontinuous flowering as near as it is possible
in Roses. But there are still some light Roses to
mention of cream, buff', and yellow shades. Ihave said yellow, but I should like to be able to
mention a really good pure yellow bedding Rose.
First in this list comes Mme. Hoste, perhaps the
best in its colour. Enchantress will run thiskind rather close, but its colour is more inclined
to buff in the centre. Marie van H jutte, Safrano,
Queen Mab, Mme. Pernet-Ducher, Perle d'Or,
and Anna OUivier are also uood. We still
require a good yellow with a bloom as large as
Mme. Hoste or even White Lady and the growth
of Viscountess Folkestone. Philomel.
Pruning Roses. Do we prune our old-
fashioned Roses too much ? Generally speaking,
I believe this is the case. I came across some
plants the other day that had not been pruned in
any way this season, and the fine growths ema-
nating from the ends of the one-year old wood
were wonderful. The foliage was the picture ofhealth, and the flowers equally so. These grand
old-fashioned kinds should be well oared for and
every endeavour made to discard the old worn-
out growths and encourage the plants to produce
sound young wood that will give the most satis-
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factory results. Instead of pruning year after
year in the old orthodox style, cut the plants
back very hard now and then, even if a season's
blossom is sacrificed. The young vigorous shoots
resulting from this drastic treatment may be left,as I said before, entirely unpruned the following
year, or if pruned at all, let it be very moderately
done. Such growths will flower freely. P.
Rose Mrs. Robert Garrett. We now and
then obtain a good novelty in Roses from the
United States, although some kinds do not cup to their lavish descriptions. I believe the above
Rose will become very useful. It has been de-
scribed as a sport from Caroline Testout. Cer-
tainly it bears out this statement in its vigorous
growth and free flowering, but the blossoms are
quite different in form. The buds of Mrs. R.
Garrett resemble those of a Tea Rose, and thehalf open flowers are of the most exquisite shape.
The centre is hollow, which condemns it as an
exhibitor's variety, but this would most likely
enhance its value as a garden Rose. The colour
as seen under glass is much paler than in Caroline
Testout. It looks as though we should f
have a numerous race of Roses emanating fromthe latter kind. Of course, this was to be ex-
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pected, for unquestionably it is one of the
grandest Roses of its colour ever raised, althoughone could wish it had more fragrance.
Rose Hermosa. This Rose is far superior tothe common blush China in its individual flowers,
although similar in habit. The flowers are double,
but not so much so as to be difficult to open, and
in consequence are much more lasting than thoseof the semi-double blush. The colour is silvery-
pink. Many gardeners find this old Rose very
useful to furnish large quantities of blooms of one
colour for cutting. A hedge of this kind would be
excellent feature in any garden, and, like the
common blush, it is one of the best for grouping or
to plant in lines by carriage drives. A quantityof this variety together with a good crimson kind
like Cramoisi Superieur and a white such as Little
Pet potted up into .5 inch or 6 inch pots would come
in extremely useful for many purposes during
winter and early spring. This Rose has many
synonyms, being known as Armosa, Melanie Le-
maire, and Mme. Newman.
EARLY GARDEN ROSES.
Some very pretty garden Roses were put up at
the Epping show on June 9. Doubtless the few
hot days during the first week of June were
responsible for even these kinds appearing thus
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early. Two or three very lovely bunches were
seen of that little-known hybrid rugosa Fim-
briata. It looks perhaps prettier when cut and
bunched than it does on the plant ; the fimbriated
pale pink flowers are more like Dianthus bloomsthan Roses. Another little beauty named Mme.
E. A. Nolte was there, its charming apricot-colou red
buds being most interesting. H. B. Hayes, an-
other name for the well-known Reine Olga de
Wurtemburg, was noticed as bright as usual and
served to show how useful a Rose it is as an early-
flowering climber. Unlike some of the doubleclimbers, such as Gloire de Dijon and Cheshunt
Hybrid, which are being forced out before their
time, this Rose seems to revel in heat. I also
noticed growing on houses in the neighbourhood
a very pretty red climbing kind, which I took to
be Fellenberg. Cooling's Single Crimson has a
bold petal, and will doubtless prove useful onaccount of its dwarf habit. Of course the Copper
Austrian R. lutea was shown. How effective
the double white Scotch Rose can be was well
exemplified in the long sprays exhibited, and other
double kinds as well as the beautiful singles of
this tribe were shown in baskets. The beautiful
little miniature Provence de Meaux was well re-
presented. It appears to be a day or two earlierthan Spong, another variety of this tribe. Car-
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mine Pillar is effective during the early days of
the month. The newer variety Dawn will doubt-less be useful and perhaps the forerunner of a good
strain of Roses.
I certainly think with Mr. Girdlestone that a
valuable race of Roses might be evolved from the
single varieties that have good vigorous mildew-
proof constitutions, and the last-named kindappears to be such an one. It does not follow
that the progeny will all be single. Princess
Bonnie was represented by a good handful. It is
an attractive fragrant variety, with large semi-
double flowers of a rich crimson colour, the buds
being especially long and handsome. Gustave
Regis is sure to be one of this early group, forwhen fully blown it is almost a single Rose.
Marquise de Salisbury was well to the front. A
Rose very seldom seen, but very pretty is Papillon.
Its buds are wonderfully pretty, being rose,
shaded with copper and yellow, and, as its name
suggests, the open flowers appear like numerous
butterflies. Sbanwell Perpetual is sure to be
represented, and even two weeks ago I couldhave cut some of its fragrant blossoms, which
resemble in perfume the Cabbage Roses. Rugosa
Roses, such as Belle Poitevine and Blanc Double
de Courbet, are becoming now well established
favourites, and Mrs. Anthony Waterer is more
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effective on the plant than when cut. Visitors to
[Begin Page: Page 427]
Jdxe 17, 1899.]
THE GAEDEX.
427
Kew should not fail to look out for a grand mas3
of the first-distributed plants of this variety ; they
provide a marvellous eflfect with their rich crim-
son blossoms^ Visitor.
XOTES AND QUESTIONS. ROSES.
Bose 111 Sylphide. Your correspondent asks
where he can nrocure the above old Eose, which was
introduced by M. Vibert abont sixty years ago. I do
not think he would find it for sale in this country, but
Messrs. Ketten Freres, of Luxemburg, have it intheir Ust. X.
Eosa gallica, a pretty. Few varieties of these
iuteiesting, though flat garden Roses are more lovely
than the one named Sarpasse Tout. Perhaps in its
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bud the chief beauty lies, and for providing some
early button-holes the buds ate most valuable. Toe
colour is a rich rose, something the shade of John
ily rather deeper in tint.
Books.
oue gardens.*
Whoever brought home the finest plants or
discovered the best ways of culture, or made
the most conspicuous improvements in flowers,there is no doubt whatever that the man who
has cheered us most by his writings for many
years past is the author of this book. It is a
very pretty book as regards piinting and
binding and pictures, and it will be welcomed
by all who enjoy the Dean of Eochester's
good humour and inimitable ways of sayingthings, while it makes for tbe true art of
gaTdeniD;4. It is one of a series known as
the Haddon Hall Library, edited by the Mar-
quess of Granby and Mr. George A. B.
l)ewar. It is divided int') chapters, but in
the main the enjoyments of a garden and ihe
formation of a garden are described. Xo
one has felt the enjoyments of a gardenmore than Dean Hole, no one knows
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better how to make a garden, and those who
might disagree with him on some minorpoints will not fail to be ciptivated by his
witty and uncontroversial way of setting
forth his ideas. The book abounds withsprightly jest and humorous instances. How
clergymen might help td spread the humanis-
ing influence of gardening is told in the fol-
lowing reminiscence of the Dean's own eailyefforts in that direction :
Clergymen may co-operate by their sympathy,
their commendations of successful culture, and
their intercessions with those who can give
material help. I have lived to see good results from
a custom, which I observed some fifty years ago,of taking the boys of my Sunday school for walks
by the brooks, and in the fields, to gather wild
flowers in the summer-tide, and to arrange them
in posies. I took with me the small volumes by
Anne Pratt, with coloured illustrations, and from
these we learned the names and habits, with other
information, of the specimens we collected. In
the interval between that time and this I 1been much gratified to meet with those
associate the love of flowers, which has never left
them, with our Sunday evening walks. In cities
and towns, far from the meadow and the wood,
they have cherished in small gardens, window-
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sills, and flower-pots the old affection. Not long
ago, after responding to a toast at a city banquet,
with some allusion to this floral fidelity, I noticed,
as I sat down, that the toast master, a stately and
august personage, with much dignity of mannerand power of voice, silently placed a little card
on the table before me, on which was written,
" As a boy, I captured first prizs for wild flowers
in my native county Devon." In a moment my
thoughts sped away from the brilliant lights, the
gay costumes, the exotics, and the strife cftongues to the merry faces of the lads with the
Campion, and the Meadow-sweet, and the Honey-
suckles, and the Roses in their hands.
A chapter describes the Rose garden.
The Dean's devotion to Eoses is well known.
He once told Sir John Millais, '-with theimpudence of a fiiend," that he could not
paint a Rose. He replied, " I can reproduce
that which I see " ; and then hs added, " but
you know too much about Roses.'' In
another cflapter the Dean describes the rock
garden as it ought to be. " Eeware," he
write.?, " of sham and counterfeits ; do not ,
daub with uutempered mortar ; do notcover bricks with cement in the hope
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that your friends will believe them to be
rocks ; have nothing to do with tricks or
with trash The stones must be stones,
and they must be placed, not on their sides,
nor on their ends, like acrobats standing on
their heads, but in their natural form, sunk
few inches in the ground, and with an
abundance of congenial soil, loam inter-
mixed with sand and grit, around, within,
and wherever they are situated, higli or low.
It is a fatal mistake to suppose that these
small (alpine) plants will flourish in a shallow
Many of them will make roots more
which a brief sketch of old and modern
methods of gardening is given. The doings
of the Romans and Saxons, the development
of ornamental culture during the three cen-
turies after the coming of the Normans, and
later when " The most deplorable feature of
these ancient gardens wai the hewing andthe hacking, the lopping and the clipping of
evergreen trees and shrubs. The mistakes
of the Creator were to be rectified by the
gardener's shears," are all mentioned, as well
as the opinions of various men of letters
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of the period upon the results of the method
of horticulture then obtaining.
On the " Formation of a Garden " the
Dean has wise words to utter as to wherethe architect and gardener should part, the
necessity for a natural congruity and variety.
He says : " It might be inferred, from an
inspection of the majority of our gardens,
that no novelty had been introduced into
this country for the last sixty or seventy
years, and that straight walks through hugeclumps of evergreens (chiefly Laurels) and
their boundless continuity of shade left
nothing to be desired."
Orchids.
ORCHIDS AT THE TEMPLE.
than a foot in length, as tourists have dis- Axyose interested in Orchids who went to the
covered to their surprise, and to the trial of , Temple show thinking to see new and striking
thtir patience in their first efforts to trans- , spe=f^,^>^das"'-^dly have gone away disap-
, ^ Ki , ii. i- V tv 'pointed. But, none the less, the display was
plant them_ from their native homes on ^^^^ l^ ^^^^ix^^t or^e, ?.n^i m?.ny very fine varieties
mountains." oi^ and well-known kinds were shown. As
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There are also chapters on tlie water usual, our continental friends showed grandly
garden, the wild garden, the cottage garden, the superb forms of Odontoglossum crispum,the children's garden, the town garden, and | and there have been few finer exhibits of O.
" other gardens." The last chapter is headed (Miltonia) vexiUarium than tjiat put up by the
"Farewell," but as the Dean, like the gar-
dener he mentions, is not yet quite an " octo-
geranium," we shall hope to see his name on
the cover of many more delightful books tocome. The fun comes in often, as in this :
In every garden there must be, wherever there
Messrs. Linden. M. Jules Hye always shows
well, and the lovely form of Lailio-Cattleya
Aphrodite in this case was one of the finest
coloured varieties ever seen. Looking roundour own amateurs' groups, I could not help
thinking that as a whole they compared very
favourably with those of former years, espe-
Uy in the way of arrangement, but I should
By S. l!eynolds-Hole. London :
may be, seclusion quiet retreats for rest and j J^ suggest that it would be' a great dealretirement, for contemplation made. Our garden K^l ? r i j- ;oto^
should be our Jerusalem, "the vision and posses- I bf ter if some of our leadmg growers, instead
sion of peace." I must have a place to flee unto I of falhng up valuable space year after year with
when I know that the great landau of the plants that have been exhibited agam and
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Wopperton-Wickses is on mv avenue, because again, would try and get a httle more
one of their gigantic horses, a little touched in ! variety. It would, of course, be invidious
the wind, is loudly expressing his disappros-al to name any one plant, but there are
of a sudden rise in the ground, and because 1 1 several specimens that grace the Temple show
catch a glimpse through the trees of the gorgeous year after year in one grower's group in par-liveries, the cockades, and the calves, and the ticular. Remarkably fine specimens they are,
elaborate armorial bearings of the Woppertons y^^^ j.gj^ii g jg ^ little tired of seeing them
and the Wickses mixed. 1 am fond of my fellow- 1 ^j j^ ^j^^ ^^^^ j^^^ The pretty little
men. I am a gregarious and not a solitary snipe. ^jj ; ^ ^ yj^ rp^.g^or
Jf'^-ceraif c3V; ^I^tXT^^t^ Lawrence .Le f ulf of inferest^ for lovers ofshrubberies like rabbits by the covert-side on the these very quaint and delightful plants, sorne
approach of visitors : but there are a few persons, of the tiny Masdevallias, for instance, and the
querulous tattlers, accusers of the brethren with ! fiery -looking Habenaria rhodochila being
harsh voices, which startle one with a sudden ! exquisite. This last I did not consider so well
horror, like the trombone player in the village ' grown as usual. Among the trade groups
band who spoiled their chief performance at the crowding was the order of the day, but even
"penny reading'' by a sudden note of terrible ' },ere I thought there was a slight improvement,discord, which made the whole audience jump. I rpj^g well-known Bush Hill firm, for instance,
Asked for an explanation by his indignant leader, I ^^^ ^ crroup teeming with good things, but so
he replied, " I came all at once on a note as Id jjg^^^^ ; ^.g^g so^g of these that it was
never met afore, and I hadn't time to see as
wor only a fly-mark, and so I played un."
Two very interesting chapters are III. andIV. "The Pioneers" and "Progress" in
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hedged
difficult to discover them. The first-clas
certificate awarded to the fine Cattleya MossiieBeauty of Bush Hill was well deserved.
Sprinkled here and there were many tine forms
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