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Riego, which partakes of the sweet briar, might be made the parent of some beautiful briar-like roses by planting it with the Splendid Sweet Briar.

General Allard, a hybrid Bourbon rose, from which Monsieur Laffay has raised his new perpetual rose "Madame Laffay," is much inclined to give a second series of flowers; this rose should be planted in a very warm border, or trained against a south wall with Bourbon Gloire de Rosomène, and if carefully fertilised with it some beautiful crimson autumnal roses would probably be originated.

Henry Barbet is also a hybrid Bourbon rose of great beauty. This should be planted with Triomphe d'Angers, with which it may be fertilised, but as the latter has but a small portion of pollen, and the former a great abundance, the process may be reversed; if seed can be procured from Triomphe d'Angers it must produce fine flowers, as it is one of the most beautiful and fragrant of roses.

Petit Pierre, although very double, bears abundance of seed; as this is a fine and large rose deepness of colour might be given by planting it with the French rose, La Majestueuse. Legouvé with the Tuscany would probably originate a fine class of rich dark crimson roses, of which at present we possess but few that are really perfect in form and colour. Time

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will most probably put us in possession of many other seed-bearing hybrid China roses; at present, those recommended are all that can be depended upon.

THE WHITE ROSE.

(ROSA ALBA.)

Rosa Alba, or the White Rose, so called because the original species is white, is a native of middle Europe, and was introduced to our gardens in 1597. In some of the old farm and cottage gardens of Hertfordshire and Essex a semi-double variety is frequent; this is but a slight remove from the single flowering original species, and grows luxuriantly without culture in any neglected corner. The roses of this division may be easily distinguished by their green shoots, leaves of a glaucous green, looking as if they were covered with a greyish impalpable powder, and flowers generally of the most delicate colours, graduating from pure white to a bright but delicate pink.

Attala is one of the deepest coloured varieties of this division, with large and partially cupped flowers of a perfect shape. Belle Clementine, an old but very pretty variety, a hybrid departing in a slight degree from the characters

of the group, often produces flowers finely mottled; it is a luxuriant grower, and forms a fine standard. Blanche Superbe, or Blanche de Belgique is a much older variety than the preceding, with all the characters of this division, and producing very large and double flowers of the purest white. Blush hip is a hybrid, possessing more of the characters of this division than of any other, consequently it is placed in it: this is a fine and free growing rose, always beautiful. Bullata is a curious but pretty variety, with large foliage and tinted white flowers, forming a robust and fine standard. Camelliaflora, a small but very pretty pure white rose, with cupped flowers, possesses all the characters of the species, and is quite worthy of cultivation. Duc de Luxembourg, a hybrid, is a most beautiful and unique rose, producing globular flowers of the largest size: the exterior of the petals is almost white, the interior of a bright rosy purple, at once singular and pleasing. Fatime is a pretty rose, its colour not pure white but tinted with a delicate pink in the centre of the flower; this is peculiar to roses of this family, and in general it is very pleasing. Fanny Sommerson, a new and very fine variety, is a most robust grower, producing rose-coloured flowers, extremely double, and finely shaped, a little imbricated, but so perfect that this variety may be considered a good show

rose. Félicité is also a new and beautiful rose; its flowers are exactly like a fine double ranunculus, of a most delicate flesh-colour: this is a distinct and fine rose.

Ferox is a most anomalous variety of this family, for most of its members are thornless, but this is completely covered with those fierce defenders; its flowers are of a pretty tinted white, very double and perfect. Josephine and Josephine Beauharnais must both be mentioned, as they are so often confounded: the first is a most robust grower, producing in large clusters flowers not very double, of a delicate pink; the latter has large globular flowers, very double, white, tinted with rosy buff. La Séduisante is most appropriately named; it is not a new variety, but a rose most perfect in shape and beautiful in colour. Madame Campan is a hybrid departing a little from the characters of the species, but producing flowers of a bright rose finely mottled with white, of first-rate excellence. Princesse de Lamballe is one of the finest in this division, possessing all the characters of the species in its foliage, branches and flowers: these are of the purest white, and of the most perfect and beautiful shape. Queen of Denmark, an old but estimable variety, produces flowers of first-rate excellence as prize-flowers: so much was this esteemed when first raised from seed, that

plants were sent from Germany to this country at five guineas each. Sophie de Marsilly, a new variety, is a most delicate and beautiful mottled rose, with flowers very double and perfect in shape. Viridis is the far-famed green rose of France, which has several times been brought to this country and sold as a great rarity it is curious, for its flowers are nearly green till fully expanded. Zoraime is a new rose, pure white; but it has not yet bloomed in perfection in this country, so that an opinion cannot be given of the form and quality of its flowers. It has a high reputation in France.

The varieties of this family form a beautiful mass, not by any means gay and dazzling but chaste and delicate, and contrast well with groups of the dark varieties of Rosa gallica and hybrid China roses; they also make good standards, often growing to a large size and uniting well with the stock: they always bloom abundantly and bear close pruning; in this respect they may be treated as recommended for the French roses.

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