from their origin and associations, and pleasing from their fragrance and peculiar neatness; they make also pretty trees, particularly on

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petites tiges," as the French term them: they require the same culture as the other hardy

roses.

Humble as are the claims of the Sweet Briar when contrasted with the gorgeous beauty of some of our new roses, yet it is so decidedly English, that raising new varieties from seed will I am sure be found interesting.

The Scarlet may be planted with the Splendid Briar, which so abounds in pollen that fertilising will be found very easy. The Carmine with the semi-doubled Scarlet will also give promising seed; the beauty of their flowers might be increased by hybridising with some of the French roses, but then their Sweet Briar-like character would be lost, and with that a great portion of their interest.

The Hybrid China Rose, Riego, if planted with the Splendid Briar, would produce seed from which large and very fragrant double roses might be expected, and these would partake largely of the character of the Sweet Briar.

THE AUSTRIAN BRIAR.

(ROSA LUTEA.)

The Austrian Briar, a native of the South of Europe, is found on the hills of the North of Italy, producing copper or red, as well as yellow flowers; but, strange to say, though the flowers are invariably single, yet they never produce seed. In this country also it is with extreme difficulty, and only by fertilising its flowers, that seed can be perfected; if the flowers are examined they will all be found deficient in pollen, which accounts for this universal barrenness. A Double Copper Austrian Briar is yet a desideratum.

The Copper or Red Austrian, the Capucine of the French, is a most singular rose; the inside of each petal is of a bright copper red, the outside inclining to sulphur; this rose is most impatient of a smoky atmosphere, and will not put forth a single bloom within ten or twelve miles of London. The Double Yellow, or William's Double Yellow Sweet Briar, is a pretty double rose, raised from the Single Yellow Austrian by Mr. Williams of Pitmaston a few years since; this blooms more freely than the original species, and is a most desirable variety. Rosa Harrisonii is also a double yellow rose, said to have been raised from seed

in America, and sent from thence to this country about four years since: this has proved one of the most beautiful of yellow roses; its flowers before expansion are globular, but a hot sun makes them expand and lose much of their beauty. It is a more robust grower than the Double Yellow Sweet Briar; its flowers are also a little larger, and do not fade so soon. The Single Yellow is the most brilliant yellow rose we yet possess; and it will probably be the parent of some double varieties, its equal in colour.

To this peculiar family of roses a few new varieties have been added. Cuivre Rouge, a curious hybrid, partaking of the Boursault Rose, with smooth thornless branches and dull reddish single flowers, and the Superb Double Yellow Briar, a seedling raised by Mr. Williams of Pitmaston from the same rose, and, I believe, at the same time as the Double Yellow Briar. This has larger and more double flowers, but they are perhaps not so bright in colour, which might be owing to the excessive wet weather during its flowering season, as it bloomed here for the first time last summer (1839). A third variety is also in my possession, from Italian seed, which gives hopes of being a very double globular bright yellow rose, producing its flowers in great abundance.

To bloom them in perfection Austrian

Briars require a moist soil and dry pure air; but little manure is necessary, as they grow freely in any tolerably good and moist soil; neither do they require severe pruning, but merely the strong shoots shortened, and most of the twigs left on the plant, as they, generally, produce flowers in great abundance.

No family of roses offers such an interesting field for experiments in raising new varieties from seed as this. First, we have the Copper Austrian, from which, although it is one of the oldest roses in our gardens, a double flowering variety has never yet been obtained. This rose is always defective in pollen, and conse quently it will not bear seed unless its flowers are fertilised as it will be interesting to retain the traits of the species, it should be planted with and fertilised by the Double Yellow; it will then in warm dry seasons produce seed not abundantly, but the amateur must rest satisfied if he can procure even one hep full of perfect seed. A French variety of this rose called "Capucine de Semis" seems to bear seed more freely, but as the colour of its flowers is not so bright as the original, its seed even from fertilised flowers would not be so valuable.

The beautiful and brilliant Rosa Harrisonii, however, gives the brightest hopes. This should also be planted with the Double Yellow

Briar, it will then, as I had the pleasure of ascertaining even the last unfavourable summer, bear seed abundantly; no rose will perhaps show the effects of fertilising its flowers more plainly than this, and consequently to the amateur it is the pleasing triumph of art over nature. Every flower on my experimental plants, not fertilised, proved abortive, while, on the contrary, all those that were so, produced large black spherical heps full of perfect seed.

THE DOUBLE YELLOW ROSE.

(ROSA SULPHURea.)

The origin of this very old and beautiful rose, like that of the Moss Rose, seems lost in obscurity. In the botanical catalogues it is made a species, said to be a native of the Levant*, and never to have been seen in a wild state bearing single flowers. It is passing strange, that this double rose should have been always considered a species. Nature has never yet given us a double flowering species to raise single flowering varieties from; but exactly the reverse. We are compelled, therefore, to consider the parent of this rose to be a species. bearing single flowers. If this single flowering species was a native of the Levant, our botanists,

• Introduced to our gardens in 1629.