autumns and in rich soils it sometimes puts forth flowering branches. The Luxembourg Moss, or "Ferrugineuse," has been raised from seed, within these few years, in the Luxembourg Gardens. It is evidently much tinged with the dark colouring of some variety of Rosa gallica, and approaches to that grand desideratum, a dark crimson Moss Rose. This is most certainly a superb variety, of great luxuriance of growth, forming a fine standard: it will probably be the parent of a dark Moss Rose still more splendid, as it bears seed freely. The Mottled Moss is the Mousseuse Prolifère, a large globular rose with petals that are crisp or curdled before its flowers open: this gave rise to its name of Mottled Moss. This rose does not open well in wet seasons, but is often very beautiful, and forms a fine standard.

The Scarlet Moss, the Mousseuse de la Flèche of the French, from being originated at the town of La Flèche, is a pretty brilliant rose, with flowers nearly as small as the Pompone Moss, but not so double. The Spotted Moss is also a French variety; but its spots do not add to its beauty in the eyes of the English florist; though in France any distinguishing feature in a flower, however absurd, is seized with avidity to mark a variety. The Old Striped Moss is a singular rose, of delicate growth,

often producing flower-stems and buds entirely without moss; still its glaucous foliage and striped flowers give the plant a pretty original appearance. The Sage-leaved Moss is a good double rose, remarkable only for its leaves, which are much like those of the common sage. The Single Moss and Single Lilac Moss are desirable as being distinct, and capable of bearing seed from which new varieties may be raised. Rivers's Single Moss is inclined to be semi-double. This is a remarkably luxuriant grower, as is the Single Crimson Moss, a seedling which bloomed for the first time in the season of 1836; a rose quite worth notice, for its colour is beautiful; and as it is a true Moss Rose, and bears seed abundantly, it will, I hope, be the parent of some first-rate varieties. The White Bath or Clifton Moss is a favourite and beautiful rose: this owes its origin to a sporting branch of the common Moss, which was found in a garden at Clifton, near Bristol, about thirty years since, from whence it was distributed. The Old White Moss is, perhaps, a French variety, as the French cultivators, when speaking of the Clifton Moss, call it Mousseuse Blanche Anglaise; and the Old White Moss, M. Blanche Ancienne. This has not so much moss as the Clifton, and is not pure white, but inclining to a pale flesh-colour; it is also much more delicate in habit.

To the Moss Roses described in the preceding pages may now be added Lancel, so named from its originator, which has the merit of producing the most beautiful of flower buds. The moss with which they are enveloped is long and abundant, and of the most lively green; its flowers when expanded are of a deep reddish rose, rather irregular in shape: it is in its buds that this rose is interesting. The Agathe leaved Moss, "Mousseuse à feuilles d'Agathe," is a new hybrid, between the Rose gallica. Agathe and the Moss Rose: its flowers are of a pale flesh-colour, rather irregular in form; this is interesting from its singularity, but not by any means beautiful. Mousseuse de Metz proves to be a very pretty bright carmine Moss Rose, with flowers double and finely shaped; in short, a rose quite worthy of cultivation.

The Scarlet Pompone, Pompone ecarlate, or Mousseuse Picciola, is a new variety, something like Mousseuse de la Flèche in character, but more dwarf, with flowers much smaller, and nearly or quite double; it is a very pretty bright carmine rose, and will probably prove one of the prettiest of our dwarf Moss Roses.

A new striped Moss Rose, Mousseuse Panachée pleine, was received two years since from France; but this has proved a mere sport of the White Bath Moss, which often produces flowers late in the season perfectly striped, and

sometimes half the flowers will be white, and the remaining petals of a bright rose colour.

Moss Roses, when grown on their own roots, require a light and rich soil: in such soils, they form fine masses of beauty in beds on lawns. In cold and clayey soils they in general succeed much better worked on the Dog Rose, forming beautiful standards. I have ascertained that they establish themselves much better on short stems, from two to three feet in height, than on taller stems. If short, the stem increases in bulk progressively with the head, and the plants will then live and flourish a great many years.

To give a succession of bloom, the plants intended to flower early should be pruned in October, and those for the second series the beginning of May; shortening their shoots, as recommended for the Provence Roses. Give them also an abundant annual dressing of manure on the surface, in November.

To raise Moss Roses from seed is a most interesting employment for the genuine rose amateur, such a pleasing field is open, and so much may yet be done. The following directions will I hope assist those who have leisure, perseverance, and love for this charming flower. A plant of the Luxembourg Moss and one of the Single Crimson Moss should be planted against a south wall close to each other, so that

their branches may be mingled; in bright calm sunny mornings in June about ten o'clock those flowers that are expanded should be examined by pressing the fingers on the anthers, it will then be found if the pollen is abundant, if so, a flower of the former should be shaken over the latter, or, what perhaps is better, its flower stalk should be fastened to the wall, so that the flower will be kept in an erect position, then cut a flower of the Luxembourg Moss, snip off its petals with a sharp pair of scissors, and place the anthers firmly but gently upon a flower of the Single Crimson: so that the anthers of each are entangled, they will keep it in its position, so that a stiff breeze will scarcely remove it; the fertilising will take place without further trouble, and a fine hep full of seed will be the result; to obtain seed from the Luxembourg Moss I need scarcely say that this operation must be reversed. A wall is not always necessary to ripen seed, for in dry soils and airy exposed situations the above Moss Roses bear seed in tolerable abundance. The treatment of the heps, sowing the seed, and the management of the young plants, as applicable to all, is given at the end of the first part.