pretty. Cleliée is a magnificent rose, of the largest dimensions, forming a very fine standard, as its branches are graceful and spreading. Celinette is also a very large and fine rose, of the most delicate flesh-colour, possessing in its habits all the characters of this division.

Duchesse d'Angoulême, or the Wax rose, is an old but deservedly a favourite variety: its colour is so delicate and its form so perfect, that it must always be admired; the habit of the plant is most luxuriant, and rather more erect than most other members of this family. Duvernay is a new and very fine variety, with flowers of the largest dimensions, of a delicate flesh-colour, very double and finely shaped. Egerie is also a new rose, and very desirable, as its colour is of the brightest rose, grouping well with the pure white and delicate coloured varieties of this division. Enchantress, Grande Henriette, or Rose Parmentier, for these, and I believe some others, are its synonymes, is an old and most beautiful variety, so double and finely shaped that it may be considered a prize-rose of the first character.

Gracilis, or Shailer's Provence, is a very old and delicate growing rose, unlike most other varieties of this family in its habit, as it seems to be between the Boursault and Provence rose. Gloriette is a new rose, of the very palest flesh-colour, finely shaped and of a desirable variety.

The Globe hip, the "Boule de Neige" of the French, was raised from seed many years since at the Hammersmith nursery. This is now much surpassed by some of our new white roses, but still it is a favourite variety. Its habit is most luxuriant; and if it is grafted on the same stem with George the Fourth, or some other vigorous growing dark variety, the union will have a fine effect. The Glory of France is an immense rose, of the most luxuriant habit, having a fine effect grown as a standard, but, like some other very large roses, its flowers are irregularly shaped. La Volupté is a new variety, possessing in its bright vivid rose-colour and perfect shape, all that can be wished for in a rose. L'Ingénue

is most undoubtedly a descendant of the Globe hip, with flowers of the purest white; the centre of the flower inclining to yellow this is one of the finest white roses known, and, like the Globe hip, it is of the most luxuriant habit. Lycoris is a new variety, of a fine vivid rose-colour, marbled and spotted in a very distinct and beautiful manner. Malibran is a distinct and good rose, with peculiar glossy foliage and shoots; it is not spreading and diffuse in its habit, but very erect, unlike any other rose in this division: this rose has not yet bloomed in full perfection in this country. Melanie is a new white rose not producing very large flowers, but they are very double and finely shaped. Reine des Belges, a fine white rose, was classed in the Catalogue of last season among the hybrid china roses, but it is so evidently a seedling from the Globe hip, that I have now placed it in this division: this rose, when it blooms in perfection, is one of the most double and beautiful in existence. The tree Pæony rose produces flowers rivalling in size those of the Pæonia Moutan, or tree Pæony, but as they are flat, irregularly shaped, and not very double, it cannot long be a favourite with the amateur.

Hybrid Provence roses are very robust and hardy, useful to the rose amateur, as serving to form a most delicate group of soft colours: they also make admirable standards, as the branches of most of the varieties are inclined to be spreading, diffuse, and of course graceful.

HYBRID CHINA ROSES.

The superior varieties of this fine division give a combination of all that is or can be beautiful in roses, for not only are their flowers of the most elegant forms and colours, their foliage of extreme luxuriance, but their branches are so vigorous and graceful, that perhaps no plant presents such a mass of beauty as a finely grown hybrid China rose in full bloom. They owe their origin to the China, Tea-scented Noisette and Bourbon roses, fertilized with the French, Provence, and other summer roses, and also to the latter crossed with the former; the seeds of such impregnated flowers producing hybrid China roses. These have, in many cases, resulted from accident, but latterly from the regular fertilizing process, as mules or hybrids have been raised from well known parents.

In England, but few varieties have been originated; as the common China rose does not in general ripen its seeds sufficiently for germination. The parents of Brown's superb blush, which is an English hybrid, raised by the late Mr. Charles Brown of Slough, one of our most scientific and persevering cultivators, cut off in the prime of life, was the old tea-scented rose, Rosa indica odorata, impregnated with some hardy summer rose. Rivers's George the Fourth is also an English rose; but as this came by accident, its origin is not so well ascertained. Rosa Blairii is also English, and raised from the yellow China, impregnated with some variety of hardy rose. All these roses have the true characters of the family leaves smooth, glossy, and subevergreen : branches long, luxuriant, and flexible. They give a long continuance of bloom, but they never put forth secondary or autumnal flowers. This is a most peculiarly distinguishing trait, and an interesting fact. Impregnate a Bourbon, China,

or Noisette rose, all abundant autumnal bloomers, with the farina of a French or Provence rose, and you entirely take away the tendency to autumnal blooming in their offspring. They will grow vigorously all the autumn, and give a long, but not a secondary series of flowers. Some of these hybrid China roses, produce seed abundantly, which is rather a remarkable feature, as so few hybrid plants are fertile.

Hybrids produced from the French rose impregnated with the China rose, are not of such robust and vigorous habits as when the China rose is the female parent; but perhaps this is an assertion scarcely borne out by facts, for the exceptions are numerous, and, like many other variations in roses and plants in general, seem to bid defiance to systematic rules. By some cultivators the roses of this division have been much more divided than in my catalogue, forming Hybrid Noisettes," "Hybrid L'Isle de Bourbons," &c. &c.; but as these all owe their origin to the common China rose, their offspring may with justice be called hybrid China roses.

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Those that have been raised from noisette roses have a tendency to produce their flowers in clusters; those from Bourbon roses have their leaves thick, leathery, and round; those from the tea-scented have a delicate and grateful scent; but all have those distinguishing family traits as before given, and accordingly they group beautifully. As this is the grand object of the amateur cultivator, it seems far more preferable to arrange them as one family, than to make several divisions with but very minute distinguishing features. It is a difficult task to point out the best in this division, as they are nearly all well deserving of cultivation. However, by making a few remarks, such as cannot be given in a descriptive catalogue, I may perhaps be able, in some measure, to direct the choice of amateurs to those most worthy their notice.

Adolphe Cachet is a rose not much known; but a very

double, well shaped, and distinct variety. Attelaine de Bourbon, the Athelin of some French catalogues, is a hybrid Bourbon rose, scarcely double enough, but exceedingly beautiful. It has finely shaped flowers, and blooms in large and erect clusters; its colour is of that vivid rose so peculiar to the Bourbon roses. As this bears seed freely, it will probably be the parent of numerous fine varieties. A fleurs marbré is a small, but very brilliant marbled rose, one of the prettiest of this division. Adele Ancelin is a most delicate coloured and beautiful rose, very perfect in its shape, and distinct in character.

*

Bonne Geneviève. This rose, under the name of "Beauté ethereal,” and described as "purple margined with crimson,” has been sold extensively. It is a most beautiful and perfectly imbricated rose. Brennus, the Brutus of some collections: this very superb rose will form a finer object as a pillar rose* or standard, than as a bush; its luxuriant shoots must not be shortened too much in winter pruning, as it is then apt to produce an abundance of wood, and but very few flowers. This rose often puts forth branches in one season from eight to ten feet in length: if these are from a dwarf, and are fastened to a wooden or iron stake, and not shortened, the following season they will form a pillar of beauty but rarely equalled. Blairii, a rose not so much known as it deserves to be, is a very distinct and unique variety, so impatient of the knife, that if pruned at all severely, it will scarcely put forth a flower it is perhaps better as a pillar rose, than grown in any other mode, as it shoots ten or twelve feet in one season, and its pendulous clusters of flowers which are produced from those long shoots unshortened, have a beautiful effect on a pillar. Beauty of Billiard is, of all roses, the most glowing and beautiful: its colour is described in the catalogue as scarlet; but it is rather a fiery crimson,

* All the roses to which this term is applied make very long and flexible shoots, well adapted for training up a column, thus forming a pillar of roses.