culture, both in commercial establishments and in private gardens. The skill of the French has originated many new and beautiful varieties, which are to be found in several of the nurseries in the United States. The French are constantly searching for improvements in horticultural science and practice, with an enthusiasm rarely found in the more cold Englishman, whose skill seems less to consist in the creation of new varieties, than in growing perfectly those already known. None, indeed, can surpass the English in the art of growing fine plants, but we are chiefly indebted to the French for the finest new varieties of the Rose. Such being the case, it is much to be regretted, that so little confidence can be placed in the greater number of French rosegrowers; roses from such should never be propagated until their bloom has been tested. To this rule there are some honorable exceptions; of these are Laffay, Vibert, and Verdier, and there may also be others with whom we are not acquainted. Vibert is perhaps the largest rose cultivator in France, and his attention is directed almost exclusively to the culture of this flower and the vine..

Verdier is a smaller cultivator, but said to be correct and fair. Laffay, although not a large cultivator, has devoted his time almost exclusively to raising new roses from seed, and to him are the admirers of this beautiful flower indebted for many fine varieties. We shall not soon forget our very pleasant visit to Laffay, in the spring of 1845. Although the possessor of considerable property, he lives in a very simple, unostentatious manner, and devotes himself to his favorite pursuit with the utmost interest and enthusiasm. With much warmth of heart and kindness of manner, he unites the courteous hospitality of a French gentleman of the ancient regime; his wife, an animated and pleasant Frenchwoman, is, except in appearance, exactly his counterpart, even to the fondness for rose culture. We were rather disappointed in finding so little method in the arrangement of his grounds. Although every care was taken to ensure correctness, there was not that method in arrangement, that perfect neatness and that regard for artistical effect, which

one always likes to see in the establishment of a man like Laffay. The French are, however, universally behind the English in this respect, although much improvement has been made since the abolition of the Le Notre style of gardening, and the introduction of the natural style, or as they call it, the "Jardin Anglaise." Many of Laffay's fine seedlings were injured by the unprecedented cold of that year, but sufficient were left to produce some fine varieties, which he kindly offered to send us from year to year before placing them in commerce at home. He pursues a regular system of hybridizing, and it is probably owing to his care in this respect that his success has been so far beyond that of other cultivators. M. Hardy, the director of the Luxembourg gardens, has produced some fine varieties, but as we conversed with him only a few minutes, amid the bustle of a horticultural exhibition, we could not obtain from him much information respecting his modus operandi.

In Great Britain, although comparatively little attention has been paid to the obtaining of new varieties, the culture is more careful and the nomenclature more correct. The competition excited by their numerous horticultural exhibitions, causes great attention to be given to correct nomenclature and to symmetrical habit of growth. We can imagine nothing more beautiful than some of the plants that we saw at the exhibitions of the London Horticultural Society at Chiswick; every plant was pruned, trained and grown, after an ideal, but perfect model, with its close and luxuriant foliage, its thrifty, symmetrical habit, and the thick, leathery petals of its well-cupped flower. This high standard should be introduced into every society, and if such were the case in this country and the rule carefully obeyed, the character of our exhibitions would in a short time be very materially changed.

T. Rivers is esteemed the most extensive rose cultivator in England, and is also known as the author of a very excellent descriptive work on the Rose. He has also been successful in hybridizing, and has originated some very fine varieties. His attention was at one time directed almost exclusively to the Rose, but it now includes many other nursery articles, and on our visit

to him in 1845, we found him much interested with experiments in fruit culture. Lane, Wood, and Paul, are esteemed very good cultivators, and generally correct in their nomenclature. From these several establishments in England and France have been imported most of the varieties now existing in this country. Their trade with the United States is however comparatively limited, from the great risk of loss by a sea-voyage. We have frequently lost in this way, two-thirds or three-quarters of an importation, to our great annoyance and expense, and it is only by repeated and persevering importations that we have been able to obtain all the desirable varieties.

In the United States the culture of the Rose has been very much neglected, until within a few years. Tulips and dahlias have successively been the rage, and although there has long existed a great variety of roses, comparatively few of them have been cultivated, even in the best gardens of the United States. Now the tide is turning. Dahlias are going out of repute, and the Rose is resuming its ancient empire in the queendom of Flora. The advent of the Bourbon and the Remontant, or Perpetual classes, has no doubt materially aided this change, but it is in a great part owing to the easy culture of the plant, and the intrinsic merits and beauty of the flower. The taste of the horticultural public being thus decidedly for the Rose, a demand will exist for all the information respecting soil, planting, cultivating, &c., and this information we shall endeavor to supply in a simple and concise manner, avoiding as far as possible all technicalities, and adapting it to the use of the cultivator of a single plant in the crowded border of a city garden, or to the more extended culture of a commercial establishment.

Each cultivator has his peculiar mode of doing things, and there may be those who deem the mode laid down here inferior to their own. From these we should be glad to hear, and to make any corrections they may suggest, where such corrections appear to be founded upon true principles. In order to make our work as perfect as possible, we have not hesitated to add to our own experience, all the information derived from a personal in

spection of French and English nurseries, and to cull from foreign works and periodicals all that may interest our readers. Such information, as far as it coincides with our own experience, we shall gladly incorporate, with the hope that we may be successful in presenting every fact of interest which may exist respecting the cultivation of our favorite flower.

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CHAPTER X.

SOIL, SITUATION AND PLANTING.

HE most suitable soil is a strong, rich loam, or vegetable mould mixed with about one quarter its bulk of well-decomposed stable manure. If the soil of the garden where the roses are to be planted, differs materially from this, it should be made to approach it

as nearly as possible by the addition of the requisite soil and manure. In a good vegetable garden, the soil, with the addition of a little manure, will grow the Rose well. When the soil, however, is of an inferior character, holes should be dug three or four times the size of the roots of a well-grown rose bush and filled with compost of the above character.

Rivers recommends, as the best compost for roses, rotten dung and pit-sand for cold, clayey soils; and for warm, dry soils, rotten dung and cool loams. He also states that he has found night soil, mixed with the drainings of the dunghill, or even with common ditch or pond water, so as to make a thick liquid, the best possible manure for roses, poured on the surface of the soil twice in winter-one to two gallons to each tree. The soil need not be stirred till spring, and then merely loosened two or three inches deep, with the prongs of a fork; for poor soil, and on lawns, previously removing the turf, this will be found most efficacious. He directs this compost to be applied in the first two winter months, but as our ground is frequently frozen so hard at that time that it cannot absorb the liquid, it would probably be