ON THE DOUBLE CHINESE PRIMROSE.

To the Editor of the Florist, Sir: As you invite communications from practical gardeners, I offer a few remarks on the above; as I think it a much rarer plant than it ought to be—few plants excel it in simple beauty, and by proper management it may be had in bloom every month in the year. Being double, it can only be propagated by cuttings, which may be taken off at any time, and readily struck in sand under a bell glass. In about three weeks they are sufficiently rooted to pot into single pots. I find them to thrive best in a compost of rough leaf mould and sandy loam, in well drained pots. I repot them as often as they become well rooted; and pinch off every flower stalk that appears till the plant is six months old at least. I then let it flower on, and as each flower truss shows symptoms of withering, pluck it out. By this course it will continue to flower a whole year. They frequently die out from exhaustion at this time, and the only way I find to prevent this, is to divide the plant into off-sets, and so start with them as with new plants. They always do well with me by this treatment. The double white is the commonest and most easy to be procured; but I have observed in a report of the Pennsylvania Society, that the purple exists also in your neighborhood.

If you think the above worthy of insertion in the Florist, I should be happy to send you some others when I have leisure.

Yours, &c., Hortus.

NOTES ON ROSE CULTURE,
BY A LOVER OF ROSES. (Continued.)

Hybrid Perpetual or Remontant Roses.—This division of the Rose was introduced to us about 15 or 16 years ago and according to the opinions of good judges it originated between the perpetual Rose Du Roi and the Bourbon Rose; they have been till very recently nearly all of a crimson or dark red color. Florists and Rose-growers generally esteem these the finest of all Roses, to which I would coincide, provided, they were constant monthly bloomers, which they are not, giving only two or perhaps faintly a third bloom with a meagre flower in the autumnal months. They richly deserve special attention for their fine bold flowers, rich foliage, and luxuriant shoots when on their own roots; or if budded they make very admired standard Rose trees. But oh! what nicety of eye, how critical the judgment to detect the difference of one half of them. For my own pleasure and gratification I would not give a groschen for ¾ths of them; but we are so led off our guard by “have you got so and so,” we blush to own up, and buy nearly all, good, bad, and indifferent; but pray who would grow Doctor Marx, Dr. Margolin, Madam Laffay, and nearly 50 others; all red, rosy red, dark red, light crimson, and such transpositions, meaning nearly the same in color and character? So be it. I will not detail before your thousands of readers such equivocal terms, but give off hand and full in my eye, a score that will please the most fastidious.

Auguste Mie, clear waxy rose, cupped petals.

Baronne Hallez, dark purple crimson, fine form.

Baronne Prevost, rose color, very large.

Caroline de Sansal, large, rosy blush, pink centre, of remarkably strong growth.

Duchesse de Montpensier, pale satiny rose, very fragrant.

Giant of the Battle, nearly bright scarlet. Is this not the rose of the group? Everyone of your readers that wishes a rose bush that is perfectly hardy, bright in color, and constant in bloom may chose this subject.

Julie de Krudner, a new rose, nearly white, very double, and agreeably fragrant.

La Reine. I hesitate about this though a most superb flower; it has a paucity of bloom not altogether to my fancy; the color too is undecided being a rosy lilac, but extremely large and luxuriant in growth.

Lion des Combats, reddish crimson, shaded with scarlet, large, full, and fragrant.

Louise Le Clerc, delicate blush, perfect form, very profuse and fragrant.

Madam Laffay, purplish lilac, inclining to crimson, very full regular flower, plant of strong growth.

Madam Rives, quite a new variety, of a pale flesh or silvery blush color, of great substance, very distinct and perfectly formed.

Marquis Boccella, pale blush, dwarf habit, a constant bloomer, very distinct.

Pius 9th, crimson purple, very large, full and perfect, a profuse bloomer of strong growth.

Patenotte, pale rose, very exquisite form, fragrant and profuse, quite a new variety.

Queen Victoria, (Paul’s) blush white, shaded with pink or peach blossom color, large, very full, and distinct from any other variety, quite new, very desirable.

Robin Hood, bright carmine, beautifully globular, and a rampant grower.

William Griffith, satiny rose, distinct color, a large bold petaled flower, quite new, and will rank amongst the best.

William Jesse, a favorite variety of a rosy crimson color, edged with lilac, very large, full, and constant.

Yolande d’Arragon, pale rose, producing its flowers in clusters the whole season, a strong grower. Sydonie, a newer variety, is very like this, and I am doubtful if it is any improvement upon it, unless to a very critical observer.

I have not seen a clear good white as yet in this group. Florists and catalogues tell us of Blanche Vibert—white it is, but a sickly looking flower and plant, at the best. Blanche Portemer has nothing more attractive about it. A good white such as the old Madam Hardy is much wanted, it would be a treasure. There are over 100 of these Hybrid Perpetual varieties cultivated, one half of them are nearly facsimiles of each other. They all require more stimulation in their culture than any other roses; if a strong luxuriant growth is not produced a very meagre show will follow; dark rich green foliage and strong shoots will produce a corresponding bloom—but yellow foliage and weak growth produces similar sickly blooms, deficient in color, size, and fragrance. Also, observe that taking off one half of the buds in May and June, is beneficial to a continuance of bloom during the season; in dry weather they should be liberally supplied with rich water or soap suds, or if the ground has been abundantly manured, water of any description will suit; observing that one copious supply once a week is better than a small portion every day.

Noisette Roses are those clustering sorts that bloom from early in the season till destroyed by frost; their flowers are generally small, though there are now some of them nearly as large as any others, but the size takes from their profusion. The growth of the family is of all grades, from 1 foot to 20 feet in a season; unfortunately for us, however, the finer kinds are rather tender, being nearly or entirely killed in our severe winters. Those tender kinds of greatest splendor are Lamarque, Cloth of Gold, Solfatare, La Victorieuse. These are hybridised with the Tea Rose, making them more tender; but for milder climates than Philadelphia the splendor of them equals any description. A friend writes me from Texas, that Cloth of Gold reaches the 3d story, and is in bloom 9 months of the year, and its odor equal to the magnolia. In pruning Noisette Roses, thin out the old wood, and shorten the wood of the previous season. The young wood should always be allowed to have its full growth, as it is most frequently terminated with a cluster of flowers; the sorts without encroaching upon their beauties might be curtailed to one full dozen, which would comprise as follows:

Aimie Vibert, pure white, very compact, a dwarf grower.

Cloth of Gold, a very luxuriant grower, requiring dry rich soil; flowers quite large, frequently 5 inches in diameter, opening a bright lemon yellow, and fading to a pale straw color; should be protected by covering in winter.

Desprez or Jaune Desprez, flowers buff color shaded with pink, in profuse clusters, very fragrant, plant vigorous.

Fellenberg, color pink, red, or crimson as the season may be; a constant bloomer—does very well for a piazza or pillar, quite hardy.

Lafayette, this old fine pink rose must not be neglected; there are few or none to equal it in color and profusion; a moderate grower, flowers prettily cupped and quite profuse.

Odorata, pure white, very sweet, an abundant bloomer and perfectly hardy; stood the winter of ’51, without any protection; of moderate growth.

Ophirie, color orange, orange and pink, pale yellow or bright yellow, all according to the weather and season; blooms abundantly, especially in the autumnal months, flowers very double, plant hardy and growing freely; quite distinct, foliage of a pleasing lively green.

Philippart, dark pink, must be well established before its character is fully ascertained; blooms in large clusters; exceedingly hardy and of strong growth.

Pourpre de Tyre, not easily to decide whether this variety is a Bourbon or Noisette; but florists place it where I now do. The flowers of medium size, dark red or crimson color; plant of moderate growth.

Triomphe de la Duchere, one of the very best Noisette roses, flowers abundant, large, full, of a rosy pink color and fragrant; plant strong, but not rampant.

Vittelina, pure white, fine form, buds shaded with pink, very double, medium size, growth moderate, very desirable.

Lamarque, flowers very large, white with a sulphur yellow centre, plant of strong growth, requires a dry sheltered situation with a rich soil, and to be protected during the severe weather about Philadelphia.

I have omitted many others nearly equal to the above, such as Solfatare, Du Luxemberg, Phaloe, Boulogne, Augusta, &c. Of the latter I may say that I have not yet conversed with a judge or no judge of roses, in this vicinity, who pronounces it equal or nearly equal to the published description of it. I paid a V. for my plant, and consider it fully paid. If I was now to make out a list to send to my Florist, I would say Cloth of Gold, Ophirie, Augusta, &c.

[To be continued.]